Page 13 of The Boss's Hideaway Baby

Before I can look away, he reaches across the table and takes my hand. “Trust me,” he says softly, his eyes locked on mine. “You have nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Okay,” I finally say, trying to focus on the matter at hand. “If you think it’s a good idea, I’ll do it.”

Nathan smiles. “Great. Let’s go.”

He stands up and offers me his arm, and I take it hesitantly. We make our way through the crowd, and I can feel all eyes on us as we approach Sloane’s group. My nerves are getting the better of me, and I’m not sure I can go through with it.

But Nathan is beside me, his presence calming me down.

Sloane turns to us, a dazzling smile on her lips. “Nathan, so good to see you. And who is this lovely young lady?”

“This is Maria.” Nathan steps back, giving me and Sloane space.

Sloane’s eyes flicker over me, assessing me. “Nice to meet you, Maria,” she says, extending a hand.

“Likewise,” I shake her hand awkwardly. “I loved you in Project Break.”

She flashes me a genuine smile, and the last of my nerves melt away. “Thank you so much,” she says. “It was a challenging role to take on, but I’m glad people enjoyed it.”

“I did more than enjoy it,” I say, blurting out the words before I can stop myself. “I was obsessed with it. I must have watched it at least ten times.”

Sloane laughs, and I can’t help but join in. “That’s amazing to hear. It’s always nice to know that your work is appreciated.”

Sloane’s laughter is infectious, and I find myself feeling more at ease around her. She’s not the aloof and unapproachable star I’d imagined her to be, but rather warm and personable.

Nathan introduces us to the rest of her group, including a few other actors and some industry executives. I’m a bit overwhelmed by all the names and titles being thrown around, but everyone is friendly and welcoming.

It’s not until a woman walks onto the stage that the conversation dies down. “Welcome everyone!” She raises her hands. “And thank you for coming here tonight. I could talk your ear off, but I think I’ll let the man who is responsible for tonight do that instead. It is my great honor to introduce Nathan Colton.”

The room bursts into applause, and Nathan makes his way to the stage. I clap as loud as I can, enjoying being swept away in the excitement.

Nathan takes the microphone and the room quiets down. “Thank you all for coming out tonight. This organization is near and dear to my heart, and I know that all of you are here because you also believe that we have the ability to change the world. So, let’s dig deep and make a real difference.”

The crowd cheers loudly, and Nathan flashes a smile. “But enough with the speeches. Let’s start the auction!”

Sloane and her group move closer to the stage, and I follow them, eager to see what’s going to happen. Nathan starts off with a signed guitar from a famous musician, and the bidding starts off slow.

But then, Sloane turns to me and whispers, “Watch this.”

She raises her hand and starts bidding, and soon a bidding war breaks out between Sloane and an older man in a suit. The price keeps going up and up until Sloane finally wins with a bid of twenty thousand.

As the auction continues, I feel a bit intimidated by the amount of money being thrown around. But Sloane seems completely at ease, laughing and joking with the other bidders as they compete for various items. It’s clear that she has a lot of experience with events like this, and I find myself admiring her confidence and poise.

Almost too soon, the auction is over. I was actually enjoying watching the bidding war, even though I never could have bid on anything myself.

But then Nathan is leaving the stage and walking right back to me, and I have to work to not smile too big.

“You were great,” I tell him.

He ducks his head and grins. It’s an oddly shy moment from such a confident man, and it leaves me wondering what parts of him I haven’t seen — and will never see.

Someone comes up to Sloane, and she turns to me before getting involved in the conversation. “It was good to meet you, Maria.”

“You too.” I watch as she gets pulled into yet another circle of adoring people.

“Are you having a good time?” Nathan asks me.

“The best. Thank you for introducing me to Sloane.”

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