The Cost Of The Forbidden

‘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 shan’t be long,’ Sev said to Naomi on his way out, and, behind Allem’s robed back, he made a gesture with his hand that was Sev language for Pour me a cognac.

Naomi went in to his office and poured him a drink but then, unable to help herself, she slid open the drawer and took out the bag. She looked at the pretty robin-egg-blue box wrapped in a white bow and tortured herself with images of engagement rings.

Was that why he’d flown to Rome?

Oh, God, the white roses were bad enough but she could not stand the thought of Sev actually getting serious about someone.

He had never bought anyone jewellery in all her time here; it had been white roses and that was all.

‘Snooping?’ Sev asked as he came, unheard by Naomi, into the office, and she was just too tired of it all to jump or even blush.

‘I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to wrap it.’

‘You think you’d do a better job than Tiffany’s?’ Sev teased.

As she went to put the box back in the bag Sev held out his hand and she handed it to him.

‘I think I’ve changed my mind about them.’

He tore off the bow, opened the box and stared for a moment then handed it to Naomi for her thoughts.

She’d rather not share them.

Silently she stared at the earrings—two heart-shaped, pink-diamond-encrusted studs.

They were gorgeous.

Seriously so.

‘They’re beautiful,’ Naomi said, but Sev wasn’t sure and he took back the box and looked at them again.

‘I think that they’re a bit too pink, but then again she’s young and the guy who served me said that was what they all wanted at the moment.’

So, no white roses for Miss Roma, Naomi thought.

‘You don’t look very convinced,’ Sev said, noting Naomi’s lack of enthusiasm.

Just how hard did she have to act?

‘Sev, they’re stunning.’ Naomi spoke, she hoped, with conviction. ‘Any woman would be thrilled to have them.’

Especially from you.

She looked at the little frown line between his eyes as still he examined the earrings. This man who cared so little for other’s feelings really did seem to care about this gift and its reception, Naomi could tell.

And so it really was time to leave.

‘Okay, let’s run through my schedule,’ Sev said, snapping closed the box and leaving it for Naomi to re-tie the bow. ‘It’s changed. We’re going to be flying to Dubai on Saturday and then from there straight on to London. I have to be there for the twelfth.’

‘In the morning?’ Naomi checked.

‘No, no,’ Sev said. ‘I want to get there on the eleventh, just to allow for delays and things.’

Naomi raised her eyebrows—Sev was usually the delay.

‘I know that you’ll have to rearrange a few things but I can’t not go to Washington and I really can’t keep putting Allem off.’

‘I get that,’ Naomi agreed. ‘Did he like the statue?’

‘He loved it,’ Sev answered, which only confused her more.

‘Sev, could I have word with you?’

‘Can it wait?’ Sev asked. ‘We’ve got to meet Allem in less than an hour.’

‘No.’ Naomi shook her head. ‘It can’t wait.’

If she didn’t do it now then it would just get harder and, given they were going to be in Dubai, if there was going to be even a hope of finding her replacement she needed to get things under way soon.

‘You’ll have to watch me get changed, then,’ Sev said, picking up the drink she had poured and taking a long sip as he started to undo his tie.

‘Hardly a first.’ She didn’t take a seat, she was too nervous to, and so instead Naomi stood and leant on his desk.

Tie off, he pulled open a door to a dressing room and selected a fresh shirt with no thought as to how it had got there.

It wasn’t his problem.

Sev peered into the mirror.

‘I’d better shave.’

Naomi said nothing as he stripped off his shirt and dropped it to the floor and then walked over towards her to top up his drink.

He just walked towards her with no thought about the effect a half-naked Sev had on her.

That wasn’t his problem either.

His skin was pale and on anyone else it might be too pale yet on Sev all it did was enhance his lithe, toned body and shadowed his chest to perfection. His arms were as long as his legs and his nipples were the same deep merlot of his mouth and just as tempting. His trousers sat a little too low on his hips, just that fraction between notches on a belt, and those were the details she fought not to notice as his hand reached for a heavy glass and held it up to her.

‘Have one,’ Sev said. ‘It’s going to be a very long, dry night.’

Sometimes they had a drink about now, especially if they were going out for dinner, but Naomi declined with a small shake of her head. Even if a cognac to settle her nerves might be nice, she’d rather hold onto her inhibitions than lose them around him.

This was going to be harder than she’d allowed for.

She loved her job.

Her career.

It just wasn’t working.

Oh, there was a reason she could not abide certain parts of her job. Had it been Edward, her previous boss, or any of her bosses before Sev, this would be an unnoted part of a long day—brief downtime before she headed out for a dinner with his clients.

Instead she was trying to work out where to place her eyes when they wanted to rest on him.

‘If it’s about this morning,’ Sev said, lathering up his chin, ‘there’s no need. You don’t have to apologise.’

Her lips moved into an unseen but incredulous smile.

‘We’re reducing your use of the “sorry” word, remember?’

He really took the cake at times!

Yes, she could tell him he had been the inappropriate one this morning yet she was looking at his back and fighting not to go over there.

Naomi was truly tired of fighting her feelings.

Feelings, Naomi knew, that could get seriously hurt.

And neither did those feelings allow her to do her job properly. Naomi knew she had been surly this morning about his late arrival when, as his PA, she had no right to be.

‘That’s not what I’m here about, Sev.’ Naomi cleared her throat and watched as Sev picked up the razor. ‘I’m handing in my notice.’

She watched as the razor hesitated over his jaw but then he commenced shaving as she carried on with her little prepared speech.

‘You said at the start that you’d be surprised if I lasted more than three months.’ Naomi reminded him.

‘I did.’

‘And I’ve loved the work, I really have, it’s just...’

He turned from the mirror. ‘Naomi, you don’t need to give a reason to leave.’

He could be so kind at times—awkward, embarrassing things like resigning he dealt with so well.

‘Will you be sticking around to find a replacement?’ Sev asked, as he carried on with his shave.

‘I’ll do what I can this week but if we’re going to Dubai, it might be pushing it, unless you don’t need me to go.’

‘No, no,’ Sev said. ‘I need you to be there. I go to Washington the day after tomorrow...’ He thought for a moment. ‘I’ll come back on Thursday night. If you can have at least two applicants lined up by then, that would be good.’

‘Sure.’

She’d have little trouble. Applications to work for Sevastyan Derzhavin arrived in her inbox all the time. ‘I’ll go from Dubai to London and there we can part ways.’

‘You’re coming back to New York, though?’ Sev checked.

‘Oh, yes.’ Naomi nodded. ‘I want to have Christmas with my family here.’

‘How’s that all going?’ Sev asked, turning back to the mirror and getting on with shaving.

‘Good! I’m going there tomorrow night.’

‘For dinner?’

‘I’m babysitting,’ Naomi answered. ‘They’re going to the theatre.’

Sev said nothing. He loathed how she jumped to her father’s every wish. They could be in the middle of a meeting and if her father texted or called, even if she tried not to respond, Sev could feel the tension in her.

Then he chose not to say nothing. ‘You like the theatre,’ he pointed out.

‘Not really.’

‘It says that you do on your résumé.’

‘And I told you that I lied about that.’

‘Aren’t you going to ask about a reference?’

Naomi nodded.

‘I’ll do that first thing tomorrow,’ Sev promised.

He rinsed his face and then dried it, splashed on a load of cologne, took a sip of his drink and then put on his fresh shirt.

And that was that.

She’d resigned. It was done with.

And he’d barely so much as blinked.

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