by Holly Rayner
“You think I should ask Farah out?” Bahir asked, wiggling his eyebrows, and Nicole laughed.
“I think that would be cruel of you. Leave the poor girl alone—you have no intention of giving her the love she deserves.”
“You don’t know that,” Bahir said with a furrowed brow.
“Don’t I? You said earlier that no one can take the place of work in your heart.”
“You’re putting words in my mouth, Nicole. I said that I wish I could meet a woman who could accept my lifestyle.”
“Yes, but your lifestyle includes all of your free time. At first a woman might be able to accept that—seeing you sparingly, living her own life of luxury while you spend your days and nights at the office. But that would fade in time. A woman wants to be loved. She wants the one thing a man can give that doesn’t cost a thing: his time. She wants to know that she is worth more than the fame, the glory and the empire.”
“Really? Because in my experience a woman wants money, and that’s the end of it.”
“You can’t mean that. What about your mother?” Nicole asked.
Bahir’s laugh was brittle. “My mother cared more about our estate than she did about my father. As she stood over his cold body, all she could think about was maintaining her lifestyle.”
“Not all women are like that, Bahir,” Nicole said flatly.
“How do you know?” he shot back.
“Because I’m not from your world. I know what it’s like to value things beyond the material, and to take advantage of them when they are there. I’ve seen what toll it takes on someone to have their world stripped away.”
Bahir stared at her for a moment. “What happened?”
Nicole stared at the table, not wanting to answer. Still, her little outburst deserved an explanation, and Bahir’s eyes were open and free of judgement.
“When I was seven, my parents’ house burned down. It was a kitchen fire that I started. We lost everything because of me. My brother was blind. We had to drag him out of the house because he couldn’t find his own way. In one day everything was taken from me—my possessions, my parents’ trust, a life free of guilt. One stupid mistake and it was all gone.”
“You can’t possibly blame yourself for that, Nicole. You were a child.”
“And you wouldn’t blame yourself, if you’d burned down your father’s estate. You wouldn’t live the rest of your life seeing the resentful stares? I had to learn to place value in other things, Bahir, because in the space of a few hours, my family lost everything. So don’t tell me I don’t know a woman who can value love above possessions. When you lose everything, sometimes love is all you have left. My family never blamed me for what happened, and I’ll be forever grateful to them for that.”
They sat in silence for some time. Finally, Bahir sighed.
“Thank you for sharing that with me. Sometimes I forget that the world is a much bigger place than I can fathom, and that every story is different.”
“Well, it helps to be so busy I never have time to think about my problems, so I guess I have you to thank for that,” Nicole said.
A little voice in her head told her she should stop talking. She was rambling about love and nonsense.
Bahir sighed. “You can just say I’m overworking you, Nicole. There’s no need to beat around the bush about it.”
“What?” she asked, not expecting that answer.
“You shrugged off my question about your love life because you don’t want to admit that I don’t allow you the time you need to find someone. Admit it,” he said, pointing a fork at her.
“This isn’t about me,” Nicole deflected. “This is about you and your paramours. I’m just saying you should leave that girl alone, because she expects more from you than you can give. Stick to business, and maybe then you’ll stop leaving behind a string of broken hearts for me to clean up.”
They ate in silence for a few moments, collecting their thoughts. It was the most honest conversation they’d ever had, and Nicole wondered just how far she would have to go to get him to fire her. If he did, would the other firm give her an offer in time? Was there really anything she could say to push him over the edge? Bahir, the unflappable businessman?
Bahir sighed. “Well maybe I should just marry her. My visa situation is a mess and I might not even be granted access to America again. Maybe I should just settle here; buy a boat and fish for the rest of my life.”
Nicole laughed at this, picturing Bahir in a fisherman’s overalls, casting lines out to sea. She took another bite, her belly starting to feel full.
“You know you’re rich, right? I know we just talked about it, but you’re used to getting your way, Bahir. Yes, this might take some time, or maybe a little creative thinking, but with your kind of money, you can make anything happen.”
Bahir stared at her, then, a funny expression on his face.
Nicole’s hand shot up to her lips. “What? Is there something on my face?” she asked.
The corner of Bahir’s lip twitched, his dimple threatening to come up to the surface. “No, there’s nothing. It’s just—”
Bahir didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence. Abdul the cook had come out from the kitchens to say hello.
He turned to Nicole after shaking Bahir’s hand. “This young man used to come to our restaurant every summer with his family. Very nice people, the Al-Jabbars, very nice. You eat on the house today. We’re grateful for your patronage!”
Bahir put up his hands. “Absolutely not. I would find it a great insult if I could not provide payment to you for your exceptional service. Please allow me to feel that my gratitude has been adequately received.”
