Fixated On You (Torn Series #5) (6 page)

Without breaking his eye war, Carter spoke to me, “Love you, Em.”

I shot out of there in a flash, but I heard Lindsey’s snort before I was truly out of earshot.

The Mason siblings were a fantastically confusing duo.

Chapter 6

Emma

Back in my room, my video call with Bass was thirty minutes away, so I took a quick shower and decided to check my emails. One came from Barbara, bringing awesome news.

When the video call came through Facetime, I was left wanting. Bass had sweats on, nothing more. Did he need to make me go wild with need ogling up those pecs? Damn him!

“Been looking forward to this all day long. I’ve missed you!” He was grinning from ear to ear, scratching his growing stubble on the side, eyes sparkling, while I tried to control the urge to cry and laugh at the same time.

I missed him so fucking much, but I didn’t want to be a whiny, needy girlfriend, so instead, I settled for, “I missed you, too. How was filming today?”

“Same old.” His tongue came out, licking his bottom lip while staring at me on the screen. “Enough about me. Let’s focus on you.”

This was a good window as any. “Babe, GQ wants to do another cover.” Last time was fun, but since I was with Bass now, I thought it was important to bring it up. It was, after all, a risqué shoot.

My announcement made him groan.

“I’m doing it,” I immediately inserted in-between his groans, so that I could save myself the awkward silence.

Why was he turning red? What the heck?

He looked away, smiling. “That spread you did last year…gave me a lot of sleepless nights.”

No wonder he was reddening. Naughty boy.

Raising my brow, I teased him some more. “Sleepless night doing
what
exactly?”

“Wishing I never let you walk away.” He sobered up, blue eyes down cast as he played with his phone.

After learning about his parents’ intention, Bass had been more serious lately, like he was guarded, though at the same time, he was more attentive. I wasn’t sure, but he was always texting me
thinking of you
at all times of the day. It would just be random, too. It was a cute way to let me know that I wasn’t forgotten. Yet no matter how much we spoke and chatted, it didn’t beat having him here in Cali.

“Well, if you really want to know…each pose, I imagined it was you watching me.” I watched his reaction turn from surprised to
pleased.

“Right. Now I’m even more curious what those thoughts let you think?” His wickedness was too much.

My damp hair was all over the place, but I could care less because, right this second, all I cared about was making my baby happy. “That first time we did backdoor in Aspasia. That’s what.” I watched as Bass leaned back, interlocking his hands behind his head, flexing that chiseled chest and those abs. “I never felt so sexy and so powerful as I did watching you try to control yourself—sweaty and panting—but when things became more heated, you just took what you wanted…with no apologies. Fucking me with love from an uncontrolled animal.”

Bass swallowed his saliva. Mouth partly open as I looked at him thinking…hard. Yeah,
hard
was the operative word, if I must say so boldly. “Babe, why aren’t you saying anything?”

“I’m contemplating if I should jack off right now while I beg you to strip for me or should I hop on the red eye and make you feel that uncontrolled animal in me,” Bass said with all seriousness.

If he decided to hop on the red eye, what if he missed his flight? I wouldn’t have that happen. “Babe, don’t even think about that,” I tried to dissuade him. “Besides, you can’t go anywhere, you’re sporting a rock.”

“You like teasing me don’t you, Emma?”

He was so serious. I knew he was getting worked up. His voice changed when he was turned on; it got huskier. “I do? Will junior like it if we make a tape together? I mean—we’re going to be away from each other a lot…I just thought, you know—”

“Fuck,” he growled, closing his eyes. “You. Sex. Video,” he muttered, shaking his head. “You’re killing me here.”

Hey, I was only trying to think of his ‘needs’. “So you don’t want it?”

Bass opened his eyes, piercing me with them. “Fuck, I want—need—it so badly. You know I’m a visual man; I love seeing you in all ways possible.”

He was a visual man. I knew that, yes, however why did I get the wrong feeling somehow, like this was nothing surprising? “You’ve done this before, huh?” A deep ache settled in my stomach.

Bass took a moment before responding, watching my reaction. “I have. Yes.”

Shit. I knew that was a big possibility. Even though I was trying to get over it, the feeling wouldn’t go away. “With who?” I wanted to be his first in something. After this whole baby thing, I felt as though I was competing for memories.

“Exes,” he said, cautiously.

Lydia? Who? Dammit, I needed names. “Do you still have them?”

“Some.”

Cryptic much?
“
Where?
” I pressed.

Bass looked uncomfortable now, like he was on the hot seat. “In my computer.”

“And your phone?” I kept on going. Jealousy was a bad thing. Rearing it in sometimes worked, but right now, it was speeding away, taking over me.

“
There’s a few there, too.” He paused. “Emma, I don’t think this is something you should be worried about. You look like you’re about to cry—I’m going to delete—”

I interrupted him.
“Those being your favorites, right?”

Bass groaned. “They were—before I got addicted to you.” He made a loud huffing sound, trying to calm himself. “I actually forgot about them until you brought it up. I’ll delete them the second we hang up.”

“No—don’t. Well, not yet. I’m curious…” I was really going to go there. “Can I see them?”

Bass jumped from his seat, standing as he looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “Why would you want to do that? Doing that will only hurt you, Emma.”

I wasn’t listening. “But you did this before me, right?”

He raked a hand over his hair, muttering, “Yes, of course, but even then—I don’t think you should.”

“Please, Bass. I promise I won’t be mad.” For now.

He stood with his glorified chest, displeased as he looked at me. “I’ll think about it.”

“Promise?”

“Emma!” he scolded, looking away from the screen. “I can’t promise anything. I feel like, either way, I’m going to be crucified.”

