A star- crossed Romance

Katherine Hayes wasn't one to believe in love at first sight. Or fate. Or anything remotely romantic, really. She had moved to Boston for a fresh start, a new job, and absolutely nothing that involved distractions. But then-

She walked straight into him.

One second, she was balancing a box in her arms, trying to unlock the door to her new apartment building. The next, she was colliding with someone solid, the box slipping from her grip.

"Whoa!" A pair of strong hands caught it just before it hit the ground.

She looked up, already breathless. The man standing in front of her had tousled brown hair, green eyes that somehow seemed to see right through her, and an easy, lopsided grin.

"Let me guess," he said, shifting the box effortlessly under one arm, "new neighbor?"

Katherine blinked. "Uh. Yeah."

"Good," he said, nodding toward the door. "Because I was starting to think I was the only person under sixty living in this building."

A laugh bubbled out of her before she could stop it. "Well, glad I could help with that, I guess."

He extended a hand, balancing the box in the other. "Jacob."

She hesitated, then took it. His grip was warm, steady. "Katherine."

"Nice to meet you, Katherine," Jacob said, still holding her gaze. "You need a hand with the rest of your stuff, or do you prefer crashing into strangers one box at a time?"

She should have been annoyed. But instead, she felt something she hadn't in a long time-curious.

Maybe Boston wouldn't be so bad after all.