Lost Without You

“Like what?” Courtney asked.

“Never mind.” Clearly Courtney was oblivious to the attention she obtained from the male species. Gabrielle doubted any man had ever looked at her quite like that. Not even Preston, with whom she’d shared a short but compatible relationship at school. He’d been a pleasant enough boyfriend who treated her well and who accepted her as she was. He hadn’t expected her to gussy herself up.

“What are you having?” Courtney asked.

“Not sure yet.”

“I’m thinking the flat-iron steak and mashed potatoes. Being a model is tough at times. I have to maintain my figure, otherwise I won’t keep getting loaner clothes. So I’d better stick with the pecan-crusted chicken salad.”

“That suit isn’t yours?”

“No, the designers all send me clothes off the rack in the hopes that I will wear them and be photographed.”

“It must be awful not to eat what you enjoy,” Gabrielle said as she sipped on her water.

“That’s the thing, I do eat,” Courtney said, “which is why I’m in the gym six days a week, two hours a day to maintain this figure.” She motioned down from her head to her toe. “Anyway, enough about me. Why don’t you tell me the real reason you accepted a position with your archrival?”

Gabrielle nearly spit out her water and began coughing uncontrollably.

“I’m sorry,” Courtney apologized and reached across to slap Gabrielle’s back. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I guess I wasn’t prepared for you to be so…uh, straightforward.”

Courtney smiled broadly. “You mean blunt, but I appreciate your tactfulness. You’re also avoiding answering my question.”

“Adams Cosmetics is a great company.”

“But we are a small boutique firm,” Courtney added.

“Not anymore.”

“True.” Courtney nodded. “But you must have known that accepting this position meant working closely with Shane, who according to him, you despised.”

“Despise? No, I don’t despise Shane,” Gabrielle said. How could she? She’d always been secretly attracted to him, but she would never tell another soul that.

“Then what?”

“Then nothing.” Gabrielle stared intently at the menu, hoping Courtney couldn’t see the truth.

Courtney remained silent for several long, excruciating moments before finally saying, “You have a thing for my brother, don’t you?”

“Shane?” Gabrielle’s voice rose several octaves. “Of course not. We’ve always had a rivalry. Much like siblings would,” she added for good measure, trying to cover her tracks.

“And you see my hazel-eyed, athletic, immensely attractive brother like a sibling?” Courtney raised a brow. Now there was a lie she hadn’t heard before.

“I don’t deny Shane has a certain appeal.” Gabrielle chose her words very carefully. “He always has. I remember in school how he had a bevy of women who would fawn all over him, and he ate it up with a spoon. I’m sure Shane has never been at a loss for having a beautiful, sexy woman on his arm.”

“Ah, so there’s the rub,” Courtney said, eyeing her suspiciously. “You’re envious of the other women. You think he’s superficial, so you’ve chosen to downplay your looks in the hopes that he will finally notice the inner you.” Courtney placed her hand over Gabrielle’s. “Darling, let me tell you, you could end up alone in bed every night if you continue on this route. There are a number of women trying to trap my brother into marriage, and if you don’t act quickly, someone will snap him up.”

“I am not interested in Shane.”

“Sure, you’re not.”

The waiter came back to take their order and Courtney ordered the salad while Gabrielle chose the chicken fusilli pasta. That didn’t prevent Courtney from taking up where she left off in the conversation once he’d gone. “My advice to you would be to glam it up. Let my brother see that you are a force to be reckoned with. And knowing Shane, he will not back down from a good challenge.”

“How can you talk this way about your own brother?” Gabrielle asked Courtney. “You just met me, and clearly Shane did not speak well of me in the past.”

“True, but I have a good feeling about you. I knew you were different when we met, which is why I asked you to lunch,” Courtney replied. “Call it female intuition, but I think you are exactly what my brother needs.”

“You have it all wrong, Courtney. I’m the exact opposite of the kind of woman your brother dates.”

“Which is why you’re absolutely perfect for him,” Courtney replied. “And it’s why I’m going to make you over so you can win him over.”

* * *

Gabrielle sat in the car on the way back from lunch with Courtney completely flabbergasted. She’d tried explaining to Courtney that she dressed conservatively so that men would take her seriously in the lab. But the more she tried to convince Courtney that she wasn’t interested in Shane, the more she dug in her heels, determined to fix the two of them up. Gabrielle could see the wheels turning in Courtney’s mind.

She had to get her bearings at Adams Cosmetics first, and she couldn’t afford a failed love affair with her boss. It had “disaster” written all over it. No, she had to make Courtney realize the error of her ways.

“Thank you again for lunch, Courtney,” Gabrielle said as she exited the vehicle. “It was a really nice treat.”

“You’re absolutely welcome,” Courtney answered. “I just know this is going to work out fine.” She had barely finished her sentence when Shane pulled up beside her in his Jaguar.

Shane couldn’t believe his eyes. Was that really his sister with Gabrielle Burton, of all people? Why was she being friendly with the enemy? He jumped out of the car with a frown on his face. “Courtney…” He nodded at his sister. “What’s going on?”

Courtney looked at Shane then back at Gabrielle, trying to gauge their reaction to each other. “I ran into Gabby in the hall and took our new employee out for lunch. Do you have a problem with that?”

Gabrielle watched Shane’s eyes narrow at Courtney’s use of her nickname and her lack of response. Somehow Courtney using it didn’t seem to bother her nearly as much as when Shane did.

“That’s awfully nice of you, sister dear,” Shane replied. “Remind me to thank you at dinner tonight. Gabrielle, if you’re finished, can we get back to work?” Shane turned his back and headed into the building.

“Of course.” Gabrielle smiled at Courtney before quickly rushing behind Shane. “See you soon.” She waved to Courtney.

* * *

As he lay in bed, Shane stared at the ceiling and pondered how he was going to handle having Gabby in his domain. She was going to challenge him at every turn, just as she’d done in school, which had always been kind of a turn-on. Back then, he’d thought that all she needed was a good lay. You know, a man to work out all that inner hostility that she’d stored up and most often directed at him. And he’d thought that man might have been him, but Gabby had not been even remotely interested.

Shane had no idea why she’d taken such offense to him back then. Although they’d been rivals for the top spot, he’d always treated her with respect like the true southern boy he was, as his mother, Elizabeth, had raised him. Thinking about his mother brought a smile to his face. He’d inherited her easy nature, quick wit, fair coloring and beautiful hazel eyes, unlike Kayla, who had favored their father with his fiery temper and mahogany skin.

Although he loved his father, Shane had to admit Byron Adams was hard to handle and couldn’t be an easy man to love, yet his mother made it look easy. He’d always wondered how his mother had endured thirty-five years of marriage, all the while helping Byron start his own cosmetics company.

His grandparents certainly hadn’t been happy when she’d decided to end her three-year courtship with their choice for a mate, Andrew Jackson. He was born to the right family and had the right pedigree, unlike poor Byron Adams, a lowly employee of Graham International. They’d tried to talk her out of the marriage, but his mother loved his father, and although she hated to break Andrew’s heart, she’d refused to give Byron up.

Elizabeth Adams was beautiful, intelligent, courageous and steadfastly loyal. Shane admired his mother a great deal, which is why few women could ever live up to his high standards. As he drifted off to sleep, Shane wondered if there was any woman who could.

* * *

In her hotel room later that evening, Gabrielle kicked off her heels and plopped down onto the plush pillow-top mattress. It was not going to be easy working with Shane day in and day out. He was conceited and superior, but despite those less-than-admirable qualities, she had to admit Shane was a brilliant and dedicated chemist. She was amazed at just how much he’d been overseeing in the laboratory.