Enthralled: A Box Set

by Pamela Ann

  “Just back-up a second there, Linds.” Carter turned to me and spoke, “If this is what you need to do, then I trust you, okay? I have to run to class. I love you.”

  “I love you.”

  With a quick kiss, he darted off to his class.

  “That was harsh, Lindsey!” Trista chided. Lindsey just shrugged and leaned back.

  “I just don’t know. I don’t want him to hurt Emma again. Look, there’s this guy who is super sex on legs that treats her so well and she’s trading that to be with Carter? I don’t know. I just don’t want you to have any regrets, Em. That’s all.”

  “Lindsey has a point, Emma, but if Carter is the one that really makes you happy, then we will fully support you.”

  “Thank you.”

  The thought of seeing Bass again made my stomach churn. So much had happened since I last saw him five days ago. Tonight, I had to be brave when I faced him. I would have to keep myself composed, no matter how Bass treated me. I supposed I’d get to see how good of an actress I could be.

  It was time to put my big girl panties on and act like one.

  E

  I dressed with the utmost consideration. I chose a silver and black sequined, silk tunic, loose dress that stopped at mid-thigh and had a low curved back. I left my hair loose and amped up my make-up. I went for the smoky eye look and accentuated the top part of my cheeks and the curve of my eyebrows with a slight white shimmer mousse cream. I applied my candy pink lipstick and finished it off with a swipe of tinted peach gloss and then blended them together.

  It was already twenty to six and I would be extremely late if I didn’t leave right away.

  Frantic, I gathered my silver clutch as I slipped into my silver cut-out bootie shoes in haste. “I’m leaving!” I called out to Lindsey, splashing a spray of my perfume before dashing out the door. I slipped inside my G-Class white on black Mercedes and headed to the restaurant, getting a call from my mom as soon as I got on the road.

  “Sweetie, how are you?” Mom’s voice came through the car’s speakers. I sighed once I saw the traffic jam that awaited me. Crapper.

  “I’m well, Mom. I was hoping to speak to you guys tomorrow or the day after? It’s about something important.”

  “That sounds serious. What is it about?” Mom sounded worried.

  “It sorta is—well it’s about my future… I think I’ve finally found my niche,” I went on, giving her a clue.

  “Hmm… why do I feel like this is going to give me a cardiac arrest?” Mom sounded suspicious. “Your dad and I are both off tomorrow since Aunt Gemma and baby Joey are visiting.”

  A car honked behind me and I rolled my eyes. Geez, what’s the hurry? Everyone is bumper to bumper. No one is going anywhere so there’s no need for the damn honking! I fumed.

  Cali drivers… they’re fucking insane!

  “You shouldn’t be talking and driving at the same time, young lady!” My mother scolded me for the thousandth time.

  “One word—Bluetooth.”

  “I’m getting off the phone now so you can focus. We’ll see you tomorrow. Love you, kiddo.”

  “Love you, too, Mommy Dearest,” I said as a joke.

  Finally, at six-forty, I was outside of the French restaurant, Melisse, on Wilshire Boulevard. I was ten minutes late and I was so nervous I felt like I was about to piss my undies. I took three calming breaths before I got out of the car and handed my keys to the valet.

  Once inside, I was greeted by a slim, pretty brunette. “Good evening, I’m Alyssa. Do you have a reservation?”

  “I’m with the Lombardo party,” I said and noticed how her eyes snapped open.

  “With Bass Cole? He just got here.” She started to become chatty as she eyed me with interest.

  “Okay. Um, can you direct me to where the table is located?” I pointed towards the dining room.

  She immediately stood ram-rod straight and stepped out to show me to my table. “Certainly, sorry. It’s just that I am a huge fan of Bass. I heard he’s going to make a risqué Lombardo film. Is that true? I can’t wait to see him on the big screen. He oozes raw sexuality, don’t you agree?” Alyssa smiled as she sashayed about.

  “I suppose,” I muttered. It wasn’t that I didn’t feel like talking, it was the fact that she was talking about Bass and I didn’t want to talk about him.

