Affinity: A Salvation Society Novel

by Harlow Layne

  She had no idea how much her words meant to me. It felt like everyone had lost faith in me.

  “Thanks.” I clapped my hands and looked down at the floor. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “Luckily, you’ll never have to find out.” She patted my back and stood. “We’ll be leaving in an hour, so make yourselves presentable for the paps.”

  “An hour?” Abbi jumped up to head for the door. “I need to hurry. Should we meet back here?” She tried to comb her fingers through her messy hair, only to get them caught in the tangled strands.

  “That should be fine.” I didn’t need long to get ready, and I could use the time to try and wrap my head around my new life.

  I left them to get myself cleaned up and let the hot water release the tension of the morning. I wanted to wash the night off me, thinking it was too bad I couldn’t turn back time. Even when I was doing coke, I’d never lost an entire night before. It made more sense than ever that Abbi had drugged me to marry her. She probably thought she’d get half my fortune and be out of my hair in a day. Ha! No such luck. I was going to make the next year of her life a living hell for making me keep my dick in my pants.

  Stepping out of the shower, I wrapped a towel around my waist as I inspected the damage from last night. The bedroom was a disaster. Champagne bottles littered the floor, and the lamps dangled off the dresser. Our sex must have been wild.

  I stayed in the bedroom trying to remember anything from last night, but nothing came except me feeling more and more frustrated by my situation. When I finally walked out of the bedroom, the whole gang was standing around waiting for me. I was momentarily left stupefied as I caught Abbi staring out the window with a sad look on her face in a turquoise sundress that screamed wholesome. She’d showered, and her hair was now slightly wavy and hung halfway down her back with such light makeup on, it looked like she wasn’t wearing any. She was beautiful.

  I cleared my throat and regretted it immediately. Abbi glared at me before she turned and walked away. That was fine with me. If she wanted to be a bitch, I could hate her just fine for the next three hundred and sixty-five days.

  Catherine already had our bags taken downstairs with Levi since he was catching our flight back. Catherine, Abbi, and I were going in the limo she’d arranged for us, and Abbi’s friend, Sophie, was driving back by herself. I wanted to fly, but Catherine said we needed to come up with our story on the way back before we were thrust into the public. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen from the elevator to the limo, but I’d let her take the lead.

  Catherine stood between us in the elevator with a smile on her face. “Now remember, you two are a happy couple who are in love and want to be together.”

  “I remember,” I muttered.

  Abbi side-stepped over to me before lacing her fingers through mine. “Let’s do this, husband.” I’d never heard the word sound like a curse before, but Abbi certainly made it sound like one.

  With a smile on my face, I put on the show of a lifetime as I stepped out of the elevator with my new wife.

  Chapter Five

  Abbi

  I wasn’t a professional actor. How was I going to fool everyone that I was happily married and in love with the asshole next to me? I was ready to hurl again at the thought of what we would find on the other side of the elevator doors. When they slid open, I gulped loudly. Reeves held my hand tightly as he pushed through the throng of people. I was discombobulated by the camera flashes and all of the questions being yelled at us. If this is what Reeves had to deal with every time he stepped out of the house, I felt sorry for him. This was no way to live your life, and I wasn’t sure I could handle it for an entire year.

  Keeping my head down and trying to keep up with Reeves’ long strides, I was pushed to the side and collided with a camera. I pulled my hand from Reeves’ to hold my head where I was sure there was blood. My head throbbed like my hangover this morning as I stood in a sea of paparazzi without Reeves or Catherine. I couldn’t see past the flashing lights and started to worry about how I’d ever make it out of there. Catherine wouldn’t leave me here, would she?

  I almost fell to the ground when I was knocked from behind, but strong arms caught me. When I looked up to see Reeves standing there looking extremely pissed off, I knew he was mad at me for letting go, but when he wrapped an arm around my waist and one under my knees and picked me up, his eyes softened as they met mine. He carried me out of the casino to the limo without an ounce of strain and easily sat me down inside without so much as a grunt.

