Chapter Twelve
“I told you tonight would be entertaining,” Bass said as he maneuvered the car into traffic.
It was an epic night!
“It was and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Thank you.”
“Do you have class tomorrow?” Bass quickly glanced at me as he shifted gears. He looked totally hot. He was hot!
What did he ask me again? Class tomorrow… Wednesday…
“Yeah, I have one at two in the afternoon. Why do you ask?”
“I was hoping you would spend the night with me again. Nothing crazy or anything, I just liked how our last date went and frankly, I want you with me.” Direct. Forward. I liked that.
“Sure, what do you have in mind?” Another memorable night with him, why the hell not?
“I was thinking along the lines of movies and such. Are you game?”
“Definitely game,” I responded as my eyes studied the man beside me.
How was I going to fight this drawing, pulling power that this attraction had over me? Sure, he kept refusing to kiss me, but if I turned on the heat and advanced on him, would he still refuse? I better not put myself in that position because what the hell would I do once Bass demanded things that I wasn’t able to fully comply with?
Yeah, exactly. You better behave and keep those lecherous thoughts at bay.
~E~
We were in his fifteen seat movie theatre, looking through his movies.
“What do you feel like watching?” he asked as he scrolled through the menu. “How about Tristan and Isolde? Have you seen the film?”
“Nope, but have you seen it?” I looked back at him as I took off my pumps and sat back on the luxurious seat.
“I’ve wanted to. So, I guess we’ll watch this one. Do you need something comfortable to wear?” he asked as he eyed my clothing. “You look hot, but I’d rather you wear something that doesn’t push my imagination into overdrive.”
“Oh, so you find me HOT then?” I smiled, flirting.
He groaned and got up. “That’s it! Let’s get you changed and out of that sexy dress you’re in.” Bass offered me his hand.
I laughed at his obvious discomfort. “I don’t have any clothes to change into. Well, unless you want me to walk around naked.”
“YOU. ARE. A. TEASE,” he declared and swept me off my feet.
He carried me out of the theatre and up the stairs, taking two steps at a time. My word, he’s strong, I thought as I hooked my arms around his neck. He gave me a smile, totally erasing any thoughts of anyone other than the very man himself.
Bass quickly took me into his dark room. He carefully placed me on his bed and the only sound was the crisp ruffle of his sheets and our shallow, harsh breathing. In the dark, his silhouette was quite alluring, but his searing eyes probed into my soul.
“Why does a person want what they can’t have?” he rasped out. His sudden question bewildered the hell out of me.
“It is human nature.” My response, though lame, was the truth. I knew that; I was in that position with Carter.
I sat up, trying to bring back sanity from my inconsistent thoughts of Bass. I knew I loved Carter, but I wanted to f*cking kiss Bass. His lips were enticing, making me want and think things I shouldn’t even be considering. I wanted to taste and feel those sexy lips, to see if they promised ecstasy because they certainly looked like it.
Bass got up and pulled a shirt and a pair of boxers from his dresser drawer. “Here, try these on. The boxers are brand new.”
“Thank you,” I murmured as he strode towards the bathroom and turned on the light.
“Here you go. I’ll be downstairs. Call me if you need anything, okay? Anything.” I nodded in response as I watched his Adam’s apple bob up and down, my throat too constricted to utter a reply.
His dirty blond hair was all over the place and, by God, he just looked absolutely to die for! His azure eyes spoke volumes; desire and lust etched in his dilated orbs.
“Thank you, Bass,” I croaked. When he left the room, I sighed with relief.
My phone wasn’t with me so I couldn’t make a quick call to Lindsey. I didn’t know what was going on anymore; nothing made sense and I was at a loss for words.
Once I was out of my dress, I put on his white shirt and black silk boxers then I went to study my reflection. I looked flushed and totally turned on. My senses were on high alert and I felt like my body was strung out with anticipation.
Anticipating what, exactly?
I have yet to find out, I thought wickedly, shaking my head. Hastily, I left the bathroom and sought out Bass.
While I had been changing upstairs, he was busy making popcorn and getting all sorts of snacks for us to enjoy during the movie.