  Martin and Bass were already seated in a darkened corner, talking in hushed voices. Martin stood up as I neared the table and Bass… well… he barely glanced my way.

  “Here you are. Is everything to your liking, Mr. Lombardo?” Alyssa asked in a saccharine tone.

  “Perfect, thank you.” Martin dismissed her in a polished manner as he came over and gave me a quick peck on the cheek and pulled out my chair.

  “Good evening, Martin, Bass.”

  “Emma,” Bass greeted me through gritted teeth. I hated that he was treating me with cold indifference. It made me feel like shit.

  Sensing the tension, Martin stepped in. “Still looking beautiful as ever, Emma, how are you? How was Tahoe?” Martin inquired as he poured me a glass of Shiraz.

  “I had a great time. I’m glad to be home though.”

  I looked at Bass, but he was busy on his phone, completely ignoring me as he sipped on his wine.

  The waiter came and took our orders and Martin waited a minute or two before speaking again. “Thanks for taking on the role as Angela on such short notice, Emma. I must say that I am quite anxious to start filming this movie. The studio had a lot of reservations about it in the beginning once the script was done, but that didn’t deter me. You and Bass will make it happen for me. I can’t wait to see it on the big screen.”

  Wow, pressure much? “Thank you. It’s not like I could decline it. It’s a great opportunity for me and thank you for offering it. You don’t know how awesome this is.” I cleared my throat before I continued, “You know, just in case I totally suck, you can take the money back. I’m not doing this for the money. I’m doing this because I really love to act and I want to see if this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.”

  That caught Bass’s attention. He and Martin roared with laughter.

  “Oh, Emma Anderson, you are a gem. Where have you been hiding all this time? I like your personality. You’re going to be great, so your money back guarantee assurance is of no need, my dear.” Martin shook his head in wonderment.

  Yes, the money was great. Come on, it was one million dollars, but in all honesty, I was really doing this for myself. There was no other reason behind it.

  “So what were you up to this weekend, Emma?” Bass finally diverted his attention to me as he slipped his phone inside his pocket. His azure eyes were drawing me in, looking very decadent and sinful.

  I licked my lips. “I… uh, partied and spent a lot of time catching up with my friends.”

  Martin excused himself to take a phone call. Bass waited until Martin was out of earshot before he spoke again. “And Carter? You’re back with him, aren’t you?”

  Shit. How does he do that? He seemed to just know.

  “Yes, we did get back together.” I braved it out and took a quick glance at him. Sigh, why did he have to be so… everything?

  Bass was playing with his fork, making circles with it as he stared at it. “It was going to happen eventually. It was a given when you decided to join them. A part of me hoped you didn’t though.” Bass lifted his eyes. They burned holes in me. Ah, fuck.

  We stared at each other and I took in his face. How did he get such perfect skin? Was he a fan of facials? Fuck, and those lips… I dreamt of those lips. Why was he so stingy with his kisses? I still didn’t get it. It was like the more he hesitated, the more I craved them. But it was just as well; I was with Carter now.

  “Bass, are you angry with me?” He gave me a sad smile before he shook his handsome head. His dirty blond hair stuck out in all sorts of directions—bed head—but he sported it perfectly. In fact, it made him look sexier.

  “What
should I be angry about, Em? That you’re in love with Carter? No, I am not angry. I’m not an idiot.” Bass huffed out a sigh. “As long as you’re happy, nothing else matters.”

  “Bass! Fancy seeing you here! I’ve missed you. Do you want to come over again tonight? I’m free and available for you,” A stunning woman interrupted us and gave Bass a long lingering kiss on the lips.

  No. Shit. This woman had the privilege to kiss him? I eyed her with a covetous stare.

  When the blonde woman came up for air, Bass spoke, “Lydia, this is Emma Anderson. She and I will be co-starring in Blasphemous.”

  When Lydia finally turned to me, I was rendered speechless. Hell, she looked like a pretty angel. She was tall and lithe with clear blue eyes. Wait—Lydia? As in Lydia Cornwell? Ha! She really was an angel… a Victoria’s Secret angel.

