Page 41 of The Boss's Hideaway Baby

She looks up from her computer, eyebrows raised in surprise. “Sure.” She stands up and smooths down her skirt.

As she approaches my office, there’s a charged moment where our gazes lock, and it takes every ounce of my self-control not to lean in and capture her lips with mine.

“Please, have a seat.” I motion toward the chair across from my desk. My palms are sweating, but I remind myself that I’m nothing if not a professional. This is just another business matter that needs to be addressed.

And she deserves this, too.

“Is everything okay?” Maria asks, her voice laced with concern as she sits down.

“Of course.” I force a smile. “I just wanted to give you something.” Reaching into my drawer, I pull out an envelope and slide it across the desk to her. “It’s a bonus, for your help in Montauk.”

For a long moment, she just stares at the check, which is for several times her salary. Her jaw drops, and I can practically see the gears turning in her head as she processes the amount. Finally, she looks up at me, confusion etched on her face.

“Nathan, are you trying to buy me off? Do you want me to quit after what happened between us?”

My chest clenches at her words. “What? No! That’s not it at all. I just wanted to thank you. You went above and beyond to keep me safe, and this is my way of showing my appreciation.”

She studies me for a moment, her brown eyes searching mine. I can tell she’s trying to figure out if I’m being sincere or not. Swallowing hard, I wait for her response, my hands in my lap.

“Thank you,” she finally says, her voice soft and uncertain. “This is… very generous of you. But… are you sure you don’t want me to leave the company?”

The thought of her walking out through the building’s front doors and out of my life forever is enough to make me panic. Plus, she’s the best assistant I’ve ever had. Hell no, I don’t want her going anywhere.

“Absolutely not.” I shake my head. “Do you… want to leave?”

She seems to consider this. “No.”

I have to fight to not sigh with relief.

“Consider this check a token of my gratitude,” I reply, managing a small smile. “You deserve it, Maria.”

Finally, she nods her head once. “Then thank you for it,” she says quietly, her eyes downcast as she clutches the envelope in her hand.

And that’s all. She turns and walks out of my office without another word, leaving me alone with my thoughts and regrets.

As soon as the door clicks shut behind her, I collapse into my desk chair and let out a heavy sigh. A part of me wishes that things had gone differently, that she had put into words what we both seem to be feeling but are too afraid to admit. Was she planning on telling me that she wanted us to be together?

But even if she had, would it have made any difference? I’ve built my life around work, and I’ve been honest about my inability to commit to anything more than a fleeting romance. As much as Maria has come to mean to me, I can’t let my emotions dictate my actions — especially when they threaten to derail everything I’ve worked so hard to achieve.

Part of the reason I’m so successful is that I’ve never let my personal life get in the way. I’ve made decisions for myself and myself alone. Having to take another person into account would mean living a completely different life. I highly doubt I would have come this far in the world if I’d done things that way.

“Back to work, Nathan,” I mutter to myself, forcing my attention back to the deal I’m finalizing. But as I stare at the numbers and figures on my screen, my thoughts keep drifting back to Maria — the way her eyes searched mine for answers, the hurt in her voice when she thanked me for the check.

“Damn it,” I whisper, unable to shake off the feeling that I’ve made a terrible mistake.

The air in my office feels heavy, filled with the weight of my decision to push her away. I glance at the closed door, trying to ignore the hollow feeling in my chest. This is who I am, I remind myself — a man focused on his work and incapable of commitment. These walls I’ve built around my heart have been there for so long, and I know Maria deserves better.

“Okay,” I mumble, rolling up my sleeves and leaning forward to focus on my computer screen, “let’s get back to it.”

But as I sift through emails and financial projections, my thoughts keep drifting back to that moment when Maria’s eyes were filled with confusion and hurt. I’d told her, hadn’t I? That I wasn’t looking for anything serious.

Our time together was nothing more than a brief escape from reality.

So why does my conscience nag at me now?

There’s a knock on the door, and I nearly jump in my seat. “Come in.”

“Hey.” Corey pokes his head into my office. “You left your phone at the restaurant. They just called me about it.”

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