Page 35 of The Boss's Hideaway Baby

“Me?” I ask. “But it’s so beautiful. And you’re the one who found it. It should be yours.”

“Please,” he insists, pressing the glass into my palm. “I want you to have it.”

I hesitantly close my fingers around the smooth glass, feeling its cool weight against my skin. “Thank you,” I murmur, touched by his thoughtfulness.

I’m not sure what the gesture means, but I’m desperate to hold on to it nonetheless. Whatever Nathan and I are, at the end of the day, I want to be important to him. Meaningful.

We resume our walk, but my mind is still on the sea glass and the intentions behind it.

Suddenly, Nathan’s hand wraps around my arm, and he yanks me backwards. “Watch out!”

“What?” I shriek, my heart leaping into my throat as I stumble against his chest.

“The mauve jellyfish.” He nods at the little gelatinous thing I almost stepped on. “They’re poisonous.”

“Thank you,” I say, looking up at him. Our faces are mere inches apart, and I can see the concern in his eyes. Heat rushes through me, and for a moment, the world outside our embrace fades away.

“Maybe we should head back to the cabin,” I mumble, stepping out of his arms. The charged moment is overwhelming, and I fear that if we stay any longer, my heart will betray me. I’ll do something I’ll regret. Like kiss a man who will just push me away. Or worse — pull me in, only to break my heart later.

“All right,” Nathan agrees, though he seems reluctant to leave the beach. As we walk away from the shore, I can’t help but think about how much my life has changed since coming back to Montauk.

My head has gotten too high into the clouds, and as much as I wish things could stay like this forever, I know that they can’t. Our time in the little cabin will come to an end, and then what? Will Nathan go back to being the billionaire playboy everyone thinks he is, and I just his assistant?

I sigh, feeling a familiar ache in my chest. But for now, I’ll enjoy these stolen moments with him, even if they’re only temporary. And who knows? Maybe we’ll both find the happiness we’ve been searching for along the way.

Just not together.

CHAPTER 13

NATHAN

Music plays softly in the little cabin, and a gentle wind whispers around the house. As I lean against the kitchen counter, a smile spreads across my face.

It’s weird, but I feel so… good. So relaxed.

When I first got to Montauk, I was freaking out about all the meetings I would be missing. But now, only a few days later, I don’t even really care.

It’s been days since I last thought about work, and I’m starting to see that there’s more to life than just boardrooms and presentations. The tension in my shoulders has disappeared, replaced by an unfamiliar yet welcome feeling of relaxation.

Even in the stressful circumstances, I’ve noticed myself smiling more over the past few days than I have in years. And I know that a big part of it is Maria. She’s so resilient, smart, and captivating — the kind of person who can make you forget your troubles without even trying. But as much as I love being around her, I know we could never be together. Not truly.

That doesn’t mean I can’t show her how much I value her, though. How much she means to me.

I’ve already decided that once this whole mess blows over, I’ll be giving her a significant raise and some kind of special gift — maybe a new car, or a luxurious vacation somewhere.

But for now, I can only do small things for her. Which is fine. I have to start somewhere.

“Maria?” I call out as I step towards the living room, eager to take matters into my own hands. “I want to make a special dinner for us tonight. What do you think?”

“Really?” She turns around from the shelves she’s been dusting. Even though we’ve cleaned the place from top to bottom, there’s not much to do around here, so the whole cabin is sparkling clean. “What kind of special dinner?”

“Seafood, of course.” I lean against the doorframe. I already picked up the ingredients when I went shopping this afternoon, and I’m looking forward to (hopefully) impressing her. “Why don’t you go relax while I cook? I promise it’ll be worth the wait.”

Her lips twist. “I could use a bath.”

I try my hardest to not imagine her in said bath. Instead, I smile and nod. “Take your time. There’s nothing for you to do out here.”

As she heads off to the bathroom, I get to work on the lobster risotto. I’m determined to impress her with both the taste and presentation, pouring my heart into every ingredient and stir. With each step, I imagine her delight, and it fuels me along.

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