USED by Him: A Billionaire Bad Boy Romance Box Set

by Sarah J. Brooks

  “I’m ready,” she said in a shaky voice.

  Something curled within his belly, and his mood began to lift. He wanted to tell her that she looked great, but that wasn’t his style. He grunted with a nod and opened the door, giving her a grave stare. She followed him out, and immediately the two bouncers flanked them.

  “We’ll take the back. There’s a large crowd out front,” the leader said.

  “Yeah,” he returned sourly.

  They took the staircase that led to the back door where hotel supplies were delivered. The limo pulled up, followed by a throng of screaming fans. Colt gave a small wave and showed some teeth. The women rushed forward as the bodyguards fended them off and made a path to the passenger door.

  Chelsea was almost trampled as she tried to keep behind the star. One of the guards gripped her arm, pushing her in behind Colt, then slammed the door shut. As the vehicle rolled out, she could still hear the deafening screams blocking her ear canal.

  When she looked over at Colt, he had a pleased smirk on his face. He glanced back several times, and it dawned on her that he loved the attention. There were mostly females in the crowd that she saw, but something odd had caught her eye as she stumbled.

  She glanced behind them and saw the crowd waving. She scanned the throng to see if she had been correct about what she saw. Off to the side stood a man. He had his hands buried in his pockets, and he seemed unhappy, angry even. The limo disappeared around the side of the building where it met another throng out front. That prevented her from seeing if he was still there.

  She wished she’d had enough time to get a good look at the man. Who was he? she wondered. He didn’t look like a fan to her. He was just standing there as if watching. He had been looking at Colt, and the look in his slate-colored eyes was that of hatred. She could be wrong. She’d only seen him a few seconds.

  Within ten minutes, they were pulling up behind the stage, and Reid was there to greet them. Chelsea scanned the place. It was a football stadium with a stage in the middle of the field. Reid told her that it was an old stadium, now used for concerts and other events.

  She looked up at the stands, observing how full the seats were. The noise was also ear-splitting. Several security guards made a barrier around the stage. A few feet behind the stage were five tiny tents, each one no larger than a cubicle. She assumed these were dressing rooms. The area was well secured with the barriers extending to about a hundred feet behind the tents.

  Reid pulled Colt to one of the tents. She made out Tony with the other band members off to one side of the stage. They didn’t spend much time in the hotel, so she knew little about them except for their names. It seemed they spent most of their time in rehearsals while Colt evaded it as much as possible. Tony looked over and saw her. Immediately his face lit up, and he excused himself, coming over to her.

  “Thanks for the lunch today.” He grinned. She’d asked the driver to drop his food off since he was not in the hotel when she came back.

  “You’re welcome.” She smiled.

  “You look great,” he said in a soft voice.

  She blushed, casting her eyes down, shuffling uncomfortably. He was looking at her in a strange way that made her self-conscious. His eyes wandered her physique, and she cringed with the scrutiny. She stepped back and stumbled.

  “Be careful,” Tony said.

  “I’m sorry, I need to find Reid,” she mumbled and stumbled away.

  She heard him chuckle as she moved off and expelled a breath. She glanced back to see him watching her when she bumped into a brick wall. Then the wall reached out and gripped her, steadying her. Her eyes flicked up to connect with hazel ones. For a moment, they stood unmoving. His eyes changed shades, becoming darker and the golden flecks in them flickered.

  Her heart stopped for just a split second, and then it began with a single thud. Then another thud … and another thud. It picked up speed and started racing like Usain Bolt doing the hundred meters. She could feel the pulse at the base of her neck tick, her entire body flushing from head to toe. Colt pushed her away from him but let his hands linger on her arms until she was steady. The place on her arm where he had touched felt like he had branded her.

  “Thanks,” she said, her voice squeaky. She absently rubber her arms.