  Sitting down beside me, he closed the door and looked at me with concern. “Are you okay?”

  I blinked at his kind words. I may have judged Reeves a little too harshly before. “Yeah, I . . . that was a lot. I can’t believe you have to deal with that day in and day out. Thank you for coming to my rescue.”

  I could do this. I could be friends with the man that I had to spend the next year with. Our lives would be easier if we were friends instead of enemies, right?

  Reeves flashed his perfect Hollywood smile. “You didn’t know what you were signing up for when we drunkenly got married.”

  “Still, thank you for saving me. Ever since I was a child, I don’t do well with big crowds or being in the spotlight. I’m sorry about earlier. I’m not usually a bitch to people I’ve just met.”

  “Just the ones you’ve slept with and don’t remember?” He flashed me that smile again, letting me know he was only joking.

  Before I could respond, Catherine slid inside the car and tapped on the partition separating us from the driver. Once we started to move, she removed her sunglasses and reached over to pat my hand. “Great job. I didn’t know you had it in you, Abbi. The way you looked up at Jenner when he swooped you up in his arms was gold. Everyone is going to believe the two of you are in love if you keep that up.”

  My gaze darted to Reeves. Was it all an act for him? It didn’t matter either way because, in the end, he came back and rescued me when he didn’t have to. Still, I wasn’t going to let my guard down around him. This was an arrangement and nothing else. I had three hundred and sixty-five days to get through with him, and then I’d never have to see Reeves Jenner again.

  “Now that we’ve got a few hours before you arrive at your new house, we need to come up with a story for the public. Do you have anything in common?” Catherine asked, tapping the tip of her finger on her knee.

  “Doubtful,” Reeves murmured.

  Even though I had to agree with him, I glared over at him. It was true I didn’t fuck anything that walked, I didn’t drink regularly, and I sure as hell didn’t do drugs. I hadn’t had much of a life after my parents died. I’d studied my ass off to make sure I would get a good scholarship so my brother could live his life and not have to worry about paying for my college.

  Looking at Catherine, I regrettably shook my head. “I’ve been studying and going to school until a month ago; I haven’t really had time to find myself and do things I love.”

  “Jenner didn’t go to college, so that’s out.” Catherine stared out the window as if that would give her the answer she was looking for.

  Turning in my seat so I could better look at Reeves, I was stunned silent for a moment with how close he was. This was the man I’d daydreamed about for years, and now he was right beside me, and he smelled heavenly. I tried to take a discreet whiff of him, but going by his furrowed brows, I didn’t think I was successful. Reeves lifted his arm, sniffed, and then looked at me with annoyance. There was no way I was telling him he smelled like the best cologne I’d ever had the pleasure of inhaling.

  Shaking my head to clear my daze, I asked him what I’d planned to ask. “Why does she call you Jenner?”

  His face changed to anger for a split second before he schooled his features. Wow, what happened there?

  “Everyone’s called me Jenner since I was a teen,” he shrugged nonchalantly, but I had a suspicion that he didn’t like being called Reeves. It
made me wonder why he hadn’t corrected me yet. I liked it, and if it got under his skin, then I was going to continue to call him by his first name.

  “Is there anything that you’ve done since you’ve moved to LA that Jenner might like to do?”

  I thought for a minute about what Sophie and I’d done. We hadn’t been here long enough to establish a routine except that three times a week, we’d go hiking and then head to the beach for a little sunbathing. While Reeves had a nice tan, I doubted he sunbathed in public. It was probably a spray tan.

  “I like to go hiking and to the beach,” I finally blurted out. It felt hopeless that we’d find something we both enjoyed doing.

  “Perfect,” Catherine clapped. “Jenner goes running on the trails by his house. We can say that you saw each other a few times, and when Abbi twisted her ankle, you came to her rescue just like you did today. Since then, you’ve been secretly dating, but you couldn’t hide your love any longer and decided to elope in Vegas.”

