Read Scornfully Yours (Torn Series) Online
Authors: Pamela Ann
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 introduced us. “Lydia, this is Emma Anderson. She and I will co-star in ‘Blasphemous’.
When Lydia finally turned to me, I was rendered speechless. Hell, she looked like a pretty angel with her clear blue eyes. Wait—Lydia? As in
Lydia Cornwell?
Ha! She really was an angel… a Victoria Secret Angel.
“Hello, Lydia. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Same with you, Emma,” She quickly gave me a great 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 then 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 will 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 up a bit fellas.” Martin slid back to his seat.
I was rather grateful that Martin chose this instant 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, the
salted
kind, mind you.
Once the food arrived, the conversation stuck to the film we were all about to do. 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 his signature popular smile. I think Alyssa almost died. The love-sick puppy blushed and almost freaked out. Sigh.
Outside, we both handed out our tickets to the valet attendant. We waited side by side for our cars.
I suppose, this was 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 for the last time.”
“But Greece is
months
from now. I thought we’d stay friends?” Was he planning to just drop and unfriend me?
“I know and we are.” Bass’s azure gazed captured me then. It was hard to tear away from the beautiful depths. “I choose not to see you until Greece because it will take a long time for me to get over 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, then I’ll understand.”
I stared at him with my arms folded, my lips pressed together and my foot was tapping. I’m thinking big shit right now. I don’t know how I can go do this without hurting anyone. Carter will go shiznitz when he learns that I decided to stay the night with Carter.
Did I want to spend time with Bass?
Yes
, very much so. I’m going to miss him when he leaves.
“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 the on first ring. Thank God! “I have a mammoth size problem.”
“Spill”
I groaned before I spoke. I hated to be in this position. I wanted to kick something and at the same time hyperventilate. “Bass wants to spend time with me tonight.
How do you think I can do that?
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 hangout I guess like 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 either. Now that we’ve cleared that, 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’m not really a big fan of lying,
really
I am not. But in special circumstances such as this—selfish as it is—I’ll have to make an exception. I don’t know why I have the need to spend this night with Bass, but I feel like we owed it to each other. Like sort of an ending to the little ‘something’ we had. Only that it wasn’t little. It was much more than that, but I wasn’t ready to look beyond the surface and dig deeper. Ninny? Just a tad. At the same time fearful of what I would find if I
did
dig deeper.
“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 regarding our sleeping arrangement.
Yeah…about that…
“I’m driving to go see my parents tonight. My aunt is living with them temporarily and I want to see if she and my baby cousin, Joey, are okay.” Wow the lies, good one.
“Oh. Sure, no prob. What time will you be back tomorrow? I want to take you out for 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? But I couldn’t bring myself to say I loved him when Bass was so close behind me.
Turning around, I strode towards the awaiting Bass, 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 will 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 instantly called Lou, his driver, to pick up my car. Bass gave the location and instructions 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, never bothering with small talk. I suppose we both were so engrossed in our own conflicted thoughts.
Once we got in Hollywood Hills, I started to fidget. What the hell was I doing? Carter will kill me. But, at the same time, I I feel like Bass and I have unfinished business…but to what extent? That’s the million dollar question I have yet to find an answer to.
-
Swami Sivananda
“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? Is that even wise?
In a sense
…yes. I’m nervous. I don’t know why. I’ve been here…in his house before and on both times, nothing crazy really happened. I guess the only thing that I should be worried about is
me
…because Bass is making me think of things that shouldn’t be sprouting in my head.
“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 close. His teeth bit his bottom lips as he concentrated on opening the wine bottle at the same time 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 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 in the meat grinder tomorrow if Carter or
anyone
from school found out for that matter.
“Yes, they are always around, especially at hot spots, but we can go through the back door and no one will know that you’ve been partying with me.”
“It’s nothing personal Bass.
I just…
” don’t want Carter to know…
for now
. Carter doesn’t even know about the movie yet. I’ll tell him after I tell my parents tomorrow, most definitely.
Bass poured us a glass of wine. His fore and middle finger held the middle of the wine glass’s stem and slid it carefully towards me. “Carter, got it.”
I opened my mouth to deny it but ended up shutting it and instead decided to swirl my wine glass before I took a small sip.
“What’s the verdict?” He asked whilst raking a hand through his dark blonde hair making it look all hot and messy.
“Yeah, I could do with some dancing.”
“Awesome! Let me just get a quick shower then we’ll head out, is that cool?” Bass asked and drained his entire glass, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down looking sexy as sin.
I licked my lips and blushed. Without looking him in the eye, I responded, “Yes, sounds great.”
Why, oh why does Bass fucking Cole have to make menial things
such as drinking
make me think of sex?
Bass was off to go shower and I was left alone with my thoughts. And they were full of IF’s. Ugh!
Taking my wine with me, I strolled towards the patio and stared at the bright lights of the City of Angels. Tonight…tonight felt different with Bass. I suppose it’s because I’m with Carter now and it made things feel even more…not weird…
constricted
, perhaps?
Leaning
towards restricted? I think it’s because during the short time with Bass, he infiltrated inside me. He made his mark. Bass marked me without me even noticing it. He was rooted somewhere deep inside and I don’t know if I can erase or eradicate that stamp he made.
I feel wretched and cut open. I mean, here I was restarting my relationship with Carter and yet Bass was hounding my thoughts. I
don’t know if I was so blinded with the realization that I fell in love with Carter that I didn’t really see
or
realize what was really going on before me.
After ten minutes, I heard him. “Ready?”
I turned around and found Bass standing next to the automatic sliding patio glass door. His hair was still wet but what really caught me was how the plain white shirt and his washed out jeans made him look like a hot smoking rock god. I felt my nipples tighten at the very sight of him. I was in so much trouble!
“I know I look too plain for a club but I really don’t feel like dressing up and all that.”
Uh, the prepped up Bass looked sexy…but the laid back all-American look was just downright yummy! I’ll take both please!
I shrugged, bothered that my thoughts were really bordering on cheating.
Is that cheating?
When I fantasize about another guy instead of Carter? A little….perhaps?