“You look good in my clothes, Emma,” he commented as his eyes flowed from my dainty, candy pink toes all the way up to my braless state and my flushed cheeks. “I got you a comforter and a pillow. Come sit with me.” He patted the cushioned seat next to him.
“This is quite the dessert feast, especially after the meal we had at Lombardo’s,” I noted as my eyes roved over the food before me. There was wine, popcorn, grapes, chocolate-dipped strawberries, chocolates, chips, mini brownies and Hot Cheetos. I loved how he threw something in the mix that stood out from the rest. Last time it was the Ruffles chips, now it was Hot Cheetos.
“I take it that the Hot Cheetos are yours?” I smirked as I sat next to him, legs crisscrossed as I cuddled under a soft down comforter.
“I am more than willing to share them with you, my beautiful miss.” Bass beamed as he took out a remote and with one click, the lights shut off and the large screen before us came to life.
I took a lengthy sip of my wine when he gathered me close and I rested my head on his chest. It was definitely comfortable, I mused.
When the movie rolled on, I was so engrossed by the star-crossed lovers that I felt gutted along with Tristan. What fated luck! To love someone the way he loved Isolde and to watch his beloved marry someone else. What luck indeed!
By the time the movie ended, I was crying and out of sorts. I felt Bass tighten his hold on me as he lightly chuckled, his chest vibrating. “Oh, baby, you are the most adorable thing!” I just bet. I lightly punched him, but he kept on laughing at me. “You know, had it been another girl with me in here, they would’ve been busy feeling me up, trying to seduce me to get me into bed, but you—you don’t care much about me at all. You were stuck to the movie. I don’t know if I should be happy or insulted with that. You seem to have a knack for not making me feel so special and it’s invigorating.”
I suddenly looked at Bass and wondered out loud, “Do you wonder what it would be like to kiss me? Because I am dying to know what it’s like to have your lips on mine, Bass.”
His jovial demeanor vanished and changed to that ever so popular smoldering look of his. And boy, it was deadly… that look alone captivated me. “I have been meaning to, wanting to since the night I met you. Why do you ask, Emma? Are you ready to move on? Are you ready for me?” What a heavy loaded question… didn’t he do anything in small measures?
“You know I’m not, Bass, but what’s wrong with kissing? It’s only a kiss. I’m sure you’ve kissed hundreds of women without much thought. Why can’t you do the same with me?” I countered.
“That’s the difference, my darling Emma. A kiss with you will never be considered ‘one of many’ and never ordinary. I can’t explain it without sounding irrational, but I can’t shake this intensity that’s taken hold of me. I’m fixated by you, for reasons I cannot fathom or distinguish, for that matter. It’s disconcerting and demoralizing to my psyche.”
My sentiments exactly.
I gathered him in my arms and hugged him because he just looked like he needed it. He was so deep in thought and so bothered as he spouted the words out. He really was beyond confused. I would have been, too, if I was freaking Bass Cole and could have any woman I wanted. And yet, here he was, fixated on me; a woman who loved another man. Didn’t make sense, did it?
“This totally sucks, BC,” I murmured against his chest.
“Totally… anyhow, feel like going for a night swim?” Bass asked me huskily.
“I don’t have my swimsuit with me, genius!”
He gave me a devilish smile. “Who said anything about clothing?” Bass continued, his question loaded with innuendo. He then cocked his eyebrow at me.
Hmmm, swimming naked in the moonlight? Bass’s hot body for all my senses to devour?
Sounds…perfect.
“Are you trying to get a peek at my goods, Mr. Cole?”
He opened his mouth to respond, but closed it. “You know what, that’s not a great idea after all. You naked and wet will seriously kill any restraint I have.”
“Oo, Bass Cole, unbridled and impetuous. I am curious and rather provoked.”
“You’re my sweet torture do you know that, Emma? Put your imagination to rest because I think we should try to sleep.” He got up and made three of the seats lean backwards until it made some sort of bed.
Wow, super neat.
“So, we’re sleeping here, I take it? Why not in your bed, huh?”