  He grunted, walking toward the back of the stage. There he sat in a chair, and Reid handed him a bottle of water. The crowd was now cheering while the band mates were taking their places. From what Reid told her, Colt would go on after the band played a few songs and the crowd started calling for him. That would increase the excitement, drawing maximum attention to the main character.

  Chelsea couldn’t take her eyes off Colt. He’d changed into a pair of white jeans, shoes to match and white vest with no shirt. His entire torso was bare for the world to see. Her eyes traveled from his angular face with day old stubble to his Adam’s apple. Her emerald eyes sparkled as they cruised his defined chest and landed on his abs. Her heart started racing again, and her body felt strange like a drum was beating inside of her.

  He stood, pacing for a few minutes, and she counted every step he made. Occasionally, he lifted his arm, running his fingers through his shimmering hair, making his biceps bulge. As her eyes followed his every move, she found she’d stop breathing. When he walked, his thighs also swelled with his strides. She could see the muscles move inside his pants.

  As if he knew she was looking, he paused and turned. Their eyes locked as they did before. However, something happened at that moment. An electrical charge connected them, and she felt his eyes pull her towards him. His eyes flickered, changing color once more. She saw the light in them from the twenty or so feet away. She had to look away from the intense gaze he gave her, willing her heart to stop galloping like a wild horse.

  Colt wasn’t as relaxed as he wanted to be. The minute Chelsea stumbled into his arms, he felt unsure of himself. He’d never been unsure of anything. He thrived on being cocky, that was the only way to survive in this world. With all his past demons, he needed all the confidence he could get.

  He was about to hit the stage, but all he could think about was the nerd girl and her breasts as they hit his chest a few minutes before. He’d stepped out of the hot humidity of the tent to get some fresh air. That’s when he noticed the way Tony was looking at her. She seemed scared like she knew what Tony was thinking. She had bumped into him, and he found himself staring into her big green eyes. At that moment, a burning sensation dropped into the pit of his stomach.

  He ground his teeth together, closing his eyes, trying to take deep breaths to cool his heated body. The night seemed unusually warm, and he wasn’t sure if the heat was inside or outside his body.

  The moment their eyes met across the twenty meters was the moment he became unsure of himself. He felt like she’d stripped him of his reserve. She broke down his defense, and he was standing vulnerable for her to see. That’s how he felt at that moment in time. Her eyes had drawn him to her with a current he’d never experienced.

  The crowd was cheering; therefore, he turned his attention back to the stage. He needed to rid his mind of her and concentrate on performing. He needed to shine tonight and forget about Chelsea Downing.

  9. Eight

  “Purple Crush!” the fans cheered in unison. It was a chorus, like a part of the concert. “Purple Crush … PURPLE CRUSHHHHH!”

  Chelsea had made her way around to the front of the stage to the VIP section. Reid was at the back to do damage control, insisting that she enjoy the performance. She had her cell phone on vibrate. He would message her if he needed her.

  The lights went out, and the crowd went silent. She felt the anticipation and excitement. She could also feel the heat and smell a few sweaty bodies. A girl she didn’t know leaned in, saying something which she didn’t hear.

  The girl’s mouth moved a second time and shouted in her ear, “Are you with the band?”

  “Yes,” she replied.

  “We’re with C
ory!” the girl indicated three more besides herself.

  Chelsea smiled and nodded, turning back as the lights came on and the crowd roared. On stage stood a god-like creature. The lighting gave Colt a luminescence, which made his eyes sparkle, and his white outfit glowed. She gasped as he took the mike and the base guitarist played a few notes.

  His voice rumbled from his chest when he began to sing, and soon she was hanging on to every word. The throng in the stadium knew the song and sang along. She felt like an idiot and out of her element not knowing any of his songs. Still, her heart raced and her feet moved to the beat of the music.

  Then her mouth fell open, and her eyes widened when he tore off his vest and threw it into the crowd. She followed the white garment as it hit the bleacher’s stand, and the mob attacked it. There was a lot of scuttling to snatch the vest. She was certain someone must have hurt an arm to get it.