Akilah grinned. Nicole could tell that was the answer she was hoping for, and Farah pulled a bill from her front apron, placing it on the table.
“Whenever you are ready then, Bahir. Remember, you’re welcome back any time, and bring lots of friends!”
“I will,” Bahir promised, though Nicole wondered just what friends he had to bring; she had never seen him with anyone other than business partners.
When they left the table, she reached out to grab the bill, used to handling these things while Bahir kept the conversation flowing. Her hand collided with his. Glancing up, their gazes met and held, as their hands continued to touch.
“What are you doing?” Nicole asked.
Bahir smirked. “Can’t a guy buy lunch, every once in a while?”
“Technically you buy lunch every time,” she pointed out, and Bahir broke the contact by swiping up the check and placing a hefty pile of bills on top of it.
“Humor me, then,” he said as he stood, and Nicole rose as well, waving farewell to Akilah’s family as they exited the establishment.
As they walked down the street, Nicole’s phone started beeping furiously, indicating a quick succession of emails.
And just like that, the spell was broken.
Pulling out her phone, Nicole read that a crisis was spreading across the office in Dubai. The legal team were missing documents that only she had access to, back at the computer in her apartment.
“Damn,” she said.
“What is it?”
“It’s the Monroe case documents. The legal team needs them now and I have them saved on my computer back at my apartment in Dubai. I’ve got to get them back today.”
“I’ll come with you,” Bahir said, and she held up a hand.
“No,” Nicole said, not used to contradicting him, but not wanting to be around him at that moment. He was too mesmerizing, and she needed to clear her head. “There’s nothing you can do. Besides, you’re actually taking time off to enjoy yourself. I’m sure you know other people in the village, maybe even some family you might want to visit?”
Bahir looked reluctant. Ah, there he was. The annoying boss micromanaging her every move.
“Bahir, I’ve got this. I’ll keep you posted, but it should be an easy fix. I’ve just got to take care of it now.”
“Well let’s get back to the limo…” he said, heading in that direction.
Nicole passed him and waved down a cab on the small side street. The driver pulled over, waiting for her to get in.
“I’ve got it. You enjoy your day, and I’ll give you the update this evening,” she said, not allowing him to argue as she hopped in the cab and gave the driver directions to her apartment. He balked at the distance back to the city, but when she showed him a pile of cash, he happily whistled as he drove on, leaving Bahir behind them in the dust.
Nicole knew she was running, but she didn’t care. Her feelings were irrational, and she needed some space to think, away from Bahir. Had she really just confided her darkest secret to her boss?
All the talk of love and commitment was going right to her head, when what she really needed was to get back into work mode. Bahir Al-Jabbar was too tempting to resist. Checking her email one more time, she frowned as she saw no reply from Simon and Jenkins Associates.
She needed to get her thoughts in order, fast, before she did something she regretted.
FIVE
Nicole stared out her apartment window at the rising sun, cradling a mug of sweet mint tea. It was a Middle-Eastern delicacy she’d grown quite fond of, and the local tea was some of the best she’d ever had. She’d spent the rest of the previous afternoon at her computer, putting out fires and sending out important documentation. It was the perfect thing to keep her mind off the way her hand had fit perfectly into Bahir’s, and the way his eyes had danced in a rare moment of carefree fun.
She stretched her arms up into the air, her black tank top and comfortable pajama bottoms hanging loosely from her body. Before getting home she had had the presence of mind to grab some groceries, and had been able to bake some delicious-smelling blueberry muffins in her apartment’s small oven. The scent was wafting throughout the room, and she sought comfort in it as she began processing what she needed to do that day.
Her first task would be heading to the US Embassy to attempt to sort out Bahir’s visa issue. It was not a trip Nicole was looking forward to. Government bureaucracy took hours upon hours of waiting and dealing with incompetence. Bahir hadn’t been wrong when he’d ranted about it the other night; the thing was, he wasn’t going to be the one dealing with it.
The oven beeped, signaling that the muffins were ready to be devoured. Nicole pulled a container of spreadable butter from the fridge and set it on the counter, pulling the tray of perfectly baked little muffins out of the oven and breathing them in. Baking was something Nicole loved to do, but rarely found the time. She was placing a couple of them on a plate, ready to eat, when there was a knock at the door.
Nicole licked butter off her fingers as she walked over to the door and peeked through the hole to see who on earth was paying her a visit so early in the morning. Her eyes widened when she saw who it was. Pulling the chain from the lock, she opened the door to find Bahir standing in front of her, looking disheveled.
“Bahir?” she asked, glancing down at his well-built form. He was still wearing his slacks and shirt from the day before, and his hair was in disarray.
“Yes, I know, I look like a hobo. Can I come in? I’ve got something I need to discuss with you.”
