Los Angeles, the city of angels, is my home. I grew up here. The smog, the traffic, and the passionate, crazy people. It’s the only place that held a part of me. And the hottest rock band in the world. That would be a dream come true.

I finished my sound engineering degree at UCLA, now I am ready to gain the experience needed to build my career. The thrill of getting my first gig is exciting.

When my parents migrated to London, I remained behind to complete my studies. My sister ventured off with them. She’s studying fashion design at Cambridge. We only have a three-year age difference, which makes it easier being best friends.

We get along better than most siblings I spent time with. Yes, there have been arguments, but on the whole, we love each other.

I grab the newspaper and a Coke, striding up to the cashier, placing my items on the the counter. I watch her punch in the prices on the ancient register.

As I hand over the money, I offer her a smile. With my drink and paper in hand, I make my way out the store and down the street. I need to check the airline prices since my folks have been pestering me about visiting. I traveled through Scotland and London over the past four years since they moved. To make friends out there was easy. I think it was the American accent. Everybody thought I was different, they asked questions about where I was from. They were always intrigued by the stories I could tell them.

Outside my apartment, I find my keys in my purse and unlock the door that leads into a narrow entrance foyer. A quick look in my mailbox, offers nothing but random flyers. My plan for the afternoon is to spend time online searching for a job. Anything would do at this point. Something that's not an option is waitressing. I am clumsy and would end up tripping with several plates in my hands.

My tiny apartment is pleasant and warm. I had left the windows open this morning, and the sunrays shone through onto my second-hand sofa. One of those comfy ones, you know, that you can flop into. Since I am not big into furniture, the apartment isn’t cluttered. Besides the oak coffee table that my parents bought, I have little else.

The bedroom is my sanctuary. It’s the king-size futon bed that keeps me sated. Especially on Summer mornings when the sun floods through the window. It shines onto the bed, making it near impossible to get up. There's a boxed window seat, which allows me to relax.

Where I can write and compose songs. I am not an artist, by any means, but I love playing my guitar. Or learning to. My most prized possession.

My laptop in hand, I power it on and get comfortable on the sofa. With my Coke on the table, I check out the newspaper first. There aren’t normally many jobs in here, but I buy it anyway. It’s a local paper, so at least there should be something close to home. Scanning the pages, I pull out my phone. An advert for an intern catches my attention-sound engineer, newly graduated-I fit the prerequisites. There's no mention of who the band is, but this could be the opportunity I've been waiting for. As quickly as my screen is unlocked, I dial the number in the advert.

It rings twice and I am about to hang up when someone answers. “You’ve reached Kierra Thorne. How may I help you?” Kierra? Why does that name sound so familiar?

“Yes, hello, uhm. My name is Tayla Quinn. I am calling about the internship you have advertised in the daily paper.” My mind is whirling and my hands are trembling. It’s only a phone call and I am nervous. I can’t imagine sitting in an interview.

“Yes, Tayla. The offer is an internship with the band. If you’re free tomorrow, we can meet for coffee. If I am happy with you, I will bring you to meet the guys. This will be a brief run through. There is a lot of information, so if we offer you the position, you will be required to dive in at the deep end.”

“I am free tomorrow.” My voice is high pitched and the excitement in my tone is unmistakable. “What time? I have most of the day open.” She’s silent for a moment, and I hear rustling.

“Tomorrow, 10 am. Meet me at The Java Bean. Give me a shout when you arrive and I will find you.”

“Perfect. Thank you, Kierra.” As soon as I hang up, I drop my phone on the sofa and jump around. Up and down in my living room. What am I going to wear? Shit! I need to call Emma. She’ll know what to do.

With my laptop open, I log into my Skype account and message my sister. When she logs in she will get my message. I hope to God it’s before tonight. As I lean backward, my eyes close. I recognize the name, Kierra. Oh God! I realize where I have heard it before, she’s assistant to Callum Hayes. Holy shit. This is huge. I could very well be an intern for Hunters in Oblivion.

* * *

It's 9:45 as I walk down the road my heart is racing and my palms are sweaty.

I had pulled my long blonde hair into a ponytail. Emma suggested I wear my black skinny jeans and a pastel blue chiffon top. The sheer material was light and the deeper blue tank top below covered what needed to be covered.

When I arrive at the small coffee shop, I take a deep breath and open the door. Pulling out my phone, I walk inside and hit dial on the number I have now saved in my contacts.

“Hello.”

“Kierra, hi, it’s Tay. I arrived.”

“Great, I am behind you.” Her giggle has me turning around to face the woman I recognize as the other half of Callum Hayes. She’s been his assistant for roughly ten years and seeing her in real life is unusual. I lived in Los Angeles all my life, but never seen them out and about.

“It’s so great to meet you.” We shake hands as we step into the queue.

