The Reluctant Cinderella. Christine Rimmer

stomach felt as if a big, hard fist was squeezing it. “To tell her that I’m dating Greg….”

      “That’s right,” said Angela.

      Megan cringed and Angela saw it. She spoke more gently. “It wouldn’t be such a terrible thing for you, either, you know? If for once in your life you went after what you wanted instead of always going along with what everyone else wants.”

      “I go after what I want.”

      “In your work, yes. But on Danbury Way…?” Angela answered her own question with a shake of her golden head. “Look. Just think about it, okay?”

      “I can’t, Ange. I won’t. I’m not getting anything going with Greg Banning, so there’s no reason for me to ever talk to Carly about it.”

      Chapter Four

      From the moment Greg walked into the bright, high-ceilinged offices of Design Solutions in the heart of downtown Poughkeepsie, he knew all his firm resolutions meant zip. There was no way he could keep things strictly business with Megan Schumacher.

      That day she wore purple. Stunning, bright, gorgeous purple with a hint of white lace under her short, form-fitting jacket. He took one look at her flushed, adorable face, saw the little dimple in the curve of her cheek and realized it was hopeless.

      He was sorry about Carly, sorry he didn’t love her anymore. Sorry that in the neighborhood there would no doubt be talk about him and Megan. Sorry that Carly would probably end up suffering more than she’d already suffered.

      Yeah. He was sorry.

      But Megan was…

      Words failed him.

      He only knew that he had to take his best shot at getting closer to her. When the deal was made and he could get rid of his father and the other Banning’s executives, he was taking her to lunch—and after lunch, he was doing everything in his power to convince her to stay at his side until dinner. And after dinner, to get her to see that they should go home to his place and she should stay the night. In the morning, there should be breakfast. And lunch tomorrow. And an intimate dinner tomorrow night.

      Was that crazy?

      He hoped so. Greg Banning had been waiting all his life to go crazy over the right woman. And now that he’d finally found her, he wasn’t letting the chance for a little glorious, happy, wild, wonderful insanity slip through his fingers. Not without one hell of a fight.

      He introduced her and her team to his father and to the three dark-suited Banning’s vice presidents. She spent a few minutes detailing the qualifications of each of her people, explaining the jobs they all did and how each would contribute to the update of the Banning’s brand.

      They dropped the shades and dimmed the lights for the Flash presentation, which was every bit as convincing as he’d expected it would be. Once the show was over, the secretary brought in refreshments. Two hours of brainstorming and Q&A followed.

      Those were informative, important hours. Greg gave his full attention to the task at hand. At the same time, he longed for it all to be over. He couldn’t wait to get busy convincing Megan that the two of them had a lot more than business to transact.

      It all went off beautifully. Design Solutions won the contract. Next, it would go to legal. Megan, her Web guy and her senior graphic artist would come down into the city on Friday to firm up all the details.

      Of course, after the meeting, his father insisted on taking everyone to lunch. But Megan was one step ahead of Gregory Banning, Sr. She had reservations at a really good seafood place right on the Hudson a few miles from her office.

      It was after two when his father and the three other executives finally climbed into the stretch limousine and headed back to Manhattan. Greg sent them off without him, explaining that he’d take the train down later, as he had a few more points to go over with Megan.

      He didn’t mention that the “points” in question had nothing at all to do with Design Solutions or the big job Megan and her team had just been hired to accomplish. Why should he? They—especially his father—didn’t need to know.

      Not yet, anyway.

      Megan had called a couple of cabs to get her people back to the office. He took her aside as the others climbed in.

      “Stay. Please. I need to talk to you.”

      She looked flushed, suddenly. And bewildered. A whole other woman from the smart, savvy entrepreneur who’d just sold Banning’s, Inc. on a complete image makeover. “But I didn’t plan to—”

      He cut in—fast—before she could find a way to say no. “You really need to go back inside that terrific restaurant with me.”

      “Um. I do?”

      “You need another cup of coffee. Or maybe a glass of wine.”

      “Oh, no. No wine.” She looked really scared.

      And that made him smile. “Coffee it is, then.”

      “But—”

      “Stay right there. Don’t even move.”

      She actually did what he’d told her to do, stood there on the sidewalk as he paid the two cabbies and sent her employees on their way. Then he took her arm—hours and hours he’d been waiting for the chance to do that, to take her arm, to clasp her hand….