“Um, sure?” she said as he whisked by her and into her apartment.
Nicole crossed her arms self-consciously over her chest. Her boss was in her apartment while she was in nothing but her pajamas. The week just couldn’t get any weirder, could it?
Bahir took a deep breath. “What is that amazing smell?” he asked, and Nicole grinned.
“I made blueberry muffins. Would you like one?”
“One? I’ll take two!” he said, taking a seat on the living room sofa and watching intently as she unwrapped two more muffins and placed them on a plate for him.
“Butter?” she asked, holding up the knife, and Bahir nodded.
“Slather away.”
“I wonder how you stay in such good shape with your eating and work habits,” she mused aloud, bringing the plates over and sitting across from him before taking a bite of the hot, fluffy dough. She repressed a groan of delight, and was proud of herself for keeping her embarrassment to a minimum.
“I work out at night. I find it’s the best time to collect my thoughts for the next day,” he said before taking a bite and closing his eyes. “Mmm,” he said. “These are outstanding, Nicole. You never told me you could bake.”
“I don’t normally get the time,” she said.
“We’ll have to add this to your job description, so we can make the time.”
Nicole sighed inwardly. Oh good, another thing I love ruined by work, she thought flatly.
She put her plate down and looked at Bahir. “Was there a reason you needed to come to my apartment just after dawn, before I could meet you at the office?” she asked, her tone sharp. It was one thing to have to see Bahir at pretty much all hours of the day or night, but sometimes she just wanted one moment to herself to think. Not to mention that his day-old scruff and tousled hair made him look even sexier than usual—something Nicole was trying desperately not to think about.
“There is!” Bahir said, sitting up a little straighter. “You remember our little chat yesterday, when you mentioned that I was rich enough to solve this little visa issue? You said I just needed to think a little creatively.”
“Yes, I do remember, as that wasn’t even twelve hours ago,” Nicole said, impatiently waiting for him to get to his point.
Bahir lifted a finger in an aha gesture. “Well, I’ve managed to come up with the perfect solution to this problem, hopefully for good.”
He paused for dramatic effect, and Nicole crossed her arms again and waited.
“I’m getting married.”
Nicole stared. After a moment she realized her mouth was hanging open, and she closed it.
“You’re…you’re what?” she sputtered.
“Do you have tea? I see there’s a mug on this table. Is there any fresh?” Bahir asked casually, like he hadn’t just dropped a huge bombshell.
“Uh, yeah. The kettle’s on the stove and there are tea bags on the counter.” She stared at his back in bewilderment as he jumped off the sofa and found a tea cup in her cupboard before pouring himself a mug and carefully walking back to face her again. He dipped his tea bag delicately, watching the fluid change color.
The silence dragged on until Nicole couldn’t take it anymore.
“Is that it? You’re really just going to tell me that you’ve decided to get married and leave it at that? You can’t hold down a relationship for longer than a month, if that!”
Bahir took another bite of muffin, then smiled at her again. What was going on?
“That’s true, but I think the solution I’ve found will be the perfect one. You see, it all depends on marrying the right person, doesn’t it?”
“And who, exactly, do you intend to marry?” she asked, a cold shiver running down her spine.
Bahir’s stare bore right into her soul. “You.”
They stared at each other for what seemed like eternity, the word floating in the air between them.
“You can’t be serious.”
Bahir tilted his head like a confused puppy. An extremely handsome confused puppy. Why did he have to be so handsome?
“Why wouldn’t I be? You know me better than anyone, Nicole. Besides, I can make it worth your while, and you know it. I’ve spent the night thinking it through. I can offer you a million-dollar stipend each year, as well as anything else you want. Name your price, Nicole, and I’ll give it to you.”
Nicole was dumbfounded. Did Bahir really just propose to her in the worst possible way—like she was some kind of business deal he wanted to close?
“There’s no way I’m your closest friend. You have lots of friends.”
Bahir shook his head. “We both know that’s not true. Come on, Nicole. Think about it! You can enjoy the lap of luxury and set yourself up for life, financially. In e
xchange, all I’m asking is for you to marry me for a few years so I can get the secured visa I need as a spouse, and then we can go back to the way things are now, friends as usual.”
“I’m not your friend, Bahir. I’m your subordinate.”
“Details! Come on, Nicole. There has to be something you want, other than a million dollars a year. What is it?”
Nicole sat back against the sofa and ran a hand over her eyes, trying to think. Bahir wanted to entice her into a green card marriage. It wasn’t something to take lightly. If they were caught, they could both end up in jail, and Nicole had some doubts that even his money could get him out of that. So what was the one thing that was worth taking that risk, and tying herself in matrimony to her wayward boss?