by Andrea Bills
Annie chewed on her lip. Had she told herself a year ago when she had walked across the stage and received her high school diploma that she would be having this conversation with Karen today, she would have laughed. She would have laughed until she cried. Now all she wanted to do was cry. The thought of time appealed to her almost as much as the money, which made her realize just how far she had fallen. With the safety of the man’s name and clout, and Infidelity’s safety net in place against abuse, Annie would have time to heal and time to plan. Annie didn’t see any other way to get those things.
“One year, and it’s guaranteed no abuse?” She finally whispered.
“One year, no abuse, and more than enough money to set you up for a great life. A free life,” Karen said, taking Annie’s hand in hers.
“Shit.” Annie mumbled.
“I’ll take that as a yes?” Karen said with a smile.
“At this point, what else do I have to lose?”
Annie spent the next two days going through evaluations and filling out paperwork with Karen for Infidelity. Being out in the open made Annie nervous, but Karen assured her that they were safe. Karen had also taken Annie shopping, so she could get essentials. Having left with nothing, Annie had to replenish everything she owned. None of it really mattered to her; material things had never been important to her. She had forgotten that while she had been with Trey. He was all about materialistic things.
Karen came home, interrupting Annie’s thoughts. Annie jumped up nervously because Karen had told her all she was waiting for now was confirmation from the man she was to be paired with, and she would be his; for an entire year. Annie said a quick prayer that he was kind.
“Well?” Annie questioned when Karen didn’t immediately say anything.
“It’s done. I’m going to take you back to Infidelity to meet him now.”
“Now?” Annie sputtered.
“Your contract starts immediately. You have one year. You’re going to do fine, Annie.”
“Okay,” was all Annie could manage.
She turned and went to the room she had been staying in and packed her things. They were minimal but Annie drug the process out as long as she could. When there was nothing else to stall the inevitable, she made her way back out to the living room where Karen was waiting.
“I’m ready.”
Karen led her down to the car, and they rode in silence. Annie felt her chest constrict as they made their way back to Manhattan. Karen had assured her that she would be safe with this man, but Annie was freaking out with the thought of Trey catching up to her.
“Relax, Annie. You’re going to be safe.”
Annie nodded and continued to wring her hands together in her lap. Karen pulled her car into a parking garage attached to a building. Annie took in her surroundings as best as she could. She had learned by living with Trey to always find an exit or someplace with a security guard.
The ride up in the elevator was tense, and Annie knew it was her nerves getting the best of her, but she couldn’t seem to turn it off. Karen ushered her into her office and shut the door. The bang of the door shutting seemed to echo into the depths of her soul. As much as Karen had reassured her that the man she was about to meet, and spend the next year with, wasn’t like Trey, Annie remembered thinking Trey could do no wrong as well. Once the door had slammed shut on their apartment, the old Trey turned into a man of the past, and the monster within revealed himself.
A knock sounded on Karen’s office door, causing Annie to shoot up to her feet. Karen touched her shoulder as she moved past her.
“Mr. Bennett, come in.”
Annie held her breath as a man moved into the room behind Karen. She could hear Karen talking to her, but whatever Karen was saying paled in comparison to the gorgeous man standing before her. His shoulders were as broad as the doorway. His dark hair was all perfectly in place. His hands flexed at his sides, and Annie couldn’t help but stare. Growing up on a farm, she had learned that there was a lot to learn from a man’s hands. Trey’s had been soft, because he had never had to lift a finger to do a real day’s work in his life. Cole extended his hand out to shake hers, and she looked up into his eyes. They were green. Annie took his hand, and much to her surprise his hands were callused and hard. The business suit had fooled her into thinking he was just like Trey. Annie told herself she still didn’t know much about the man standing before her, though; he could be another wolf in sheep’s skin.
“Annie.” Karen said firmly, dragging Annie from her stupor.
“This is Cole Bennett. He has bought your contract for the next year.” Karen continued.
“Hi, my name is Annie.” She said, hoping she sounded more powerful.
Cole looked her over, his eyes roaming down the length of her openly. It made her back straighten a bit, and she wanted to scold him for being so bold. Instead, she kept her mouth shut, not sure what she could do. Karen started to say something, but Cole held his hand up to silence her. Annie quickly looked over to see how Karen reacted.
“What were you just thinking?” Cole asked her.
His deep timbre combined with being the center of his attention caused Annie to shudder. Unsure of how to respond to him, she looked over at Karen for guidance. Karen offered up no help as she just shrugged.
“Don’t look at her; look at me,” he demanded.
Annie looked back at him and she let her temper show, giving him a nasty look. Quick to cover it up, she masked her expression and squared her shoulders. She couldn’t let this man get to her.
“I was thinking that perhaps you shouldn’t look at me like I’m a piece of meat.”
He smirked. Annie found herself wanting to smile in return, but she refused to give into the urge. He may be the sexiest man she had ever seen, but he was also proving to be arrogant and controlling. Those were two things Annie found disgusting in a man. The next year was beginning to look daunting.