  Her eyes went back to him, and his skin was gleaming with sweat. He’d put the mike back on the stand and grabbed an electric guitar. He fell to one knee as he played. His eyes were closed, and his face twisted in a grimace with the emotions he must have been feeling. Chelsea could feel whatever it was that he was trying to portray through his music … or maybe it was the energy in the stadium that pulled her in. Regardless, she was just as breathless and swept away as the rest of the crowd.

  Colt’s eyes shot open, and the crowd stood in applause as he played the last note. She licked her lips as the beads of sweat trickled from his forehead and ran down his nose bridge. His damp hair hung loosely over his shoulder, and she could tell he was breathing heavily. The pounding of her heart drowned out the noise of the crowd, and for a moment, she was standing alone in the stadium as Colt’s eyes rested on her.

  10. Nine

  “Well done!” Reid slapped Colt on his shoulder. “All these years, I’ve never seen you this … this … electrified. It’s like you had something inside you that you wanted to feed the crowd.”

  Chelsea drew back into the shadows behind the stage, watching the group as they stood around complimenting each other on their performances. Colt was looking around as Reid spoke. Was he looking for his special fans? she wondered. She had noticed his friends from the bedroom incident come into the VIP area after the show began.

  “Right,” he grunted in his usual monosyllable.

  “By the way, where is Chelsea?” Reid peered through the surrounding crowd.

  She stepped from her hiding place. “I’m here.”

  “You’re all in one piece. Nice outfit, now lose the glasses,” he said with a grin.

  Chelsea shrugged. “I can’t see well without them,” she said in her low soft voice.

  “We’ll get you new ones. What did you think of the concert ... of Colt?”

  Her heart flew to her mouth. Why did he have to ask her with Colt’s eyes burning into her? Colt had settled his eyes on her the minute she stepped out of the shadows, and now she could feel his stare pierce her.

  She gave Reid a wide-eyed stare, not knowing what to say. Her stomach fluttered nervously as well. Both he and Colt were waiting for an answer.

  “Good,” she replied.

  “That’s it?” Reid sounded disappointed. “Only good?”

  She could tell that her chest was heaving with each breath she took. She felt the rise and fall of her breasts against the fabric of her blouse. What was she to say? Her eyes flicked to Colt, and he was still looking at her.

  “He was …” she said, her breaths were now coming in gasps. “M-magnificent.”

  “Wow, Colt, Chelsea gave you the thumbs up!” Reid gave him another slap on the shoulder, but he didn’t take his smoldering eyes off her, and they seemed to scorch her flesh.

  Just about when she wanted to flee from his eyes, one of the guards stepped towards him, handing him a note. He took it with a frown, and then walked into the lighted area with Reid on his heels.

  “What is it?” the manager asked.

  Colt did not answer, so Reid snatched the paper from his hand. The man’s expression immediately hardened, and his mouth twisted angrily. Her eyes went back to Colt who had a blank stare. Something was amiss, she knew by the manager’s reaction. Colt was not reacting at all, and that was scary.

  Reid started scanning the area as if looking for someone. In silence, Colt walked towards the tent he used earlier. Reid followed behind, but he was still searching the crowd. The other band members had split apart and were talking with their friends, those that were allowed through the barrier by the security.

  Tony trotted up to her with a grin on his face. In his hand was a half bottle of water, and his T-shirt was soaked on the chest and back. His sandy hair was dark from the moisture of sweat. She felt bad that she hadn’t even glanced at him on stage. Her eyes and mind were only on Colt. This fact baffled her.

  “Hey, there you are!” he greeted.

  “You guys were great.” She returned his smile, hoping that he would avoid asking any question about his performance. She could not remember which instrument he played. Mike was on drums, she remembered that because Molly always spoke of him.

  “We’re having a get together with friends for a couple of hours, how about joining us?” he asked with an expectant stare.

