Chapter 1

Being part of Raze’s music production team has always been my dream job. Free lattes, awesome company, a great creative outlet, and most importantly, I get to work with the world’s most popular boy band right now. Not to mention they are all smokin’ hot. Imagine being around five of the hottest alpha males on the planet and getting paid. Who wouldn’t kill for that job right?  

Especially that one guy with the slightly crooked front tooth that I’ve come to find incredibly captivating. 

I’ve always watched him. How his body moved when he dances; how his lips purse before turning into a smile when he tries to fight it; how he bursts out laughing, throwing his head back in joy at the simplest things; how he looks so confident and charming even when he’s just standing there, hands in his pockets, sunglasses over his eyes, and a bored expression on his face.  

That sounds incredibly stalkerish of me but he’s just so sexy. Even the sound of his voice is sexy. The way he controls his breathing when he dances-- sometimes he even stops breathing altogether-- savoring the moment; highlighting the movement eliciting several inevitable sinful thoughts from his audience. And how he’d be breathless, lips slightly parted as he pants afterward looking like he’d just had the most intense round of sex before smirking at the audience.

I wonder how it'll be like in bed with him

My eyes widen in surprise at the thought. I quickly shake my head at the thought to get rid of it. Dirty thoughts about my boss isn’t something I should entertain.

“Yo, K! Can you help me carry this to the studio?”

“Yeah, just a second!” I yell back, still dazed from daydreaming. I struggle to shove two more coils of microphone cables in my arms before walking over to where Mark, one of our staff members holds the elevator doors open for me.

Who wouldn’t kill for this job? Me. I never imagined that this would be my job. I wanted to write music; produce it; I want to sing! But instead, I’m here playing roadie for Raze.

When I finally reach the studio on the sixth floor, I’m panting from the exertion of carrying all the shit from tonight’s gig. One would think that working for a large company, they’d be rich enough to pay for people to do this stuff, but I guess I’m that person, even though being a roadie is not actually part of my job description.

I look around the studio and see two of the company interns. I call on both of them. “Hey, there’s more equipment to carry from the truck. We’d appreciate the help.”

I don’t mean to sound rude but they weren’t busy and I don’t see myself surviving another trip carrying equipment heavier than me.

And for everyone’s information, I’m tiny. I stand at just a hundred and sixty centimeters and I weigh no more than forty-five kilograms. Match that with my over-all nerdy look, you can guess how many times I get asked for an ID at clubs and other events.

The two interns walk ahead of me and just as I exit the studio, I bump into something tall and hard. And surprisingly the tall and hard something smells heavenly too. 

“I’m sorry!” I apologize before anything else. I give a little bow as well still not knowing who I bumped into. 

“Don’t be in such a hurry Keira, you’ll hurt yourself.” It was Aiden. Sweet, tall, and beautiful, Aiden. He’s one of the rappers and head of Raze’s production team. This man is the brain behind most of Raze’s hits.  

“He’s right, you know. You’re tiny, Keira.” Liam interjects. I look towards him and he grins at me, looking like a little puppy. He’s adorable for his age, but annoying as hell at the same time.

I shake my head at the two boys. “I’m fine, thanks for your concern.” 

I weave around them and make my way to the elevator again. This is what I meant about working with the world’s most popular boy group. There are perks and there are downsides too, like how the boys would tease you about something as petty as your height. I’ve always been insecure about being small, but I’d never let anybody know that. I’ll handle the negative feelings on my own.

“You shouldn’t tolerate that.” Someone says. His voice is low and quiet, and it sends shivers down my spine. I know that voice. It’s the voice that has completely captivated me, the voice that haunts me every night, and the voice that belongs to the most enigmatic member of Raze. 

I look up and see him walking up to me, a stern expression on his face. Confusion paints my face in response to his next words. “I can tell it bothers you when they tease you about your height. You should tell them to stop. Why don’t you?”

I almost scoff out my words. “Me? Speak up to the members of Raze?” and as if remembering I’m talking to Ethan Reed, known to the world as the sexiest dancer on the planet. “Right, not happening. I need this job to survive. Thank you very much. Excuse me.”

I can’t believe that actually happened. I quickly enter the elevator and push the button to close the doors repeatedly, refusing to look up and see what I assume to be a weirded-out expression on Ethan’s face.

Ethan Reed. The man whose presence is enough to get a woman’s panties damp. Working for Raze is one story, but having a conversation– if you could even call it that– with Ethan Reed is another story entirely. In the whole year that I’ve worked here, that was the first time I’ve actually spoken to Ethan outside of the work setting. Every exchange was always about work and limited to words like: “Good take!”, “Let’s try that again.”, “Be careful with that note.”

I take a moment to steady the rapid beating of my heart. You’re not going to read into this, Keira. Calm down.  I say to myself as I wait for the elevator doors to open. He’s Ethan Reed, you’re still just a producer. Don’t lose focus.