Chapter Five
Cole
Cole had never been more grateful for his years of playing poker than when he walked in and saw Annie, his new year long companion, for the first time. He towered over her, and even though she seemed timid, there had been a flash of pure steel in her eyes when he had openly taken in her gorgeous body. She was a breath of fresh air to him. In the circles he was a part of, the women hadn’t even looked at bread in years. Their hair was always poker straight, and their boobs were as fake as the crap they painted onto their face.
There was nothing fake about Annie. Her curves made his mouth water; he longed to explore every square inch. Her hair was the icing on the cake for him. The blonde curls were beckoning him to run his fingers through them. Cole wanted every strand of her golden hair wrapped around his fist while he was deep inside of her.
Cole tugged his mind out of the gutter and focused his attention back to their present conversation. He didn’t like the way she was wringing her hands together and constantly looking to Karen for confirmation before she said anything. Her reactions were that of a meek woman, but Cole had seen a brief glimpse of the fire underneath. He knew it was in there, and all he had to do was pull it out.
“According to the terms of our agreement, I think I’ll be deciding how I look at you going forward.” He purred, hoping to see another glimpse of her deep blue eyes come to life.
Instead he got nothing. Annie shrunk back inside of herself, and Cole struggled with wanting to get angry at himself for making her uncomfortable or at Karen for pairing him with a woman who obviously needed a gentler hand than his. As much as he wanted to taste and explore the woman in front of him, he didn’t have the time or the energy to help her find herself. Some worthless son of a bitch who got a kick out of controlling her had tried to snuff out the fire inside. Cole could see the embers though, just beneath the surface waiting to be set free.
Cole shook it off and looked to Karen, his mind set.
“Karen, may we speak in private for a minute?”
“No.” The older woman
said curtly.
Cole crossed his arms over his chest and stared the woman down.
“You can say whatever you want to say in front of Annie. Now that you’ve met, any problems you have should be discussed with her.”
“Fine. I don’t believe she fits my requirements. I’d like a replacement.”
The room fell into a stunned silence. Cole didn’t want to have the conversation in front of Annie, but his family would eat her up and spit her out.
“No. You both have your cards in case of any abuse. Goodbye.” Karen said as she all but shoved him and Annie out of her office.
Cole wanted to beat the door down and demand that she fulfill her side of the contract and give him a more suitable companion. He looked down at Annie, who now looked completely thunderstruck. He didn’t have time to give a shit about her feelings; even though her fallen face pulled at what was left of his heartstrings. Cole sighed; he didn’t have time for this.
He turned and stormed out of the suite. It wasn’t until he stopped at the elevator that he realized she hadn’t followed him. Letting out an exasperated sigh, he turned back to go get her. When he stepped back into the Infidelity suite, he got another glimpse of the fire inside of Annie.
“Damnit Karen, open the door!” Annie shouted as she beat on Karen’s office door.
“Karen, I’m more than prepared to kick this door in! I can’t possibly spend the next year with that arrogant bastard! After everything I’ve been through you think he’s a good match for me?” Annie yelled.
Cole leaned against the far wall and watched as the tiny woman he had just considered too weak unleashed a temper that would rival his own. His cell phone rang, reminding him he had a conference call in less than an hour. The sound also alerted Annie to her audience. When she turned to face him, a crimson blush covered her face. She quickly replaced her stunned expression with one of annoyance. Cole chuckled.
“Looks like you’re stuck with me.” He commented.
Annie huffed and then threw her hands up in frustration.
“Come on, I have things I need to do. I’ll drop you at my place before I head back to work.”
This time he held the door open for her to make sure she came with him. He could feel her reluctance, but she followed along beside him anyway. Once they got inside of the elevator, he felt the change in her immediately. The woman who had just threatened to beat a door down had a white knuckled grip on her purse, and the color had drained from her face.
“Annie, do you not like elevators?” he asked, knowing several people who didn’t like the confined space.
She shook her head, her eyes wide and locked straight ahead. Cole reached out, thinking to touch her shoulder to help her, but her reaction was the opposite. Instead she shrieked and jumped away from him. Her breathing immediately became labored, and her wide eyes were now frenzied. Then Cole realized that she wasn’t afraid of the elevator, as much as she was afraid of being with him in the elevator.
“Annie…” He started, but before he could finish the elevator lurched to a halt, and the doors slid open.
Annie slipped out of the doors and darted out into the parking garage. Cole wanted to demand answers, but then he reminded himself he didn’t have time to care. All he needed was a warm body attached to his arm for the next year while he saw out his plan of revenge. He hurried to help her with her bags when she started pulling a small duffle bag out of car.
“How do we pop the trunk?” he asked, expecting her to have more.
“Why do you want to pop the trunk?” Annie asked.
“Surely that’s not all you have? I don’t have time to run you back to your place to get your things. You were supposed to come prepared.” He said annoyed.
“I am prepared. These are my belongings. Trust me, you couldn’t pay me enough money to go back to my house and get my things.”
