Chapter Six
It was six in the morning and we were still on the patio, lounging and talking. The fireplace was still burning strongly, giving us enough heat to fight off the chilly morning air that had settled in.
Bass was kind enough to grab two blankets to help keep us warm. He moved another chaise lounge and placed it next to mine. He even arranged them facing the view of the city as we tucked ourselves in the nice warmth of the blankets, side by side. He took the liberty of brewing us coffee and we drank it quietly. It was a comfortable silence.
Until I died, if we became friends or not, I would never forget that sweet moment with Bass Cole. The man sure knew how to make a first impression. He kept to his word and he was a true gentleman. The entire time we just chatted on and on about whatever subject we could think of. I didn’t know there was a guy out there who liked to talk. Most men I knew didn’t care for idle chitchat. Imagine my surprise when this hottie turned out to be different. Bass certainly was in a league of his own, unlike all the other guys I knew.
“The sun should be rising soon. I want you to see it. It’s really beautiful,” he murmured out of the blue.
I glanced at him, wondering if I heard him right. He loved watching sunrises?
“I can hear you thinking, you know. On nights I have a hard time sleeping, I come out here and wait for the sun to come up. And no, I haven’t shared my sunrise with anyone else. You’re my first, Emma Anderson.” Bass gave me a quick glance and I gave him a smile. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but it felt good.
The sun was brimming behind the mountains. Its blinding yellow heat glistened from afar as it slowly moved upwards towards the sky. This was Mother Nature at her finest. How many times had I enjoyed a sunrise or a sunset?
Bass took my hand, placed it inside the comforter and held it against his chest. I didn’t mind it because it felt, comfortable? It was as if we had done this before, it was an odd feeling really.
After the sunrise, we were still cuddling and I wondered why I didn’t feel a bit sleepy. “Aren’t you tired, yet? Don’t you have a movie to shoot or whatever things actors do?”
“I just finished filming two weeks ago and got back in L.A. about a week later. I have no plans on this very bright, sunny Sunday. Feel like joining me on my lazy day off?” he invited.
As tempted as I was, I should say no. I barely knew him. Surely, spending too much time with him so soon would be a bad idea? “I don’t think so. I bet my friends are wondering where I am.”
“Don’t worry. They know you’re with me. I told Cece I was taking you somewhere.”
Oh. He was that sure I was leaving with him?
“Are you always this forward? Towards women, I mean.” I wanted to figure him out, to find out what his motives were.
“Of course. I don’t have to work all that hard to get women, to be honest, but you’re the only one I’ve had to chase after. When I noticed that you had been gone for a long time—too long to use the bathroom—I realized you had ditched me and dumped me on your friend, Cece. I had to find you. I couldn’t let you walk out of the club without me. I don’t know why, but I just couldn’t. That’s crazy, isn’t it? There I was, I had barely spoken a few words to you and yet I was captivated.”
His words… made me feel something. Scared wasn’t the word, no, it was more like… safe? Yeah, along the lines of safe.
“Could it be your rejection or aloofness that made you different? No clue. One thing I do know—your pure beauty compelled me to seek you out. Your honesty and depth pushed me even further. It’s frightening and at the same time, fascinating. Knowing that, I couldn’t let you walk away.”
Oh my God, what a f*cking speech! Who said those things? An Oscar winner, perhaps?
“What do you want from me, Bass?” I asked, eyeing him as he silently studied me. His azure eyes locked with mine and wouldn’t let me go, their powerful intensity pulled me while their spell weaved through my defenses.
“I want to get to know you, Emma.”
Okay, that was easy. I could work with that.
“So, you want to get to know me only, right? And this is not some ploy to get me into bed?” I turned to my side, looking at his face that was inches away from mine. My eyes studied his profile. And what a f*cking profile! His face was perfectly sculpted. Each curve was honed to perfection. His full lips, straight nose, perfect brows. He even had thick, long lashes. I even thought they were a tad longer than mine! How annoying was that?
If there were a man who could make me get over “The Carter Mason Fever,” Bass was it and I knew it, too, but that would be using him, wouldn’t it?
People do it all the time— Yeah, but why question the dating karma cycle? Good point.
Bass cleared his throat before he spoke, “Hell, I do want you in my bed, but I wouldn’t want to insult you by trying to get you to sleep with me. Not only that, the idea that you might be on a rebound doesn’t sit well either. Apart from that, I do want to get to know you. The real you; what makes you tick and stuff. Simple as that—nothing scary or anything.”
“Like friends, then?” I double checked.
“Sure, as friends, for now. My intentions are much more geared towards another path, but if that’s what you want to start out with as a platform—a common ground—then so be it. Whatever makes you feel comfortable, Em, and I really mean that.”
How was it that I didn’t have to explain myself fully to him? He seemed to just know and get it.
It was disconcerting to say the least.
“Good. I’d like that very much, Bass.” I glanced at him as he stifled a yawn. “You should sleep and I should head back to my hotel,” I suggested.
Bass shook his head. “No. I love having you here with me and I like holding your dainty hand very much. Don’t go yet.” He tried to hide another incoming yawn.
Gosh, he even makes yawning look sexy. “All right, I’ll wait until you’re passed out and then I’ll leave.”
He handed me his phone. “Program your number, please, and set the alarm two hours from now? I promise I will call my driver to come get you and take you back to your hotel.”
I consented, “Two hours. Tops.” You sure you’re not just staying because you don’t want to leave his side?
“Thank you,” he murmured and finally closed his eyes. Since my hand was on his chest, I felt his heartbeat slow down.
With one free hand, I programmed my number in his phone. I didn’t dare browse through his contacts. I was tempted, but willed myself not to.
Whoa! I didn’t even think about Carter over the past few hours. How the heck did that happen? I thought happily. Bass Cole’s charms were amazing, indeed!
I studied his striking profile and wondered how such a f*cking beautiful man like him could see something in me. How the hell did I get myself into more trouble? Carter was enough of a problem as it was. Now I had added another man into the mix. This shit could get complicated as hell, I thought as my heavy eyes closed.
“When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.”
~Jean Shinoda Bolen.