“I am so glad you called. I have testosterone overload in the goddamn house and hopefully I can persuade them to employ another woman.” She gives me a pleasant, sincere smile and my heart flutters at the prospect of being in the same room as either Hayes brother.

Once we’ve ordered our coffees, we find a small table in the rear of the shop. “So tell me about you Tayla, I need to understand the individual wanting the internship. Callum, I presume you know who he is?” I nod. “Well, he wants me to choose and later he will do the final interviews.”

“Okay, well I graduated, top of my class. I wanted to be in the entertainment industry since I can remember, but I prefer not to be in the spotlight. I like being in the background. Backstage.” She nods.

“I understand. I hate it too, but with my position, I can’t stop it happening.” Her words take me back to the night I would rather forget. The night my life changed forever. Being in the spotlight will make it easier for him to find me if he ever tried. That can't happen. “And how do you feel about traveling? This job will include you working on tour with us.” Dragging me back to the present, I glance at her.

“I love traveling. My parents live in London. I fly out to see them regularly. I have been fortunate to travel to other countries. Jetting off for a tour sounds perfect.”

“It is. In some ways. In others, it’s challenging. Remember, this work can be strenuous. No vacation. And Callum, he can be a pain in the ass. Don’t tell him I said that.” She snickers. Her long mousy hair is loose and wavy. Her big blue eyes seem to peer right through you and her petite frame makes her look fragile.

“I understand. Hard work, and long nights are something I am used to and I’m not scared of putting in one hundred percent.” With a firm nod, she smiles, gets up and glances around.

“Well, let’s go.”

“Now?”

“No time like the present doll.” With a wink, she turns and heads for the counter. Ordering another eight coffees, she grabs one Styrofoam tray and hands me the other. We head out onto the sidewalk when a black SUV pulls up, and a driver gets out and opens the door for us.

The interior is black leather, the windows are darkened and we sit quietly as the car makes its way to the beautiful home in the Hollywood Hills that I recognize as home to the Hayes brothers. When we pull into the driveway, the nerves that were dormant for the trip immediately awaken. I’m unsure that I can do this. I mean, this is massive.

Kierra rounded the car, and we made our way inside. The chatter in the house was electric. There were people milling around, some on calls, others at makeshift desks. Being in the same vicinity as the crew had my head spinning. The surrounding air swirled with creativity. “Come on, he’s presumably in the music room.” We wade through the crowd, Kierra handing out the coffees as we go. She offered me one and kept one for herself.

We wandered up the stairs and into a room the same size as my apartment. It housed a piano, two guitars, three chairs, and a whiteboard up on the wall. I noticed two remarkable sculptures in the corner of the room. One formed with wire, but I couldn’t tell what it was. The other a clay bust.

“He’s somewhere. Stay here, let me try to find him.” With that, I was alone. Sipping my coffee, I took in my surroundings. The atmosphere in the room was surreal. Filled with promise, creativity, and something I can't quite put my finger on.

A sound behind me startled me and I whirled around, bumping into something solid. Coffee spilled over the wall I crashed into. The floor now had a large cup of coffee splashed on it, and the solid body, wearing a tight white T-shirt I bumped into was now stained brown.

“Shit! I am so sorry!” I peered up through my eyelashes and came face to face with his sky-blue eyes. Dumbstruck for a second. Completely mesmerized. Of all the people in the universe I could spill coffee on, it’s HIM.

Heat flushed my cheeks and my pulse rioted. I couldn’t believe I was standing just inches from him. The recognition was immediate. Short brown hair, those undeniably beautiful cerulean eyes and a grin that can have any girl dropping her panties in seconds. The way his eyes crinkled at the edges sent a jolt of electricity over my skin, and anxiety churned deep in stomach. He had the sexiest nose that crinkled when he smiled. I couldn’t help but be star-struck. This was THE Callum fucking Hayes.

“Don’t worry about it, babe.” His voice was raspy, and I realized he was still recovering from the flu. An amused expression crossed his handsome features. As he stared at me, I had the distinct feeling he wanted to say more. Kierra walked in at that moment.

“Cal, I was looking for you. This is Tayla.”

“Ki, two coffees for myself and Tayla, who seems to have had trouble keeping the coffee in her cup.” Embarrassment coursed through me and I wished the ground would swallow me up. My face was crimson from the encounter. I glanced up at him and struggled to appease my skittering pulse. Offering a small smile, I shook my head.

“You really don’t have to. Let me clean this.” I pointed to the floor. He reached out and touched my hand casually. My skin tingled at the contact. His touch was delicate, yet commanding.

“It’s on me. Literally.” A cheeky wink had the butterflies in my stomach waking up and fluttering around. This is ridiculous. I want to work for him and I can’t even think straight when he’s in front of me. “Thank you Ki, I will take it from here.” She gives me a slight grin and mouths ‘good luck’.

