Page 5 of The Boss's Hideaway Baby

“Of course. I’d love to.” I smile at the thought of helping my sister find her dream dress. “Just let me know the time and place.”

After years of dating, my big sis has finally found her happily ever after. Hayden is a great guy, and I support my sister in marrying him…

I just don’t know if I could ever do that myself.

I mean, I would love to find a partner. At the same time, though, the thought makes me queasy. What if things go south and we end up arguing all the time like my parents? And God forbid there are kids involved.

I wouldn’t wish mine and Kelsey’s formative years on anyone. There was more yelling than talking in our house.

Yes, having a family sounds amazing, but when you take all the factors into consideration, I have to wonder if the risk is really worth it.

“I’ll text you the details,” Kelsey says. “Talk soon.”

“Talk soon. Bye.” I hang up and click through the calendar on the desktop. The workday doesn’t end for another hour, but I’m out of things to do.

The sound of a door opening makes me jump. I look up to see Nathan — I mean Mr. Colton — leaning against the doorframe that separates his office from mine. My heart does a little flip, like it always does when I see his tall, broad-shouldered figure.

Quickly, I close my planner. “Yes, Mr. Colton?”

“Hey, Maria. Sorry to interrupt. Could you grab the quarterly financial reports for me?” His smile is easy, casual. He runs a hand through his dirty-blond hair, and I nearly melt into a puddle.

I nod, hoping I’m not blushing. “Sure thing, Mr. Colton. I’ll bring them right in.”

Even though everything is digital now, my boss also likes to have paper reports to read, so I pull up what he’s looking for and print out the pages. With them done, I slip them into a folder and head into his office.

It smells like coffee and vanilla, and I can’t help but wonder what he and Anna were doing in here. When she left, there were tears in her eyes.

Not surprisingly.

Another one bites the dust.

Even though my boss dates a lot, no woman sticks around for long. Everyone who knows who he is — and that’s lots of people — knows that he’s a serial dater. Don’t get involved with Nathan Colton unless you want your heart broken after five dates or less.

I can’t blame the women going after him, though. If I had even the slightest chance with him, I’d take it.

Assuming I wasn’t his assistant, that is.

At the sound of my entrance, he glances up from his computer screen. Our eyes meet for a brief second before I look away.

“Here are the reports you wanted.” I hand the folder over.

Nathan clears his throat, pulling me out of my thoughts. “Thanks. You’re a lifesaver.” He smiles, his blue eyes twinkling.

“It’s no problem, Mr. Colton.” I try to keep my voice steady, but I can feel my palms getting sweaty. I’ve had a crush on him since the day I started working here last year, but I know better than to act on it. He’s my boss, and he’s way out of my league.

“Was there anything else you needed?” I ask, hoping my voice sounds normal.

He leans back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head. I can’t help but notice how his biceps flex against his shirt sleeves.

“Actually, there was something I wanted to discuss with you,” he says. “But this stays between us for now.”

I nod, curiosity piqued. “Of course.”

What on earth could he have to tell me that needs to stay between us? Could it be that he’s finally realized my feelings for him and wants to discuss them?

No, that’s just wishful thinking. It’s probably something work-related.

And what would even happen next? I don’t want to be one of the many girls he goes through. And what if things were to become serious between us?

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