Read Online The Reluctant Cinderella by Christine Rimmer - Free Book Online

white shutters, on the west side of the street—a Federal-style colonial, like most of the houses in the neighborhood.
    â€œPull into the driveway,” he said.
    The driveway curved around to a side-entry garage. The door began rolling up as they approached it.
    Megan let out a surprised laugh. He showed her the opener he had in his hand. She teased, “Do the owners know you’ve stolen their garage-door opener?”
    â€œVery funny. Drive on in.”
    She tapped the gas and the car nosed into the empty space. Greg pressed the button on the remote; the wide door rolled down behind them. She turned off the engine. “Who lives here?”
    â€œNo one, at the moment.”
    â€œThis house is yours?”
    â€œYes, it is.”
    â€œIt’s beautiful—from the outside, at least.”
    â€œI think so.”
    â€œComplete with white picket fence and a matched pair of sycamore trees on the front lawn.”
    He looked so pleased with himself. “Don’t forget the white shutters.”
    â€œI noticed those. And that cute brick walk that leads up to the front steps…”
    â€œIt all just says ‘home’ to me.”
    â€œWell, yeah—in a totally upstate New York suburban kind of way.”
    â€œSee, that’s exactly what I was going for.”
    â€œWhen you bought it, you mean?”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œAnd when was that?”
    â€œA week after Carly threw me out.”
    Megan realized she was leaning across the console toward him—as he leaned toward her. An inch or two more and they’d be kissing, for heaven’s sake.
    She bolted up straight and asked just a little too forcefully, “So. Are we going in?”
    He watched her for a moment, his face unreadable, as her heart beat too fast and her breath tangled in her throat. And then, with an easy shrug, he slid the remote in a pocket—and came out with a key. “You bet we are.”
    She waited as he unlocked the door that led inside, and then followed him into a combination laundry room and pantry. A window over the laundry sink looked out on a big backyard.
    Greg took a moment to deal with the alarm, then began randomly opening cabinets. “Nice hardware, don’t you think? And lots of storage space.”
    She played along with him, keeping it teasing and light. “Absolutely. I can’t think of a better laundry room, anywhere.”
    â€œI knew you’d say that.” He was probably a little bit closer than he should have been. She got a hint of his aftershave—and found it way too tempting.
    She moved back a step and gestured at the twin blank spaces beneath a row of cabinets. “Wouldn’t hurt to get a washer and dryer, though. Hard to do the laundry without them.”
    â€œGood thinking.”
    â€œAnd a personal touch or two, that would be nice. Maybe a few houseplants, a little greenery in the window…”
    â€œGreat idea.” He closed the distance she had just opened. “I’d already thought of the washer and dryer. But the houseplants hadn’t even occurred to me.”
    â€œAnd laundry supplies. Those are a must.”
    â€œLaundry supplies,” he repeated in a musing tone.
    â€œDetergent, bleach…” She realized she waslooking at his mouth. He had a really fine mouth—a slightly fuller lower lip and a kind of pensive curve at the corners…
    â€œI’ll start a list,” he said in a low voice.
    â€œYes. Good. A list…” And once again they were practically touching. Why, if she stretched up tall and moved her head forward a couple of inches, she could press her lips to his.
    But of course, she wasn’t going to do that. She didn’t even know why such a thought had dared to creep into her mind. Twice. First out in the car and now here, in the laundry room.
    Uh-uh. No way.
    â€œMegan?” His voice was soft. Would his lips be soft, too, if she were to kiss