Enthralled: A Box Set

by Pamela Ann

  “Now’s not the time to give me a lecture, Linds. I have an hour before Bass gets here!” I gave her a quick retort, my eyes filled with pure dread.

  Martin Lombardo was a producer and director. Most of his films were Oscar-worthy and he had won a crap load of them. He was an icon, a legend. I was impressed that Bass was going to make a film with him. However, that amazement turned into trepidation when Bass mentioned I was meeting the director himself tonight.

  “Give me a second to run through my closet. Go get yourself something to drink. You look like you need it.” She was about to leave, but she stopped mid-stride. “You know what? I’ll bring you a bottle of tequila. You just wait and sit here!” Linds departed my scattered room as my phone beeped.

  Bass Cole: Am leaving the house. Be seeing you very soon!

  I smiled. Why did I grin like a silly idiot every time I saw his name? Oh gosh, he was starting to worm his way inside, way too quickly for my liking, much to my dismay.

  Linds was back with what looked like ten outfits and a bottle of tequila which she threw to me. I caught the bottle before it landed on the bed.

  “Okay, now strip!” she commanded like a lieutenant.

  She was browsing through her chosen outfits while I stripped my clothes off, leaving my bra and underwear on. Thank God Linds and I were about the same size.

  “How about this one?” She held out a flashy red skin-tight, silk dress. It was gorgeous, but the narrow top would make my breasts look squashed. Not the kind of attention or ‘wow factor’ I was looking for tonight.

  I shook my head. “Too vulgar.”

  “ All right… How about this one?” She held out a simple A-line dress.

  “That’s too plain Jane, doll,” I said and she scampered to hold out a few more and I declined them all.

  She was getting annoyed, I could tell. I didn’t want to be a pain in the ass, but none of them really appealed to me.

  “That! I want to try that one on!” I ran to her and grabbed the dress from her hand.

  “Finally! You’re such a pain, Princess Emma!” Lindsey rolled her eyes and helped me with the dress.

  “I love you more, baby!” I kissed her cheek to which she replied, ‘yeah, yeah’ with a cute pout.

  The dress was simple, elegant and it was sexy. It was a body-hugging, nude lace, short dress with short sleeves. It was perfect! I thought as I studied my reflection. I loved that it gave me a good amount of cleavage, but not too much.

  “Okay, okay. Let’s get your make-up started. Do you want to go for a smoky sex-bomb, absolute goddess, or delicate ethereal look?” Lindsey asked as I sat and browsed through the make-up selection before me.

  “Absolute goddess, definitely!”

  After twenty minutes of priming and brushing, she was done. She used a lot of gold and bronze creamy hues. It made my eyes look divine and quite stunning. My cheeks were bronzed and highlighted to perfection. She teased my hair and put some mousse and other hair styling products in it, making it look playful and sexy.

  I went back to my closet and took out my three and a half inch, rose-gold metallic pumps and slid them on. “How do I look?” I asked as I moved sideways to give her a good view.

  “You look, like, scorching hot, doll! Bass will fall at your feet and worship you until he’s out of breath!” How she exaggerated, but I basked in it all the same!

  “That’s pushing our luck, don’t you think?” My phone started ringing and I didn’t even need to check it to know who it was. Bass was calling me to let me know that he was right outside.

  “Shit, I haven’t even gathered my purse and stuff!” I freaked, scouring my room for the needed items.

  “Let me go downstairs and get him.” Linds was halfway out the door already and didn’t even wait for me to respond.

  Thank God for my awesome friend!

  Once I got everything in my tiny clutch purse, I heard Bass and Lindsey enter the apartment. I gave myself another once over just to make sure my eyeliner wasn’t smudged or my mascara had flaked. Nope, I was all set!

  I was a nervous wreck when I strode out of my bedroom and into the living room. Bass, looking totally delicious dressed in all black was talking to Lindsey when I entered the room and he did a double take when he saw me. His azure eyes glittered. My heart sped up at his slow, heated, admiring gaze.

