Chapter 1

The sky had finally broken open, dumping its heavy, gray wrath onto the asphalt. I yanked hard on the strap of my duffel bag, but it was jammed hopelessly between the back seat and the frame of the taxi door.

“Come on,” I muttered under my breath, wiping a sheet of warm rain from my eyes.

Today was my first big job after graduating. I’d been offered a contract as the photographer for The Clock, one of the hottest new boy bands to achieve success with their debut. I didn’t have an impressive resume or the backing of a prestigious agency. I was just an unknown photographer with an online portfolio who had somehow caught the attention of their management team during a blind talent scout.

And this was how my first day started, with my bag stuck in the taxi door.

“Damn it!”

Water poured relentlessly from the sky, plastering my clothes against my skin and turning my hair into heavy ropes that clung to my neck.

My fingers were already numb, slipping uselessly against the soaked canvas of the bag.

“C’mon Rose. You got this!”

I gave it another desperate tug, only for the zipper to snag deeper into the crevice.

“Fuck!” A shiver wracked my spine, and frustration burned hot behind my eyes. Of all the days for my suitcase to betray me, a torrential downpour in the middle of the city had to be the absolute peak.

Just as I braced myself to haul with everything I had left, the relentless hammering of the rain on my head suddenly stopped.

I blinked against the water still dripping from my lashes and tilted my chin upward.

A sleek black umbrella suddenly hovered above me, shielding me from the downpour. I turned to find a man standing behind me, holding it over us. His broad shoulders stood firm against the wind.

“Here,” he said, his voice cutting clearly through the roar of the storm. “Let me get that for you.”

I squinted against the dim light, trying to make out his features, but a dark fabric mask covered the lower half of his face, leaving only his eyes visible.

Before I could say anything, he gently stepped closer and shifted the handle of the umbrella into my hand.

I instinctively gripped the curved handle, the sudden shift in weight anchoring me as he reached past me. His strong hands maneuvered the jammed strap, twisting and freeing the bag from the taxi’s tight grip. He pulled it out and set it safely on the pavement beside us, protected beneath the overhang of the nearby building.

“There you go,” he said, turning back toward me.

I quickly moved to hand the umbrella back to him.

“Thank you.”

As he reached out to take it, our fingers brushed. It was just a fleeting, accidental touch of skin against skin, but a sudden sharp jolt traveled straight up my arm. I froze, my breath catching in my throat as my gaze shot upward to meet his.

Up close, beneath the shadowed rim of the umbrella, his eyes were breathtaking. They were an arresting, luminous shade, framed by thick lashes and filled with a quiet, piercing intensity that seemed familiar, like i saw them somewhere.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him, just as his couldn’t seem to leave mine. He held my gaze in silence for a long moment.

HONK!

The sharp, abrasive blast of the taxi’s horn shattered the spell. I jolted, my heart hammering against my ribs.

“Miss, I have somewhere to go,” the driver called through the open window.

“Oh, right!”

Damn. I’d completely forgotten I hadn’t paid the fare. I quickly fished my wallet out of my bag and hurried to pay him.

“I’m so sorry, and thank you, sir. Have a good night!” I said with a warm smile, rising slightly onto my tiptoes as I waved goodbye.

I turned back. The man was still there, gripping the umbrella tightly. He looked at me with those striking eyes, never once blinking, and the silence between us was starting to feel awkward.

“Sir... are you okay?”

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, his gaze seemed to narrow as he studied my face.

Was there something on it?

Well, I knew the mascara I’d rushed to put on this morning had probably run in the rain, but surely it couldn’t be that bad.

Without thinking, I raised a hand to my face, brushing my fingertips across my cheek.

“Yeah... I-I’m good.” I could barely hear him, the rain carried his voice away.

“Okay, great. Um... anyway, thank you for your help.” I flashed him my brightest smile before reaching for my heavy duffel bag and slinging it over my shoulder.

“Hey, that’s too heavy for a girl to carry. Let me help.” He stepped closer, reaching for the bag.

“No, I’m fine. Thank you. I can handle it.”

I hoisted the bag onto my shoulder to prove my point. Every muscle in my face tensed under the strain, it was ridiculously heavy. All of my camera equipment was packed inside. Even so, I forced a smile.

“Eh ha. See?”

I tightened my grip on the duffel bag and tried to lift it before taking a step forward. The weight immediately threw me off balance. Maybe it was the rain soaking through the fabric, making the bag even heavier.

Either way, I nearly stumbled.

I stole a quick glance over my shoulder to see if he was still there.

Well, sure he was.

Those striking eyes were still fixed on me. Despite the chill creeping beneath my rain-soaked clothes, I managed a faint smile in return.

As if the rain and the weight of my bag weren’t enough, the sole of my soaked sneaker slipped on the slick edge of a concrete step. My ankle twisted sharply beneath me.

A sharp gasp escaped my lips as I windmilled my arms, somehow managing to regain my balance before crashing to the ground.

Fuck.

This had to be the worst first day of my life.

As I hurried through the glass doors of the lobby, my trembling legs carrying me inside as fast as they could.

The moment I reached the entrance, though, curiosity got the better of me.

I glanced back.

And he was still there.