Cole had to bite his tongue to keep from asking her to explain herself. The woman was already a menace in his life. A curl slipped down in front of her face as she stared up at him. Cole slowly reached his hand forward, pausing to give her time to decide if she was okay with him touching her. When she didn’t recoil, he followed through on his motive and pushed the stray curl back behind her ear, gently. Whoever had broken the woman standing in front of him deserved to be tortured. Just like her stray hair that refused to mold to the masses, Cole had a feeling all Annie needed was a safe place to show the real woman inside.
Chapter Six
Annie
Cole gave her a quick tour of his place before he left her there. Annie wandered through his plush apartment wondering about the man who lived there. Cole was as perceptive as he was sexy. That, or she was more of an open book than she liked to believe. Without so much as a spoken word, Cole had picked up on her subtle emotional changes flawlessly. The elevator had been petrifying. Trey would have used that time alone to wield some sort of punishment on her for her temper tantrum outside of Karen’s office.
Cole didn’t seem to mind her bursts of anger, though. If anything, he seemed to be trying to get her to lose her temper. Fear gripped Annie’s mind at the thought. Trey had always managed to turn all the beatings he had given her around on her, as if she had been begging him to beat the shit out of her. Maybe Cole was doing something similar. If he could get her to lose her temper enough, then he could have his way without the guilt, and he could free himself from the contract. He made it clear he didn’t find her suitable. Annie plopped down on the couch as her failure crashed down on her.
She picked up a chunk of her curly wild hair and ran it through her fingers trying to make it less frizzy, or straighter, which one she wasn’t sure. Surely Infidelity would have asked him what his physical preferences were. Annie looked down at the rest of her body. She hadn’t taken much care with her wardrobe choice even though she had known she was going to meet Cole. It had been her last hoorah to her short-lived independence. Instead of the sexy red dress that Karen had picked out for her, she had worn jeans, an Aerosmith shirt she had found at Target and her new pair of Converse. Annie much preferred her old ones that had years of wear and tear already on them; just one more thing that Trey had managed to take from her.
Everything she thought of seemed to remind her of Trey. Her ultimate reason for being in a stranger’s home, about to spend the next year doing whatever it was Cole wanted. Annie needed her plan to work. No matter what she endured over the course of the next year, it would all be worth it when she used the money to make Trey pay for everything he had done to her. With renewed strength, Annie went to her bag and unpacked the red dress and the black heels Karen had wanted her to wear.
She had no idea when Cole had planned to be back, but she was determined to change his mind about wanting to cancel their contract. Annie took her time getting ready. The dress fit her perfectly even if it was a bit snug for her taste. Growing up on a farm, there had never been much reason for Annie to own more than jeans and shirts. Her parents would both have a cow if they saw her all dolled up like she was.
Her makeup was what her friend, Samantha, would have referred to as “on point” even though Annie never really did understand that term. Her hair was a different story. With wild, naturally curly hair, Annie knew the weird term would never be something paired with her hair. It was laying a bit better than earlier; she just hoped it lasted. When Annie reached out to grab her perfume, her hand was trembling. Anger burned through her; she was sick of seeing herself so hesitant and scared about everything. It was just another thing her parents would be ashamed of.
Cole was dead sexy, wealthy, and powerful. He could have any woman on the planet, but he was stuck with her for the next year. Annie would make sure that when the year was up, and they parted ways, that he would turn around to watch her leave, with a bit of regret. Annie would walk away with her head held high, her pockets full, and her plan for revenge at the ready. She took a final look at herself in Cole’s full-length mirror and decided she looked the part. Now all she had
to do was wait for him.
Stretched out on his bed like some wanton street walker, Annie couldn’t help but giggle at herself. Her giggles soon turned into a full-fledged laugh topped off with several snorts; she was thankful no one else was around to hear. She rolled her eyes; she really was a catch. If there had ever been a fish truly living out of water, it was her. Minutes ticked by and turned into hours, and Annie soon fell asleep.
When a warm hand touched her face, Annie sat up instantly with a scream.
“It’s Cole, Annie.” Cole’s deep timbre soothed her.
“I’m sorry.” She said, still choking on her fear.
Cole stood beside the bed, his suit jacket was gone, and his tie was undone. He looked disgruntled. Annie liked that he looked so normal compared to the pristine man she had met earlier. He looked even sexier, amidst the glow of the soft lights, his expression one of bemusement.
“What are you doing, Annie?” He asked.
“I’m s…” Annie let her words fall.
Out of habit, she had started to apologize to him. That wasn’t her goal of the evening though. She had wanted to make him glad she was there. She squared her shoulders and looked him dead in the eyes.
“I’m here to do whatever you want me to do, Cole.” She breathed.
“I don’t remember asking you to wear some floozy dress and fall asleep in my bed.” His harsh tone smacked Annie in the face.
“You don’t like the dress?” She asked through gritted teeth.
Annie hated the stupid dress, but she thought it would be exactly the kind of thing Cole would have liked. She couldn’t seem to win.
“I don’t give a shit about the dress, Annie.”
Desperate to keep her temper, Annie took a deep breath before she answered.
