The Reluctant Cinderella by Christine Rimmer Page B

out, in a big hurry to get wherever he was going. “I’ll be right down.”
    â€œBut—”
    â€œNo buts. Be there.” The line went dead.
    â€œWell, okay,” she said to no one in particular as she put her phone away and edged around the three people who’d just gotten on the elevator. She found the bench and dropped down onto it, sending a smile and a nod at the guy behind the security desk.
    Three minutes later, Greg came striding toward her. When he got there, he took her briefcase. “Let’s go.”
    â€œWhere?”
    â€œMy place.”
    â€œHonestly. I don’t want to drag you away from work.”
    He gave her that half smile that made her heart do flip-flops. “You aren’t dragging me. I’m going willingly.”
    â€œHave a great afternoon, Mr. Banning,” said the guy at the security desk. Was that a knowing gleam Megan saw in his eye?
    What did he think? That they were heading to Greg’s for a…nooner?
    Well, of course not. It was much too late for that. Noon was more than three hours ago—and it wasn’t about the time of day, anyway.
    They just weren’t, that was all. Not…yet, anyway. Megan might be crazy about the handsome man at her side.
    But the whole getting naked thing…
    Nope. Not today.
    She gave the guy behind the desk a quick, nervous smile. He tipped his hat at her as Greg led her away.
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    Greg paused inside the doors of his apartment building. He set down her briefcase and took her by the shoulders. “One thing…”
    At that moment, with a whole afternoon and evening of just the two of them stretching gloriously ahead of her, she might have promised him anything. “Name it.”
    â€œToday. And tonight. Let’s have it be just the two of us. Yes, I was married. I have an ex-wife. But for now, for today, can we just leave all that behind?”
    She thought of Carly, wished things could be different, that Greg might be someone other than Carly’s ex. But he wasn’t. And Greg was right. They needed to let all the baggage go, share a day without shadows and guilt. “I’d say that’s doable.”
    â€œGood. Then today, it’s just you and me. No other woman will even be mentioned.”
    â€œAgreed.” She smiled and tried not think that if there was an other woman here, she was it.
    His apartment was gorgeous, so open and bright. Your classic downtown corner loft. Acres of hardwood floor and high, arched windows overlooking Broadway to the east and Warren Street on the north.
    He offered a drink. “Ice water,” she said, recalling the gleam in the security guard’s eye. No liquor. Uh-uh. That could lead to…loosening up. And loosening up could take her to places she might very much enjoy going.
    But she wasn’t going—not so soon, anyway.
    He got them tall glasses of water and they sat in his living area on the leather-and-chrome sectional. She kicked off her high heels.
    Why not? Maybe she wasn’t doing anything wild and dangerous this afternoon. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t get comfortable. She turned to him and tucked her legs to the side.
    He offered a toast. “To Design Solutions. And Banning’s. And a very profitable business arrangement.”
    â€œI’ll drink to that.” Ice cubes clinked as they tapped their glasses. She sipped. “Delicious.”
    â€œStraight out of the tap.”
    â€œThere’s just something about the water in Manhattan.”
    He set his water on the glass coffee table. “I take it you did find that babysitter.”
    She nodded and set her glass beside his. “She’s sixteen and she lives around the corner. I had to pay her a bundle, but it was worth it. A whole afternoon of freedom. Every girl should have one now and then….”
    He’d taken off his jacket and loosened his tie. He leaned a little closer and it only seemed natural to