  “Hey, Bass! Ready to go?” I asked as the apartment door suddenly swung open. Brody strolled in and Carter was behind him, the dynamic duo. Fucking shit, what luck!

  “What are you two doing here?” Lindsey asked in annoyance.

  Brody saw me and his gaze landed on Bass. “We, uh, thought you guys would like to go and get something to eat.” Poor Brody looked perplexed and Carter looked like he was about to blow-up any minute now. I could seriously hear him grinding his teeth together.

  Calm it down, caveman! I wanted to yell at him.

  “Didn’t you guys have soccer practice?” Lindsey asked again, eyeing both men in question.

  “It was cancelled, Linds,” Carter’s deadly voice noted.

  No one bothered with introductions because the atmosphere in the apartment was so strained and tense. Bass wrapped an arm around my waist, a tad possessively. “Let’s go,” he said. Carter simply growled like a raging bear. His fists were clenching and unclenching at his sides. I could feel Carter’s hatred. I felt bad and wanted to comfort him, but I immediately scolded myself to snap out of it. As much as I loved him, it wasn’t enough. Being with him wasn’t enough anymore. I wanted what he couldn’t give me, I reminded myself.

  “Let’s go,” Bass urged again and I nodded in agreement.

  Turning towards Lindsey, I spoke, “Linds, thanks for the help and everything. I’ll call you later.” I gave her a quick hug before Bass and I exited the place.

  Brody was silent and observant. Carter was brooding with contempt. As much as it bothered me that he was pissed off as hell, there was nothing I could do about it. To be honest, I was actually surprised that Carter held himself back. I expected him to go ape-shit about me going out with Bass.

  I tried to push the thoughts away as Bass led me towards his parked car.

  Seated and buckled, Bass turned to me before he started the engine. “That was your ex, wasn’t it?” Always forward, wasn’t he?

  “Sorry, I didn’t know they were coming over. I feel really bad…” What happened at our place was something I hadn’t anticipated. I was not prepared for it.

  Bass just shrugged. “No worries. I would’ve acted the same way if I saw my ex—who I’m still hung up on—looking so sinfully beautiful.” He cocked his head and gave me a breathtaking smile. A smile that made me forget about Carter—even if it was for only a moment.

  He thinks I’m sinfully beautiful? Gah, melt me even further, why don’t you?

  Bass gave my left thigh a quick, tight squeeze then started the engine and joined the traffic. Even though he took his hand away from my thigh, I could still feel it on me. Butterflies fluttered about in my stomach.

  During the ride, his cell phone rang like it was possessed. It was nonstop! His agent, his publicist, his friends, the list went on and on. Everyone seemed to want a piece of him and he complied with patience.

  When my phone vibrated, I fished it out of my purse, a little relieved for something to do.

  Carter Mason: You just broke me apart, Em. It took all my strength not to yank you away from him and keep you for myself. But what good would that do? You don’t want me. I guess I have to accept that, huh? I get it. The message is loud and clear. I’m not going to wait for you anymore. I guess good things always slip away. You were special to me, Emma.

  I was special to him? What? Since when? Was he just trying to say something so that I would comeback as his exclusive bootie call? So. Not. Cool.

  I was lost in my own thoughts when Bass spoke again. “There. I turned the damn thing off. My phone’s not going to kill our enjoyment tonight,” he declared.

  “You don’t
have to do that for my benefit. What if you miss an important call?” I looked at him.

  He grabbed my hand and held it. The gesture was sweet and I indulged in his warmth. “What could be more important than my time with you?” He cocked his head back in question, decided and sure of himself.

  A whole lot of shit, I wanted to add, but I didn’t want to ruin the mood. “If you’re sure…” I trailed off.

  “Never been so sure of anything in my life,” Bass exclaimed, letting his words hang in the air.

  We both knew he wasn’t talking about his phone.

  I remained silent not knowing what to say. For I did not know how to respond to a man who was so handsome and rather determined to have a piece of me. A piece that had already been taken by another man.

