The Reluctant Cinderella by Christine Rimmer

you. As if I’d always known you. As if I’d only been waiting, forever, for you to show up, so the two of us could get on with the rest of our lives. Is that crazy?”
    She couldn’t help sighing. “Well, yeah. Pretty much.”
    He laughed again. “Then go ahead. Call me crazy. That’s okay. Call me whatever you want. Just tell me you’ll give it—give us—a chance.”
    She admitted the truth. “I can’t stop thinking about you, either.”
    â€œGood.” His voice was a rough whisper, one thatsent a hot shiver running under her skin. “So then. What else is there to do but go for it?”
    â€œGreg?”
    â€œYeah?”
    â€œI, um, well, I talked to Carly.”
    He knew what she meant. “About us.” He didn’t sound upset.
    â€œYes. This morning. I felt like such a cheat and liar, you know?”
    â€œYou weren’t. You aren’t.”
    â€œWell, I sure feel like one. I talked to my sister about it, about us, about how guilty I felt. Angela said I needed to get it out there, to tell Carly the truth. So I did. Finally. I told her…how you asked me out and I turned you down. How you showed me your house on Sycamore Street. And how I kissed you, even though I’d told you I wouldn’t go out with you. She was…it really hurt her, Greg. She kicked me out of her house and told me never to come back.”
    â€œMegan. Damn it. I’m sorry.”
    â€œMe, too. But that’s not going to make Carly feel any better. She just won’t give up hoping that you’ll go back to her.”
    â€œBut I’m not going back to her.”
    â€œMaybe not…”
    â€œNo maybe about it.”
    â€œShe didn’t know about the house. I’m sorry if you didn’t want her to know.”
    â€œMegan. There is nothing for you to be sorry about. Look. Do you want me to have a talk with her?”
    â€œDo you…want to have a talk with her?”
    â€œNot really. But I will, if you think it’ll help.”
    Megan considered the idea—and rejected it. “No. You’re divorced. You can date whoever you want, and Carly doesn’t have any right to be upset about it. I think, in her heart, she knows that. On the other hand, she considered me a friend. And I betrayed our friendship.”
    â€œThat’s not true.”
    Megan felt a sad smile tug at the corners of her mouth. “Well. Thank you for defending me.”
    â€œWe both know you’ve been trying like hell to shake me. You wouldn’t have ‘betrayed’—your word, not mine—Carly if I hadn’t pushed you to see me.”
    â€œWhether you pushed me or not, I did go to lunch with you. Twice. I went with you to see your house. I kissed you.”
    â€œNo. I kissed you. ”
    â€œAnd I kissed you back.”
    â€œMegan.”
    She made a low noise in her throat. “What?”
    â€œIt’s done. Carly knows. You were honest with her. Over time, she’ll see that it’s not fair to blame you.”
    â€œI hope so.” Megan sat a little straighter in the kitchen chair. “And as for you and me…” She hesitated.
    He didn’t. “Dinner,” he said. “Tomorrow night. I’d say we could start with lunch, but I heard a rumor that we’re having it catered in the conferenceroom. The place will be crawling with executives. No privacy at all.”
    â€œDinner,” she repeated, and realized she was on the verge of telling him yes. Then she thought of the kids. “I usually pick up my sister’s kids from summer camp at four….”
    â€œCan you get out of it, just this once?”
    â€œI’ll check with her. But Greg, I don’t want to…rush anything, you know?”
    â€œNo problem. We’ll take it nice and slow.”
    Did she believe him? Not really. Still, she agreed. “Yeah. Okay. Slow is good.”
    They were