  That was the worst story I’d ever heard, but I didn’t think we were going to come up with one better than that. We were screwed if anyone tried to contest our lie.

  Reeves and I looked at each other, and I could tell he thought this was as bad of an idea as I did, but we both kept silent.

  I was surprised when Reeves broke the silence. “What happens if someone comes forward saying they can prove we weren’t in a relationship?”

  Just how many women had he been with in the last month? I didn’t even want to know. My husband, for the next year, was a manwhore.

  “Is there anyone who can state you were not in a loving relationship with Abbi?” Catherine asked with a bite.

  Jenner sat quietly for a few minutes before he asked. “Just for the last month?”

  Dear God, how was he going to keep his dick in his pants for the next year?

  “That’s when Abbi moved here from . . . I’m sorry dear, with all that’s happened, I can’t remember where you’re from. I feel terrible.” Catherine gave a grimace-smile that let me know she really did feel terrible about not remembering.

  Placing my hand on hers, I gave her a reassuring smile. After the morning I had, I could barely remember my name; I didn’t blame her for not remembering where I’d come from after only meeting me once. “I’m originally from South Carolina, but for the last four years I’ve lived in Louisiana and went to LSU.”

  “That’s right. I’ve lost my head today with his shenanigans.”

  “Hey, I wasn’t the only one there.” Reeves swung around to look at us. “Abbi is just as much at fault as I am.”

  Catherine gave me a knowing look that said she didn’t believe it. Too bad I couldn’t tell her who was right. I saw the video, and I was as smitten as a kitten over him last night. Regrettably, the same couldn’t be said now.

  “The point is if there’s anyone from the last month who can contest your story, stop stalling, Jenner, and be the good guy we know is deep down in there.”

  Hurt flashed over his face before he turned toward the window and muttered, “None.”

  That was good to know. I still wasn’t sure how we were going to sell that we were so in love after only a month, but that was for Catherine to spin, not us.

  “Are you sure this is going to work? It doesn’t seem like enough time for us to fall in love.” I voiced my concerns.

  “It’s going to have to work because we don’t have anything else to go on.”

  Reeves turned to look at me with a smug look on his face. “Going by the video coverage, it didn’t take you long to fall in love with me.”

  It didn’t take me long to fall out of love with him either.

  “I’ll have movers pack your things from the address in your file and have it brought to Jenner’s house.” She typed on her phone as she talked. “I know you were supposed to start on Monday, but given the circumstances, I think I’ll give you at least a week to settle in. The paparazzi are going to be all over you if you leave Jenner’s house. Luckily, he lives in a gated community where they won’t be able to take your picture.”

  “A week? I promise you, Mrs. Cole, that I don’t need a week. I can be at CJJ bright and early Monday morning, ready to work.” I pleaded to her with my eyes. I couldn’t be in the same house with Reeves for a week straight and not leave.

  “I’m sorry, Abbi, but I think it’s for the best. You two created this mess, and now you’re going to have to live in it and,” she directed her gaze to the man sitting next to me, “I will not have you complaining for the next year. You’re going to have to learn to deal with the consequences because next time you might not be so lucky.”

  Damn. That was harsh. I wondered if she always talked to Reeves like that. I wasn’t sure I was cut out for my job if that was the way I was supposed to talk to clients.

  The car slowed as we came up to a gate, and a guard let us through. I hadn’t realized we were already back in LA. Since Jenner’s turn in life, I hadn’t thought much about him. When his name came up in a scandal or whatnot, I always thought it was a shame that he had lost his way, but that was it. Never had I entertained the idea of where he lived. Now, as I stared at all the mansions we passed as we made our way to his house, I was in awe. It made sense he lived in a gated community in Beverly Hills, but damn, was I out of my element. We hadn’t had much money after our parents died, nor when they were alive, but Paul and I made do. He did the best he could raising me, and I loved him for putting his life on hold so I could live in the same house I grew up in.