  “Hello, Lydia. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Same to you, Emma.” She gave me a beautiful smile before looking back at Bass. “Call me tonight? I’ve got to go. My agent is here with me. I will see you tomorrow. I can’t wait for Canada!”

  Lydia said her goodbyes, giving Bass another kiss before she turned to me and gave me another fucking smile. Her smile, it was genuine, not one of the fake ones. I simmered even more.

  “She’s an actress, too?” I didn’t know that.

  “No, I invited her along to join me. I didn’t want to get bored in Canada.”

  Right… because a pretty angel would be making all your wishes come true.

  “Well, good for you. I guess now we’re both happy. How quaint,” I said sourly.

  “Sorry the call took a while.” Martin slid back in to his seat.

  I was rather grateful that Martin chose that moment to come back. I couldn’t look at Bass. My stomach was churning and my mind was working overtime. Ding dong, what do you call that? Oh yeah, jealousy. It was twisting me up like a damn pretzel.

  Once the food arrived, the conversation stuck to the movie we were about to film. The food was excellent. It was fine French cuisine with a twist of fusion. After the two hour, four-course meal, we were ready to head out.

  After Martin signed the bill, he spoke, “I will keep in touch, Emma. My assistant, Jack, will contact your agent directly if there are any requirements that are altered or added. If you have any questions, you can call me directly.

  “Bass, have a safe flight. I will speak to you soon, son. I have to go to a film screening at Scorsese’s house. Drive carefully, you two.” We all stood up to leave and with a quick hug, he abruptly left us alone.

  “Have a great evening, Mr. Cole. Come and dine with us again, sometime soon,” Alyssa called out.

  “I will. The food was excellent as always. Thank you,” Bass spoke with sincerity and graced Alyssa with his signature smile. I think Alyssa almost died. The love-sick puppy blushed and almost freaked out. Sigh.

  Outside, we both handed our tickets to the valet attendant. We waited side-by-side for our cars. I suppose this is it then. I thought sickly.

  “Will you stay the night with me, Em?” I tensed.

  Crap. “Bass, I don’t think that would be good for either of us.”

  He exhaled and looked at the passing traffic. “I know it isn’t, but I’m asking anyway. I won’t be seeing you until Greece. That’s months from now. I just want to spend time with you.”

  “But Greece is months from now. I thought we’d stay friends?” Was he planning to just drop and un-friend me?

  “I know and we will.” Bass’s azure gaze captured my eyes. It was hard to tear them away from the beautiful depths of his. “I choose not to see you until Greece because it will take a long time for me to get over you and the fact that I’ve been rejected for the very first time. What’s bruised my psyche is that you were the first woman I wanted to have a real relationship with. I just want this night with you, Em. That’s all I ask. If it’s too much, I’ll understand.”

  I stared at him with my arms folded, my lips pressed together and my foot was tapping. I was in deep shit. I didn’t know how I could do that without hurting anyone. Carter would go apeshit if he learned that I had decided to stay the night with Bass. Did I want to spend time with Bass? Yes, very much so. I was going to miss him when he left.

  “Give me just a second. I need to make a quick call.” With my phone in hand, I stepped a few yards away from him. Lindsey picked up on the first ring. Thank God! “I have a mammoth-sized problem.”

  “Spill.”

  I groaned before I spoke. I hated to be in that position. I wanted to kick something and hyperventilate at the same time. “Bass wants to spend time with me tonight. Do you think I should? Carter will lose his shit if he ever found out!”

  “Well, are you planning on screwing each other tonight?”

  “No, Lindsey. Bass hasn’t even managed to kiss me. He just wants to hang out and do the usual stuff we do, I suppose.”

  “Good, because if that was the case, I don’t want any part of it. I might not like my brother for you, but he is my brother and I don’t want him hurt. Now that we’ve cleared that up, why don’t you tell Carter that you’re visiting your parents and you’re staying the night with them? It’s the best excuse.”

  It was a perfect excuse. “You’re the best, Lindsey. I’ll call you soon, okay?”

