Pleased to meet-cute you

Jake’s hoping for a quiet day after a long week of work, but a noisy bookstore owner—and their unexpected chemistry—derail his plans

- —Melanie Dusseau

Jake felt his floors vibrate with deafening crashes and swung his feet out of bed with a heavy sigh. So much for a nap after a lon;g week on his new construc-tion job. He pulled on his work boots, stomped down the stairs to the sidewalk and peered into the windows of the closed storefront directly beneath his apartment.

Scowling, he banged on the door as the brilliant sun warmed his back. When it opened, he simply stared wordlessly at the strange and beautiful sight before him.

Lily opened the door to her shop and gaped at the wall of muscle standing on her step. She hooked her safety glasses into a pocket on her paint-splattered overalls, self-consciously patting the messy knot of curly auburn hair piled atop her head.

Lily beamed a smile into Jake’s frowning, handsome face and the two regarded each other in silence as electricity immediately crack-led in the air between them. Then one of her too-large leather work gloves slid offher hand and hit the floor with a soft thud.

Jake picked it up, running one hand through his dark, tousled hair, and handed it back. “You doing renovations or just banging on the ceiling?” He looked past her and saw a sledgehammer lean-ing against a wall sporting several tiny dents. “Please tell me you're not trying to takedown that entire wall all by yourself.”