  The limo pulled up to a sleek modern house with gray frosted garage doors. This was definitely not what I expected. With how douchey Reeves had been, I thought he’d have the biggest house in the neighborhood. Instead, it seemed to be one of the smallest. Not that it wasn’t nice or big, because it was. I couldn’t wait to step inside and see the rest.

  My jaw hung open as Reeves held out his hand for me to take and helped me out of the car. It was a very gentlemanly thing to do and something I didn’t think he was capable of. Maybe there was hope for him yet. I stayed slack-jawed as we made our way up to the front door, where one wall was a water feature. It was beautiful and soothing, which was good. I was going to need all the serenity I could get.

  Stepping inside, I was shocked to find the entire living area was glass, and I was able to see through the other side of the house where I spotted a pool in the backyard. I was pleasantly surprised to see how clean everything was. I guess I shouldn’t have been. It wasn’t like Reeves Jenner couldn’t afford a housekeeper.

  The furniture was all brown leather and felt welcoming. There were rugs on the floor to dig your toes into and a piano in one corner.

  “Do you play?” I nodded toward the piano.

  “Not much anymore.” He eyed the piano as if it was his enemy as he strode into the kitchen. He picked up a remote off the beautiful white and black swirled marble countertop and clicked a button. Instantly, the glass walls started to move, opening up to the outdoors, and lights started to come on inside and out. The backyard turned a purplish-blue. It was gorgeous and mesmerizing, and I decided I wanted to spend all my time out there.

  “Let me show you to the bedrooms, and you can take your pick.” Catherine’s voice jolted me out of my awe. I followed after her, leaving Reeves staring out at nothing. “I know this isn’t how you saw your life turning out, and I don’t know how you and Jenner met, but I want you to know he’s not as bad as he seems.” She rested her hand on my arm and looked at me with concern. “When he found out that Poppy was cheating on him, he spiraled. Please give him a chance to show you who he is when he’s not backed into a corner. He’s been burned one too many times and finds it hard to let new people in.”

  I frowned, wanting to see the man who I’d crushed on all those years ago, but uncertain if I’d ever get the chance. “I have a feeling he’s going to see me as the one who’s backing him into that corner.”

  She patted my arm before turning into a bedroom. “Give him tim
e, and he’ll see what a good, kind girl you are.”

  “How do you know what kind of girl I am?” I asked.

  She smiled softly at me before she moved further into the room. “Paul has told me all about you, and after meeting with you for your job interview, I know in my gut that you’re not a gold digger after his money.”

  “Thank you for believing in me. After waking up this morning, I thought I was going to be jobless.”

  Catherine gave me a knowing smile. I wasn’t sure what it was about, but I wasn’t going to question my new boss that I hadn’t even started to work for yet.

  “I thought this room would be perfect for you. The other one is . . . ” I didn’t hear what she said next as I took in my new space.

  There was a big plush bed that looked like it would be heaven to sleep on. There were screens on the windows above the bed, making it look like the ocean was right outside, and across from the bed was a TV with a beach setting on it. It was like my own little tropical oasis. Catherine was right. This was perfect. There wasn’t a lot of furniture, but what it did have was all dark woods with a modern feel.

  I turned to look at Catherine. “This is all too much to wrap my mind around, but I promise not to let you down.”

  “Perfect. I’ll see myself out, and I’ll email you during the week, so keep your eyes open for that.”

  I watched as my boss glided out the door before I sat down on the plush bed and looked around the room. I couldn’t believe I was going to live in this gorgeous house for the next year. I only hoped there could be some sort of truce between Reeves and me, or it was going to seem like an eternity.

  A dark figure appeared at my door, making me glance that way. Reeves stood with his hands in his pockets as he looked around the room as if he’d never seen it before.

  “Is it up to your standards?”

  I stood and smoothed out my sundress. “You have a beautiful home.”