“I will bring the coffees up shortly.” With that that the door clicked shut, and we were alone. It’s only an interview. Just breathe. He grabbed a chair and gestured for me to follow him.

“Sit.” I did. He slides into the chair opposite me. “Tayla. Nice to meet you, I am Callum Hayes. I am confident you know that.” I nod. Words failed me. I was embarrassing myself and I didn’t know how to stop.

The door opened and Kierra stood in the doorway with two cups of coffee. He rose and strolled toward her. I caught sight of his tight jeans hugging muscular thighs. His ass was tight and sexy. God this man was unbelievable.

I could understand why girls were constantly grabbing him. With his impeccable physique, there was no question about how attractive he was. I glanced at myself and quickly felt inadequate to be in his company. I saw the girls he dated, they were supermodels, and I was far from one of those. Merely 5’4” myself and a size ten, my long blonde hair fell mid-way down my back and I had a soft innocent face with dark brown eyes. Nothing remarkable here.

The click of the door drew me from my wayward thoughts. He wouldn’t be interested in me anyhow. I was here to work. Hopefully. When we were alone again, he joined me and passed me a mug with the band logo wrapped around the side. “Do you have any qualifications or experience?”

“Yes, I graduated top of my class. No experience, that’s why I applied for an internship. Or even an entry-level job.”

“Perfect. Experience is not a requirement. I prefer teaching my team the way I like things. Makes for an excellent working relationship when people do as I say. I am a perfectionist. Are you adverse to traveling?” His eyes pierce into me, looking into my soul. I hoped he didn’t see what was deep inside. The anxiety that still plagued me.

“No, my parents live in London and I spend most holidays there. I have been to a few other countries, and I adore traveling. Being in a different country. Seeing the diversity of various cultures.”

“Good answer. It’s one of my favorite things too. To experience all that life can offer. So what makes you assume you’re worthy to work for Hunters?” His head cocked to the side and frustration burned inside me. Worthy? Are you serious? I am worthy of any position I want.

My blood boiled that he could ask something like that. “I am a hard worker. My head is screwed on straight, I do not do drugs and I look after myself. I love music, I always have. The only thing I wanted since I can remember was to work in this convoluted fucking industry.” I had no idea where the words came from, but they tumbled from my lips. “The one where if you’re a woman it’s more difficult. It’s a sexist industry, but I still want it. With a passion and fire that burns deep in my soul.”

I don’t know where that came from. My body was shaking. When he sat back, his gaze was so intense, it unsettled me. There was delight in his eyes. He enjoyed making me angry.

“This was a bad idea. I am sorry to have wasted your time.” I babbled on and he watched me closely not saying anything. The heat of his stare drinking me in sent my pulse into overdrive. The silence was heavy with a distinct tension.

He looked amused. My gaze dropped to his hands, they looked soft, smooth. His fingers had an elegance to them. Images of him strumming his guitar flitted through my mind, and that didn’t relieve the knot of yearning in my stomach. “Thank you for the coffee, but—”

“You’re quite a little wreck aren’t you, Tayla?” He remarked with a slow stare from my face to my hands and watched how I was trembling. Get a grip Tayla, he’s just a guy!

“I need a job, and if someone doesn’t find me worthy, they can shove it.” The tirade was out of my mouth before I could think. My eyes snapped up to his. Instead of finding anger, I found pleasure. He gave me a mischievous smirk and his sky-blue eyes twinkled with a dark glint.

“Well, Tayla, you're everything I ever wanted.” My heart stuttered, and it stopped for a second. Maybe longer. My head whirled with the words he uttered. I squirmed and swigged down the last bit of coffee.

“What do you mean?”

“Precisely what I said. I want you.” Tension hovered in the air and I stopped breathing. Somehow, his words held more than he said. “When can you start? I need someone used to the way we need things done before tour. We have a month to get you up to speed.” Everything rattled through my brain at a speed that took me a while to catch up with. Foggy with confusion, desire, and pure adrenalin.

“Tomorrow.” He nodded.

“Be here at nine am. Do you need the car to pick you up?” Did I?

“I should be able to get here. My apartment isn’t too far away.” He nods and offers me a cheeky wink.

“Good, that means you’ll be on time. I hate when people are late. Let me walk you out.” Standing on wobbly legs, his hand finds the small of my back as he guides me towards the stairs. As we descend, I have to hold onto the rail. I am trembling from head to toe. That was one of the most intense conversations I have ever had. There is a throng of people downstairs. We sidestep a few perched on the floor working on their laptops

“So do I—”

“You will meet everyone tomorrow.”