  Untitled

  “There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me.”

  ~Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

  Chapter One Hundred

  “Here we are.”

  Here was a palatial home in Holmby Hills. Bass turned off the engine and got out of the car as the attendant opened the door for me. I graciously thanked him.

  “Good evening, Mr. Cole. I’m Steven, the attendant for tonight,” a uniformed man introduced himself. Bass greeted him and handed his keys to him.

  My eyes scanned the estate and found that there were five uniformed men; three of them were the valet attendants and two of them were dressed in dark clothing who—I’m assuming—were there for security because they looked way too serious.

  The Italian Renaissance-esque garden had parterres that were created in artistically perfect geometric shapes. They were laid out in symmetrical patterns and adorned with fountains, Romanesque statues–angels, naked men and women–and other exotic plants and bushes. There was even a labyrinth. The outdoor pathway that led to the main door was lined with plum crystal vases on both sides with rose scented candles in them.

  I swallowed. If I thought I was nervous before, I was a double wreck now. Martin Lombardo was an icon—a legend. What the hell was I doing here amongst these people?

  “Don’t be nervous; my godfather will love you.” Bass’s right hand nestled on the base of my spine as he ushered me towards the daunting palatial home.

  “Your godfather? I thought we were going to Martin Lombardo’s house?”

  “The one and very same.” He chuckled as he guided me towards the massive home.

  “You’re godfather is The Martin Lombardo?” DUH, Emma! One plus one equals two, right?

  He stopped us and turned to me. “Listen, there’s nothing to be anxious about. I’m with you; you’re going to be fine, okay?” he gently reassured me as he softly pecked me on the cheek. Bass stilled as he inhaled my scent, breathing me in.

  My world stopped spinning.

  He moved closer, held my hips and enveloped me into his large muscular body and my body shook against his. The sexual charge was loaded with violent acuteness as his lips brushed against my ear. He held my palm against his heart. It was beating frantically, wildly thumping in his chest. “Do you feel what you do to me? Being this close to you affects me this much. There is no greater explanation but to show you how electrifying you make me feel.”

  “But we only met Saturday…” I was simply dumb-founded.

  “Precisely.”Precisely what, exactly? That this was madness? That it didn’t make sense at all?

  Whatever this was with Bass, it was definitely moving way too fast for me. I knew I wasn’t ready to be with someone else. I couldn't be with Bass knowing that Carter still held my heart. He was a great guy and he deserved a woman who could give him her all. That woman wasn’t me, but at the same time, a teeny tiny part of me wished I was.

  “Let’s get you inside and enjoy the rest of the evening. Hopefully, with you in my arms. So, how about it Emma?” Bass winked at me, giving me his to-die-for smile.

  I blushed at his innuendo. “Well, if you put it like that. Why waste time?” I quipped back at his wicked, grinning face. He was way too gorgeous for his own good.

  What does a man this good looking want from me?

  E

  As it turned out, there was no need for my anxiety. Martin was a charming man and his wife, Miranda, was a lovely, stunning woman. Their home was absolutely gorgeous and from what I could see, everything looked expensive or like a priceless artifact. Needless to say, I didn’t touch a thing.

  There were ten of us, including Martin and his wife. Some of the actors couldn’t make it because they were out on location, filming elsewhere. The main cast was there, except for the elusive Samantha Knowles, the lead actress.

  I learned, during the five course dinner, that the movie was going to be filmed on some privately owned island in Greece, as Bass mentioned before. It was a story of a family who lost their father from the 9/11 Attacks. The mother and son leave the big city and move to Greece to start anew. The son—Bass—still recovering from the loss of his father, turns to alcohol and drugs to cope with his pain and loss. The son meets a woman who turns his world upside down. He falls in love, but in the end, finds out that she is married to another man.

  It was actually an interesting plot, but I didn’t get to hear the rest of the story, told by Ross Maitland—the mother in the movie—because Martin and his wife moved us to the game room.

  Before we entered the red and black themed room, Bass pulled me aside and pushed me to a room that was dark and cozy. It was obvious how familiar he was with his godfather’s house.