These videos were going to dominate my thoughts. I knew it. I wouldn’t let it go until I saw what they were. My insecurities had spiraled out of control after Nikki. This was going to get worse if I didn’t stop myself sometime soon.

“I love you,” I said to the man who made my heart ache like no other man could.

“You can’t use that to gain favor, Emma.”

Too bad, I was. Or I might be endangered of losing it completely. “I do.”

Questions now bombarded me. My insecurity was blasting my confidence away, yet I needed to see those tapes. It was sick, but heck; I wanted to see if Bass was any different with them than with me.

Chapter 7

Bass

Was Emma pulling my leg? She couldn’t be serious, right? What woman would ask to see her boyfriend with someone else? I didn’t fucking get it.

Knowing quite well that she wasn’t going to be okay after our conversation, I took it as a sign and made a few important calls. Yes, some might disagree with my actions, but as of right now, this was a fucking emergency. My delicate and intricate webbed plans were about to go down the drain, and I wasn’t about to let that go to waste because of a somewhat petty misunderstanding. I knew what was important and what came first, that was that. The rest would fall into place if I got this one thing right.

A sleepy yawn and a quick rub of my eyes later, I finally arrived in Los Angeles. Add another hour, give or take, I reached my destination. Thank goodness, my driver, Lou, hadn’t minded chauffeuring me at this time. When I was in the city, it was a given, and since I hadn’t been around, I kind of felt bad waking the poor man up. It would’ve been an easy thing had I called a private cab, but since the paps were following me everywhere, I didn’t want them to sense any misconception when it came to Emma. The media was still fifty-fifty when it came to her after Nikki.

Barbara kept telling me to hire a personal assistant, but honestly, the woman already nagged and always went into my business. I didn’t need another fellow in my personal space and life.

I was grateful that Emma mentioned Lindsey getting back earlier in her text messages, so when I got outside their seaside home, I knew who to call.

It took her two rings to pick up the call. “My, my, should I assume you’re drunk dialing and you got the wrong number?” Lindsey was surely entertaining herself with this phone call.

“No on both counts. I’m actually outside and I need you to let me in, is that cool?” My voice was truly tired because I had to stifle a couple yawns as I said those words.

She perked up, curious. “You’re outside, why?”

Damn, what’s with all the questions, man? I just wanted Emma and a bed to sleep in. “I need to talk to her, that’s all.”

“Been naughty, have we, Mister?”

I groaned into the phone before I heard her laugh and then said, “Yeah, yeah, get your hot ass to the door now.”

These women were great, but sometimes they got to be too much. At times, I wasn’t sure if I was going to turn tomato red or brush it off as a joke. After a quick thanks and a goodbye with Lou, I went straight to the door with my duffel bag slung over my arm.

Lindsey was dressed in a kimono silk robe, grinning like I’d never seen her before. Guess I had to get used to this since Dimitris was now in the picture.

“Doing late night calls now, huh?” she teased, opening the door wider to let me in.

“Something like that,” I absentmindedly responded as I walked inside their home. Looking around, the dimmed lighting and the quietness of the surroundings told me everyone was in bed or maybe out partying since this was a college town. “Mind if I just go in her room? I’m beat,” I asked, not looking back as I eyed the dimly lit hallway entrance upstairs.

“Sure, but don’t think I won’t ask questions tomorrow.” She closed the door shut and then came up next to me. “Snuggle tight, buddy.” She winked at me twice.

I gave her a tired smile. “G’night, Linds,” I said before heading towards the stairs then into Emma’s bedroom.

My sleepiness and the fogginess in my brain all cleared away the second my hand clasped around the brass door handle. Taking a deep breath, I opened it. Slowly walking inside her darkened room, I noticed that she had one lit candle on her side table. By the looks of it, it was halfway melted already.

Emma was on the bed with her back to me. It made me wonder if she was staring at the candle while letting her imagination run riot. If the situation were reversed, I would’ve been out of my mind with jealousy, not to mention all kinds of demons my mind was capable of taunting me with when I was at my lowest. The thought brought no comfort, and the picture of Emma mentally torturing herself was not sitting with me well.

So I stood there a moment, still holding my things, while I tried to make sense, seeing things from her perspective. The room might be aglow with the comforting and cozy ambiance, however I knew her heart wasn’t being warmed at all. The last thing I wanted was for her to be unhappy. My separation from her brought so much sadness and pain, and if I could help it, I would try to ease any pain coming her way as much as possible.

The moment my eyes got used to the dimmed lighting, I studied her back, perking my ear to confirm that she really was asleep. When I heard her long, deep breathing, I started to move quietly towards her bathroom to shower and change.

Emma’s bathroom overlooked the ocean, so with the moon high up in the sky, I didn’t have to turn on the light as I navigated my way around. Fifteen minutes later, wearing only my boxer briefs, I strode out of the bathroom and stepped into her bedroom as quietly as possible.

Once I reached the other side of the bed, I put my phone on vibrate before sliding into bed with her. I inched my body closer to her, spooning her from behind as I slid my arm beneath her neck and pulled her against my body. The second my nose hit her neck, I was instantly annihilated by her scent. It didn’t matter how dead tired I was, holding my woman close made all of it worthwhile.

Leaving soft kisses behind her ear, I whispered into it, “I’m here, my love. No need to fret.”

Emma made a noise, but remained fully asleep. I sighed, smiling as I pressed my nose against her neck, ready to sleep away. Listening to her breathing pattern immediately knocked me out in seconds. 

~B~

The following morning, I awakened the second Emma moved like she was about to jump out of her skin before tensing up like she was made of wood. I knew I should’ve said something then, yet for some reason, my wickedness led me to keep my mouth shut.

“Shit—
what the fuck did I do last night?
” Emma whisper-hissed into the air, probably trying to figure out who I was.