The Reluctant Cinderella Read Free Page A

never did….
    Now, wait just a minute! The voice of the new, successful Megan Schumacher piped up in her mind.
    True, before Design Solutions, Megan had often wished that she wasn’t so shy, that she was prettier and thinner, that some nice guy might notice her.
    Now, though?
    Not so much. Lately, she was feeling much more confident on the man front. When Megan was in entrepreneur mode, dressed in the bright colored, snug power suits that she favored, men often looked twice. Some flirted, some even put moves on her.
    Not that it made a whole lot of difference in her day-to-day life.
    Between her booming, yet still fledgling, business and her commitment to help her sister with the kids, Megan was on the go 24-7. Even if she met someone who interested her more than her career, where would she find the time to be with the guy?
    Uh-uh. Right now, romance was just not on her agenda.
    And the slight—and so over —crush on Greg Banning would be no problem. This was business. Period. And it would be a major feather in Megan’s professional cap to bring in her team and create a whole new image for Banning’s, Inc.
    â€œSo, then,” said Carly. Megan turned her head to find the other woman watching her. “You do want me to do it—to give him a call for you?”
    â€œYes. Thank you so much. I’d love a shot at a contract with Banning’s.”
    â€œGreat. I’ll call him. You can consider it done.”

Chapter Two
    O n Monday, July 3, with Independence Day looming, most of the businesses in Manhattan’s financial district had gone ahead and called it a four-day weekend. At the offices of Banning’s, Inc., a lone receptionist held down the fort at the desk by the elevators. And Greg Banning, president and CEO, sat alone in his bright corner office, tying up a few loose ends without the usual workday bustle and noise to distract him.
    He could have been elsewhere. He’d had invitations. Since becoming a bachelor all over again, Greg had discovered that there were a lot of good-looking, smart women who were more than willing to go out with him. Hey. He was a Banning. Thatmeant money and influence and that made him a catch.
    But Greg wanted something not just any sophisticated, beautiful woman could give him. He wanted…
    Okay. He wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted. But he knew what he didn’t want: a woman who was after him for his name and his bank account.
    So instead of a lawn party upstate or a four-day weekend in the Hamptons, Greg had opted for the temporary quiet of the city and the pile of work always waiting on his desk. He’d given his personal assistant the day off, had a clear calendar and didn’t expect to be disturbed.
    But then, at eleven, his phone buzzed. Surprised, he checked the display: the security desk down in the lobby. Was the building on fire?
    Frowning, he punched the talk button. “Greg Banning.”
    â€œMr. Banning, Megan Schumacher is here to see you.”
    Megan Schumacher? Who the hell was…?
    Then he remembered. Damn. Carly had called him two weeks ago and asked him to interview Angela Schumacher’s sister. He’d agreed, and had gently gotten rid of Carly. And then promptly forgotten all about it. Which was why the appointment—for today, at eleven—had never made it to his calendar.
    Greg scoured his brain. Megan Schumacher…
    The woman lived over the Angela’s garage, didn’t she? And she was in…?
    Graphic design. Yeah. According to Carly, sheowned a small company, the name of which escaped him. Carly had asked him to consider using Megan’s little company for Banning’s design work.
    Greg just hadn’t been able to tell her no. He felt bad for Carly. He honestly did. He felt bad and he felt guilty—which was why he’d made sure she got a nice, fat divorce settlement and why he couldn’t refuse her when she asked him to interview her friend from the