He jumped on our makeshift bed and gathered me in his arms. “The only time you will share my bed is when you’re willing to give me what I’m after. Until then, we stay away from it.”
Odd, but I understood.
“Are you always like this with women, Bass?”
“Always like what?”
“This difficult. I mean, how do you even manage to get laid if you don’t want women in your bed?”
“I get women in bed just fine, Emma. The big difference is my bed. I go to hotels if I need to f*ck. It’s cleaner that way, faster to get away.”
HAH.
“Wham-bam thank you ma’am? Hm, I knew the playboy side of you was in there somewhere. For a second, I thought you were lost.” I smirked.
“I love women, Emma. What can I say? I love every f*cking thing about a woman. That’s why I can’t figure out why I’m so fixated on you. You’re beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but there are tons of beautiful women around me and I want to f*ck them when the opportunity arises, but with you, it’s not as easy. I want to f*ck you, but I can’t seem to even manage to kiss you. Isn’t that the most absurd thing you’ve ever heard?”
“That is kind of weird,” I mumbled. “This might sound weird, but how old are you?”
“I am twenty-three. Why, how old are you, Miss Emma?” His brows wiggled in question.
“I am a woman of twenty.” For such a young age, he was quite accomplished.
I was honestly a tad jealous about that. I guess my indecisiveness about what I wanted to do about my future took a toll on my self-esteem. I hated how other people knew what they wanted to do when they grew up. The only thing I knew growing up was that I didn’t want to be a doctor. Period. Apart from that, I was so lost and admitting it didn’t make me happy at all.
Bass stroked my hair. “Hey, I didn’t know my age would make you look so sad,” he tried to joke. “What’s wrong?”
Shrugging, I sat up, opposite of his laid-out, relaxed position—looking like a sexy Abercrombie model. “It just dawned on me how jealous I am of you. I mean, in the sense that you seem to know what you want in life. I, on the other hand, have no f*cking clue what my future holds.” Biting my bottom lip, I continued, “Do you think that’s pathetic? I’m twenty-years-old; aren’t I supposed to have had an epiphany by now or something?”
“What did you love doing when you were younger? The only thing that helped you escape your reality and feel that you’d found solace and happiness in it and through it?”
That’s easy to answer. “Reading and I loved my drama classes in high school.”
“So, there’s your answer. Pursue a career that has to do with reading or drama. Why wait and ponder like a lost puppy?”
“It’s not that easy, Bass! Not everyone has freaking connections like you do!”
He looked offended. “Hey! I know I have good connections in the industry now, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have to work hard for it. Do you think I didn’t have to work from the ground up? I had to start somewhere and had to build up my acting credibility by taking odd jobs here and there; like getting paid minimum wage to be an extra in an Indie movie wearing a hotdog suit for twelve hours or being ridiculed for being an amateur from hotshot directors and well accomplished actors.
“But you know what, Em? I took it in stride and brushed it off. As much as I hated it, I knew where it would lead me. All that hard work paid off in the long run. I didn’t give up because it was what I wanted to do. Passion is the fire that drives us to do the things we do. The reason we do the things we do. So, if your passion is reading and acting, then there it is. Go write or act without hesitation. Put your foot forward and give up your soul to your passion. It makes life worthwhile when you give your heart and soul to the things that are gratifying and priceless to you.”
So much depth and profound meaning…
“Gee, that was something. Thank you, though; I might just do that. Write or act, I mean. I’ll think it over.”
“You should because life is meaningless if you live it half and half. Being whole should be your sole goal and ambition.”
Half and half, is that what I’m doing? Weeding through my life… half and half?
“So… you feel whole then?”
“Career wise, yes, but personally, I am getting there. One can’t have everything in life at the same time, but I am a patient man and I will figure it out sooner or later.”
He was confident and knew what he wanted…
“For such a young man, you seem to have it figured out.”
“I had to. My parents were almost never there for me so I had to figure shit out on my own, you know?”
“Oh, that must have been hard. Growing up in itself is hard, but having to figure out everything on your own must have been challenging.”
