The Cost Of The Forbidden. Carol Marinelli

was never asked to send presents or flowers for anyone other than girlfriends.

      Naomi pulled up his account at the florist and looked at May.

      No, judging by the messages sent that month, a Mother’s Day bouquet hadn’t been sent.

      It was none of her business, Naomi told herself.

      She just wanted to know some more.

      She was alerted that Allem had arrived and Naomi greeted him. He was robed and wearing a kafeya and just so polished and well mannered she wondered if he was royal.

      ‘His plane has just landed,’ Naomi said, and fired Sev a text as they waited.

      And waited.

      Allem didn’t seem to mind in the least.

      ‘How long have you been working for Sevastyan?’ Allem asked, as Naomi poured tea.

      ‘Three months.’

      And with her notice served it would be three months and two weeks. Naomi had absolutely decided that she was going to do it.

      Finally Sev appeared, as rumpled as if he had flown economy to get here rather than on his luxury private jet.

      Still beautiful, Naomi thought, but though she smiled a greeting it didn’t quite meet her eyes.

      His neck was a mess from his weekend of passion and she knew now why it had taken so long for him to get from the airport—from the bag he was carrying it was clear that he had stopped off at Tiffany.

      Not for a second did she presume he’d stopped to buy something for her.

      ‘I’m very sorry to hear about your mother,’ Allem offered. ‘How is she?’

      ‘Touch and go,’ Sev replied, and jiggled his hand. No, he didn’t say sorry for being seven hours late. ‘Let’s go through to my office.’ He led Allem through and as he closed the door he gave Naomi a smile of thanks.

      No doubt he thought he had got away with it and Allem believed that his mother was sick—didn’t he get it that Allem was just too polite to mention the bite marks on his neck?

      Naomi was completely over this job.

      No, she wasn’t burnt out.

      It was far more than that.

      He’d lie about his own mother.

      Sev was a bastard.

      Felicity had told her that at her first interview.

      Even Sev had warned her that he was on her very first day.

      ‘I prefer computers,’ he’d yawned, as he’d called on her, on her very first day, to handle a teary previous date who’d kept calling him on the office phone. ‘No tears, no dramas.’ He’d seen her cheeks redden. ‘I’m not talking about porn.’

      ‘I never said that you were.’

      ‘I’m just saying that I prefer computers to people.’

      Naomi thought back to her first day and now and the months in between and, really, even if she knew so many details about his life, she knew him no better at all. She didn’t even know how he took his coffee.

      It, like Sev, changed on a whim.

      * * *

      Sev closed the door on Naomi’s silent disapproval and as Allem took a seat Sev opened up the bureau to see that Naomi had wrapped the gift for him.

      ‘I got this for Jamal when I was in Mali,’ Sev said and handed over the gift and watched as Allem opened it. ‘I remember you saying that she likes statues and I...’ his voice trailed off as Allem started laughing when he took out the ebony statue that had caught Sev’s restless eye a few weeks ago. ‘What’s so funny?’

      ‘Sevastyan, this is a most inappropriate gift to give to my wife,’ Allem said, but with a smile. ‘It’s a fertility statue.’

      ‘Really! Well, I want it out of this office, then.’

      ‘Actually, Jamal will laugh when I tell her that you bought this with her in mind. You are in fact a little too late. I’m delighted to tell you that we are expecting a baby in March.’

      Sev said all the right things.

      Well, he tried.

      Allem had been wild once, Sev thought.

      Perhaps that was why they had got on so well.

      They had used to hit the clubs wherever in the world they were.

      But in the past couple of years it had been lengthy dinners with Allem and Jamal and whatever date Sev brought along.

      Now, Allem spoke about morning sickness and how Jamal had lost weight and was a touch teary and Sev had to stop his eyes from crossing as Allem droned on.

      ‘Though Jamal enjoyed shopping with Naomi and is very much looking forward to dinner tonight.’

      Sev smothered a yawn.

      ‘Will Naomi be joining us tonight?’ Allem checked.

      ‘Of course,’ Sev answered. He knew better than to expect Jamal to come out for dinner without female company.

      ‘So you and Naomi are dating?’ Allem pushed the conversation to the personal when Sev would far rather that they spoke about work. ‘I see she is wearing an engagement ring.’

      ‘Well, it’s not mine,’ Sev snapped. ‘What on earth gave you that idea?’

      ‘It’s just that you don’t often bring your PA to our dinners.’

      That was true, Sev thought. Generally he rustled up a date, promising her that if she would sit through the very tame dinner, he would make it up to her later that night.

      It had been easier, though, to take Naomi lately.

      She really was exceptionally good with his clients.

      For all her faults, for all her little digs about his lifestyle, Naomi certainly knew how to smooth the feathers that he tended to ruffle along his decadent way.

      Finally they got around to work and, yes, Sev agreed, he would need to come to Dubai. ‘I really am booked out, though, Allem,’ he explained. ‘I need four clear days at least and I don’t have anything like that until March.’

      ‘Which is when the baby is due,’ Allem said. ‘Sev, I know you are busy but I have been asking for a while now.’

      Sev nodded and pulled up his diary onto his computer screen.

      This week he had to go to Washington DC and there could be no getting out of that. Next week he was heading off to London, which, despite earlier thoughts about not going, really was non-negotiable to him. But maybe he was growing a conscience—Allem had been asking him to come to Dubai as his guest for months, as well as do some work for him.

      And he had been inexcusably late today.

      ‘I’ll get Naomi to reschedule some of my clients,’ Sev offered. ‘We can be there on Saturday.’

      ‘Excellent.’

      * * *

      Naomi looked up when the two men came out of Sev’s office. Allem was all smiles.

      He came and thanked her for the tea she had made and for taking care of Jamal.

      ‘We’re looking forward to dinner,’ Allem said.

      ‘So am I.’ Naomi smiled.

      Instead of only seeing Allem as far as the elevator, which was as far as Sev usually went when saying farewell to clients, he was clearly going to see Allem to his car.

      Were they friends? Naomi pondered.

      They seemed such an unlikely mix.

      ‘I