Page 30 of The Boss's Hideaway Baby

NATHAN

The next few days are long. Really long.

After picking up a burner phone from town, I call my security team each day. They have nothing yet for me, though, and I’m left to just sit on my hands.

It’s something I haven’t done in my whole life. Even as a kid, I always stayed busy. I was competitive, ambitious, always looking to do and be more.

Having Maria by my side is nice, but also painful. She’s so sweet and stoic. So beautiful.

More than once, the kind of thoughts a man shouldn’t have about his assistant cross my mind. Each time I have to tamp them down. Maria is off limits, and I need to keep that in mind, even if that means reminding myself of it every five minutes.

Three nights into hiding out, a storm rolls in. Rain pelts the tiny cabin, and violent gusts of wind shake its very foundation. I glance over at Maria, who is standing by the window, her eyes wide with concern.

“You okay?” I ask.

She turns to face me, her expression softening. “Yes, I’m fine.”

But I can tell she’s not being entirely truthful. “Storms aren’t your thing, huh?”

She looks down, and that’s my answer: she’s afraid of them.

“Hey.” I step a little closer to her. “There’s no shame in being freaked out by storms. They’re big, powerful things.”

She takes a deep breath, her resolve to hide her fear cracking for a moment. “I know you’re right, but it’s still scary.”

I reach out and place a comforting hand on her shoulder, feeling the tension in her muscles slowly ease under my touch.

As the storm intensifies, I can sense a shift in the air between us. The crackling tension is no longer solely fueled by fear, but now tinged with an undeniable attraction that lingers in the space between our bodies.

The cabin seems smaller, the confines of our hiding place closing in on us, as if urging us to acknowledge the growing chemistry between us. But I resist and step away. I know better than to act on this attraction.

“Is there anything we can do to protect the cabin?” Maria wraps her arms around herself as if bracing for the impact of each thunderclap.

There’s something wistful in her voice, and it makes me wonder if this old house means more to her than she’s let on.

“Let’s make sure all the shutters are closed.” I have to raise my voice; it’s barely audible over the howling wind.

We split up, quickly securing the shutters on each window. As I latch the last one, I hear Maria’s sharp intake of breath.

“Watch out!” she exclaims, pointing out the window to a large branch hurtling towards us.

I react instinctively, grabbing her arm and yanking her back into the safety of the cabin just as the branch crashes against the exterior.

“Are you okay?” My heart pounds rapidly, and my hands shake. The branch probably didn’t do any damage to the exterior of the cabin, but if it had hit the window, she could have been seriously hurt.

“Y–yes, thanks to you,” she stutters, her face pale but her eyes shining with gratitude.

The near miss leaves me shaken. The thought of her being hurt — or worse — is unbearable. My instincts scream at me to wrap her in my arms and shield her from any further harm. But I can’t forget that she’s my employee, making such an embrace entirely inappropriate.

“Let’s check the car,” I say instead. “We don’t want anything falling on it.”

We step outside, huddling together against the fury of the storm. It’s impossible not to notice how close her body is to mine, and I can’t help but wonder what it would feel like to hold her tight.

“Looks like the car will be fine,” Maria says. “There’s nothing above it that could cause any damage.”

“Good.” It’s a struggle to keep my voice steady. “Let’s get back inside before we’re both soaked to the bone.”

As we head back into the cabin, I can’t help but replay the moment when I pulled her away from danger. It makes me feel alive, connected to her in a way that I never thought possible. But it also terrifies me — because as much as I want to protect her and keep her safe, I know it’s not my place.

---