Bass boyishly grinned at me. “I like that.”
Dumbfounded, I asked, “Like what?”
“That you didn’t say ‘sorry’ about my parents being absent. Most people do when I tell them.” His hands pulled me down next to him.
We were lying down, face to face and I watched his azure eyes sparkle. “I really like you, Emma,” he declared.
Oh, man. He was going in for the kill, yet again.
“I really like you, too, Bass. I really do, but I’m not ready for anything more.”
His eyes searched mine, without blinking. “Because you’re in love with the man from the apartment right?”
An angry man to be precise.
“Yes,” I whispered back to him.
“Why are you in love with him? What makes him special?” His gaze still probed, seeking answers.
F*ck, what do I say to that?
I’ve asked myself that before and couldn’t seem to find one good reason. Sure, Carter was dynamite in bed, but apart from that, what? He was sweet—from time to time—which wasn’t a consistent trait. So, what then? His rock-hard body and a*shole attitude? We didn’t really talk much about anything in depth. For reasons I couldn’t fathom, though, I did love him.
When he got hurt once during a soccer game against UCLA, he blacked-out for a good minute and I thought of never being with him again. I knew then that I loved him, much to my dismay.
There was a lot of truth about what people said about falling in love with the wrong person. Your brain might have told you it was a horrible idea, but your heart ruled everything. It just did, plain and simple.
“I can’t explain how or why I do, I just do. I remember that it just dawned on me one night. It’s been hell ever since.”
“You don’t seem very happy about it,” this wise man observed.
“No, I’m not. He’s not an easy man.”
Hell no, Carter Mason was not easy! He was a walking contradiction, for reasons about which I had no clue.
“I understand.” He sighed and closed his eyes.
“Bass, let’s go for a swim? I feel restless.”
“Seriously? It’s like three in the morning, Em.” I got up and left the movie theatre.
“Last one there has a sore, hairy butt crack!” I yelled after him.
~E~
“Whoa, there!” Bass uttered as he saw me wiggle out of his boxers and hastily place them on the pool lounge.
The moon was high and the City of Angels glittered before me; thriving, alive and so full of life! It really was beautiful here, especially at night. It looked downright riveting. The huge swimming pool looked too enticing to resist. The color matched Bass’s azure eyes.
What was he waiting for anyway? The known bad boy was hesitant.
“What’s wrong, Bass? Admitting that you have a sore, hairy butt crack?” I teased, but he was too stunned to reply. His blue gaze stuck to my skimpy thong-clad bottom. A jolt of excitement coursed through me as Bass took me in with his eyes. It was intoxicating and it made me feel beautiful. “Hello, earth to Bass Cole?” I waved both hands at him.
Bass cleared his throat. “I don’t think this is a good idea, Emma.”
Yeah, right. I’m only young once and I want to live and let live. Who cared if I had my heart broken? Who cared if Carter didn’t love me? At least I was alive—alive and breathing and enjoying Bass Cole’s arousing countenance. I am grateful for life’s good blessings, I thought mischievously.
“Why not? It’s not like this is the first time you’ve swam naked. In fact, it was your suggestion to skinny dip, if I recall correctly.” I pouted at him.
Seriously, Bass looked like the epitome of a sex god. The way he would brood when he was in deep thought or the way he held his hands on his hips when he didn’t agree on something. Every single move he made just oozed of sex. Bass was potent with masculinity and I found it erotic and stimulating. According to most females, they felt this way about him, too. Furthermore, all that fame and power didn’t seem to get into his head. He was quite grounded and not stuck up, surprisingly enough.
I didn’t know what precisely triggered my audacious attitude, but I felt like I had some kind of clarity. Maybe it was the tiny stint of acting in Martin Lombardo’s home or the talk I had with Bass or quite possibly the wine talking, but it didn’t matter because I felt fan-f*cking-tastic!
“Beauty is only skin deep. If you go after someone just because she’s beautiful but don’t have anything to talk about, it’s going to get boring fast. You want to look beyond the surface and see if you can have fun or if you have anything in common with this person.”
~Amanda Peet