  “Please do and please, please don’t do anything that isn’t PG-13, got it? Now, go be a good girl.”

  “Will do. Bye, doll.”

  Next call, Carter. I wasn’t really a big fan of lying, really I wasn’t, but this was a special circumstance—selfish as it was. I didn’t know why I had the need to spend the night with Bass, but I felt like we owed it to each other. Sort of like an ending to the little ‘something’ we had. Only it wasn’t a little something. It was much more than that, but I wasn’t ready to look beyond the surface and dig deeper. Chicken? Just a tad. I feared what I would find if I did.

  “Carter, hey,” I greeted him as he came on the other line.

  “Are you on your way home, babe? Is it going to be my place or yours tonight?” Carter happily asked.

  Yeah, about that…

  “I’m driving to see my parents tonight. My aunt is in town and I want to visit with her and my baby cousin.” I was going to my parents’ house, I tried to rationalize.

  “Oh. Sure, no prob. I want to take you out to dinner.”

  “Yeah, that would be nice. I’ll see you tomorrow, Carter.”

  “Love you, Emma.”

  “Yeah, me, too.”

  I cut off the call before he had the chance to question me. I didn’t know what was going on either. I did love Carter, didn’t I? I just couldn’t bring myself to say I loved him when Bass was so close to me.

  Turning around, I walked towards Bass who was leaning against my car, waiting and watching every move I made. The valet attendant waited for me to finish my call before he handed me my keys. I graciously thanked him as I gave him a tip.

  “I’m all set. I’ll follow you to your house.”

  He shook his head. “That won’t do. You have to ride with me. I’m not letting you out of my sight. I will have someone pick your car up and drive it back to my place.” Bass held out his hand. “Your keys?” Okay, that was workable and made total sense.

  I handed him my car keys as he guided me towards his car. Bass called Lou, his driver, to pick up my car, giving him the location of the restaurant and instructing him to drive it back to his house and leave the keys on the table in his entry hall.

  The ride back to his house was silent. Bass’s usual happy demeanor, that I was so accustomed to, didn’t surface. He was rather quiet and serious and didn’t bother with small talk. I supposed we were so engrossed in our own conflicted thoughts.

  Once we got to Hollywood Hills, I started to fidget. What the hell was I doing? Carter would kill me. At the same time, though, I felt like Bass and I had unfinished business… but to what extent? That was the million dollar question I had yet to find an answer to.
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  “A desire arises in the mind. It is satisfied immediately another comes. In the interval which separates two desires a perfect calm reigns in the mind. It is at this moment freed from all thought, love or hate. Complete peace equally reigns between two mental waves.”

  ~Swami Sivananda

  Chapter One Hundred Eleven

  “Do you want anything to drink?” Bass asked as he strolled towards the kitchen.

  My feet shifted as I held my clutch in both hands. “Water would be great, thank you.”

  Bass cocked his head towards me. “Do you want wine as well?”

  Shit. Did I really need alcohol right now? In a sense, yes. I was nervous and I didn’t know why. I had been to his house before and both times, nothing crazy really happened. I guess the only thing that I should have been worried about was me because Bass was making me think of things that I shouldn’t have been thinking about.

  “Um, sure that would be lovely.”

  Bass gave me a dimpled, lazy smile. “Right away.”

  Oh, geez. That smile of his…

  The silence was short lived because Bass’s cell phone started ringing. “Yep?” he answered as he pulled a bottle opener from a drawer and slid it closed. His teeth bit his bottom lip as he concentrated on opening the wine bottle while he was listening to the person yapping in his ear. “I might check it out. Yes, might. Gotcha. Bye.”

  I moved towards the marbled counter and sat across from him. He was still biting his bottom lip when he looked at me. Smolder overdose anyone?

  “There’s a promotional bash at a club tonight. Do you want to come and party for a little bit with some of my friends?”

  Should I? “Will there be paparazzi lurking around?” Yeah, I had to ask. I would be put through the meat grinder tomorrow if Carter found out or anyone from school, for that matter.