  I was a little thrilled that he wanted some alone time. All night, I felt his gaze on me. Randomly, he would find a way to touch me; a brush of my hair, a squeeze of my hand, a massage on the back of my neck or one of his cute, toe-curling whispers. He managed to make me feel connected to him.

  “Having fun, my darling?” I’m his darling now?

  “Actually, I am. Thank you for inviting me.” I bit my lip as his closeness made my breathing more pronounced.

  “Did you know that you have this glow about you when you drink? Your cheeks get all flushed and your eyes sparkle luminously. It’s very enchanting…” His voice trailed off as his nose found my neck, breathing me in like I had the most beautiful scent.

  Dear God, that was intoxicating… beautiful… excruciating… My thoughts were wiped from my mind when I felt his hot kiss sear my skin; soft, gentle and burning, making me shiver in anticipation. How did he taste? I wanted to feel his kiss…

  I gripped his shoulder as he pushed me against the wall. His arousal was hard against my hips. “Emma, Emma, Emma,” he whispered against my heated, sensitive skin, “what are you doing to me?”

  Good question because I had no fucking clue.

  “Bass? Emma? Are you two lovers ready to join us?” Martin’s voice called out.

  “Get your nosy self back inside, Martin!” Bass’s playful tone made me laugh.

  “He better not think we’re doing something bad here,” I chided. It was the last thing I needed tonight.

  “The things I want to do to you are way past that. Bad is putting it mildly. I want to take you up against this wall, come inside you and walk back to the rest of the party with you marked by me. I want to smile at you from across the room while I talk to someone, knowing full well that I unloaded my seed inside you. I want you to feel it drip from your mound all through the night, reminding you that you are mine and only mine.”

  HOLY.

  MOTHER.

  He was one graphic man.

  He gently pushed against me as he studied my expression. “You like me. You’re even attracted to me,” his finger pointed at my heart, “but this is taken. As much as I want to take you and your exquisite body, I don’t think I could bear it if you were imagining another man buried inside you. Even if the only thing I can think of lately is… you. There is no other woman in my mind, no one else but you, Emma.” I was incoherent and voiceless as I stared back at h
is azure eyes, packed with emotions far too intense for me.

  “Bass, I do like you… but what you’re asking of me… it’s just too much—”

  “I know,” Bass cut me off. “That’s why I’m not doing much about it.”

  How could he feel this much already? I thought as we strolled back towards the game room to join the rest of the party.

  E

  I was sipping my espresso and was about to take a bite of a mini Napoleon when someone directed their attention to me.

  “Do you act, Emma?” Martin Lombardo asked as he twirled his amber colored drink around his glass.

  Flushed, I placed the small Napoleon back on my dessert plate. “I was in drama class back in high school. It was nothing big or anything, a small play here and there.” Martin’s dark eyes perked up.

  “Small play? Come on, show us some of your craft!” he avidly suggested as the others joined along, encouraging me.

  My craft? Was he serious? Everyone here, except for his wife and I, were actors. I’d rather get hit by an eighteen wheeler than perform my mediocre high school acting skills in front of all those professionals.

  “Bass, help me out here!” I hissed at his smiling face. Sigh.

  “Martin, stop putting my darling on the spot. I promised to give her a good time.”

  “We are having a good time, aren’t we all?” he asked everyone. Amused, he asked again, “Why don’t you read lines together? See how it goes? Come on, run along, kids!”

  Apparently, Bass conceded and he got up and held out his hand. “What do you say, baby? Let’s give these folks a show they’ll never forget!”

  Ah, shit, I thought as I let myself be pulled up by his strong arms.

  Martin got up and handed us each a paper. Bass was to be Logan—the son—and I, Angela—the married woman. My eyes skimmed through the lines as I heard Bass clear his throat.

  “Ready for me, baby?” Ha!

  “As ready as I’ll ever be!”

  David Shilling got up and jovially said, “Three, two, one and ACTION!”