The Grumpy Man Upstairs

THE GRUMPY MAN UPSTAIRS (by Velora Fox)

“He’s here to buy the building,” Mrs. Henderson whispers like it’s a curse. “And he’s going to shut you down.”

Layla Evans has spent years keeping The Daily Grind alive—one cinnamon swirl, one early morning, one exhausted smile at a time. It’s not just a café. It’s her home above the shop, her daughter Lily’s safe place, and the heart of Port Blossom.

So when Adam Thorne walks in wearing a sharp suit and colder eyes—clipboard in hand, numbers on his side—Layla knows exactly what he is:

Trouble.

Adam claims it’s “just business.” He’s here to buy the building, close the café, and turn the best thing in town into another soulless project. Layla refuses. Loudly. Publicly. In front of everyone who loves her little café like family.

But Port Blossom has a way of changing plans.

A brutal coastal storm rolls in, the power goes out… and Adam ends up stranded on Layla’s doorstep with a dead phone, a broken car, and nowhere else to go. One night turns into forced proximity upstairs—shared candlelight, awkward silence, and the kind of honesty that slips out when the world goes dark.

Layla shouldn’t let him in.
Adam shouldn’t want to stay.

Except behind the rumours and the suit, there’s a man who’s never known warmth like this—never been challenged like this—never been looked at like he’s more than a paycheck and a last name.

And Layla? She’s one push away from losing everything… but one storm away from discovering that the grumpy man upstairs might be the very thing she never knew she needed.

Because what happens when you can’t walk away from the place you came to break?
And the line between duty and desire starts to blur?

Continue reading THE GRUMPY MAN UPSTAIRS if you like:
– Grumpy / Sunshine
– Small Town Romance + Cozy Café Vibes
– Single Mom Heroine (fighting for her daughter)
– Rich Outsider / “He came to close her café…”
– Storm-Stranded Forced Proximity (one roof, one night… more)
– Community vs Corporate Pressure
– Slow-burn tension, tenderness, and earned trust

Steam Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

What readers are saying (swap these with your real reviews when you have them):
“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Heartwarming, swoony, and impossible to put down—Port Blossom feels like home.”
“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The grumpy hero + single mom dynamic is perfection. The storm scenes had me hooked.”
“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Cozy café romance with real stakes, real feelings, and the sweetest payoff.”