“Interrupting someone while they’re talking is rude. Doesn’t matter who you are.” My retort earns me a chuckle, but I had to say something about it. His hand never leaves the spot on my back, and his touch sends my pulse skittering. The SUV is waiting for me once we reach the driveway. As I turn to face him, his hand drops. He reaches out and grasps my hand. His eyes never leaving mine. A smile curls his soft lips and his tongue flicks out, moistening them. Wow, that’s hot! Ugh, Tayla, he’s an asshole!

“I promise to never interrupt you again.” I nod. “Because the next time you see me; I will be your boss.” He presented me with the sexiest smile. “And I expect you to obey my every word.” Who the fucking hell does he think he is?

“You’re very confident.” His dark smirk is sexy as hell, and my core pulses. The sky-blue eyes that I have come to appreciate since I first saw him years ago on TV creases as he considers me with an amused expression. I should leave right now. This man is incredulous.

“I have to be. You got the job, let’s see if you can handle the heat.” He cocked his head to the side and stared right into my heart. It rattled me and I averted my gaze immediately. Callum Hayes was going to be the death of me. This was a certainty. He was always the topic of conversation. Every girl I met through university freaked out whenever they saw him.

“Sure, I can.” My eyes darted up to his, meeting him in challenge. “Question is; can you handle me?” Where the fuck did that come from? I guess I lost my mind. He was overly confident. Someone should take him down a notch. He had his bad boy demeanor he portrayed in the tabloids, but seeing him here, I didn’t believe it for a second. He certainly was the naughtier brother. One that I should stay away from.

“Trust me, Tayla. I can handle everything you bring my way. We will be seeing each other tomorrow.” I pulled my hand out of his grasp, not to be rude, but because I couldn’t think straight with him touching me.

I nodded. “Tomorrow.” He opened the back door, and I slipped into the seat. His eyes were glazed with something that wasn’t professional, a scorching heat. He had me bewildered. My skin was tingling where he had touched me. I needed to be professional. I just got a job, a dream job. Looking down at my hands, I was shaking. I inhaled a deep breath as the car pulled out onto the street. The tension between us was so thick you could slice it with a knife. The heat that he exuded was palpable. How do I work with him?

* * *

As soon as I step into my apartment, the tension in my muscles loosen. I landed a job working with the most incredible rock band. Making my way to the kitchen, I switched on the kettle and got my cup ready for a nice strong coffee. The memory of spilling a cup of coffee over one of the hottest men in the world will haunt me forever. I should call Emma. I can just hear her freak out. She’s loved Hunter’s since she was in high school. Tomorrow will be one interesting day. My life is about to change in a profound way.

Callum Hayes is challenging to work with, he’s known as a perfectionist. And I don’t doubt for a second I can learn a lot from the man. Although, deep down I realize there’s something else there, I felt it and he did too. He’s too old for me. Surely. I mean, he’s thirty-five, that’s seven years older. With his experience, he must be incredible in bed. I can’t think like that though. Keeping it professional is what I should focus on.

I miss my sister right now. I have so much I want to tell her. To have her running into my bedroom talking a mile a minute would take my mind off Callum. She’s the outgoing one, I am the cautious one. Maybe it’s because she’s younger by three years. I haven’t been on a date in a year. The fear of what happened still haunts me. What he did will never go away. So I avoid dates, it’s easier. There is no explaining. If any man saw me naked, they would be appalled and run. My confidence couldn’t take that. He made sure that no man will come near me. That was his promise.

With the coffee made, I head into my living room and grab my laptop. Logging in to my user account, I open my Skype app. Emma isn’t online yet. When we spoke last night and I told her about the interview, she was thrilled. Now, when I tell her who the band is, I think she may pass out. With my mail app open, I scroll through all the spam, deleting as I go.

My Twitter account pops up and Kierra has posted that they hired a new intern. My heart stutters against my rib cage. When I open another tab on my browser, I log into the Hunter’s online chat room and find a few hundred people in the virtual room. It’s a hangout for all the fans of the band.

They’re chatting about the announcement. Shit. Can I do this? My attraction to him is undeniable. He’s hot, sexy, and confident. He’s bad news. Everyone knows that Callum Hayes is the bad boy rock star. I just need to keep it professional. It can’t be that difficult. If anyone can do it, I can.

Most of my classmates from university are big fans of Hunters in Oblivion. I knew all their songs. There was a particular song that never failed to bring tears to my eyes. It’s called Damaged Angel. Their new album was doing well. With their tour only a month away, they have been teasing new songs online. It’s like Callum writes twenty-four hours a day. He loves to tease. Maybe that’s why all the girls fall for him. It comes so naturally to him.

Scrolling down my Facebook timeline. I notice there are new photos of him in town wearing a T-shirt with the jeans he was wearing today. Groaning I close my browser and leave my Skype open ready for my sister’s call. Can the attraction between us be a fluke? I hope so because I want this job. More than I let on.