  She wasn’t sure that was a good idea. What it Reid … or Colt needed her? “I need to ask Reid if he needs me,” she replied.

  “Let’s go do that,” he stated and took her hand.

  When they reached Colt’s tent, Reid was coming through the flap. He stopped when he saw them, waiting to hear what they had to say. She wondered what the note was about and why he’d reacted to it in that manner.

  Tony’s voice split through her thoughts. “The guys are getting together with some friends, I want to take Chelsea along, but she felt she needed your permission first.”

  Reid snickered. “You don’t need my permission.”

  “Let’s go then.” Tony sounded elated.

  As they moved off, another voice echoed behind them. “Chelsea can’t go.” Her legs pulled up short along with her heart. “I need her,” Colt said.

  She turned, and he was standing in the entryway of the small cubicle. Reid looked at them both and threw his hands in the air before walking away. Tony glared at Colt, and he glowered back. For about a minute, they both passed daggers at each other until she turned to Tony.

  “I’m sorry, I can’t go.”

  “I see,” he retorted. His voice took on an icy tone.

  She watched him walk away before turning back to Colt. She was about to ask him what he needed when he beckoned her inside the tent. With some amount of reservation, she went in, standing just inside the flap. His back was to her as he spoke.

  “You need to set your priorities and remember who you are working for.” His tone was hard.

  “Pardon me?” she asked, not comprehending what he said.

  He whipped around. “You work for me, no one else,” he spat.

  “I-I-I know that,” she returned.

  He stepped forward. “Are you sure about that? You seem to be spending a lot of time with Tony.”

  “Well … I … he …” she tried to explain. Instead, she apologized. “I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.”

  What’s with the attitude? Was what she wanted to ask, but that was not her nature. She sighed. Relaxing her shoulders, she cast her eye on his white loafers as a way to avoid his eyes.

  “Let’s go, I’m not in a mood to party,” he said, stepping past her. She followed right behind and almost collided with his back when he pulled up short. “From now on, you go wherever I say, got that?”

  “Yes,” was her soft reply.

  The guards pulled the barrier to the let the limo through. Colt let her slip in first before taking his seat. There were snacks and champagne inside, obviously prepared for a small party. She wanted to ask why the other band members did not travel in the same vehicle. She refrained. He certainly had the money for two limousines. In addition, the boys
seemed to roll with different crowds.

  “Are you hungry?” his voice startled her. He’d never asked about her welfare before.

  “Yes,” she said.

  He opened a mini refrigerator and pulled out two sandwiches, one of which he handed to her. She took it and gave him a grateful smile. Her mouth watered at the pulled pork with cheese on rye. She bit into it with gusto, remembering she had not eaten since lunch.

  Though they both ate in silence, she was aware of him. His male scent was intoxicating, and his presence a little imposing. He handed her a bottle of water in silence and went back to his own. The quiet was nice. They were both people of few words, but she would have preferred at least a conversion instead of hearing her blood rush through the vein behind her ears.

  When they reached the hotel back entrance and opened the limo door, there was another mob awaiting them. This time, there were flashes of light as people snapped photos. The noise was shell shocking, a distinction from the silence earlier. As before, the bodyguards were on hand to escort them safely. Colt, unlike before, was not smiling and didn’t even look at the crowd.

  “Are you okay,” she didn’t know when the words slipped out.

  They were at the top of the stairs, and she noticed his tension in his shoulders. He’d donned a white T-shirt after the performance, and she could see his back muscles how they moved. But there were two small bulges at the back of his shoulders that seemed to stand erect. They did not flex like the others.

  He came up short. “Just dandy,” he growled. “Just fracking dandy.”

  He moved off again and then stopped. There was a man leaning against the passage wall near to the suite door. He had a camera on a string around his neck along with an ID that said, Carl Benson—Journalist. In his hands were a small black device and a pen. Reporter, she noted. She moved past Colt and hurried over.