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her, then pulled it back. Just because she looked touchable, didn’t mean he got to touch her.
    She sucked in her cheeks as if that might help keep thefloodgates closed, and it had the effect of pursing her lips. She looked odd. But somehow cute. And vulnerable. He winced. “Can’t you just quit the account, like all the others?” he asked. “Make this somebody else’s problem.”
    She shook her head vigorously, too upset to speak. For Pete’s sake, it was only a stupid bachelor contest.
    “If you’re worried about how it looks,” Zack said, “I’ll tell Sandra you were the best rep I ever had.” Dammit, she looked even closer to tears. One of his previous account managers had been a frequent crier, and Zack had never felt one iota of the guilt that was rending him now. “I’ll tell Getaway, too,” he promised. “It’s the truth, you know. No one else has got me to listen to them the way you have.”
    Gaby’s response was to squeeze her eyes closed and say nothing. Zack was debating whether he should sneak out and let her cry in peace, when Trent came into the gym.
    “Hi, Trent,” Zack said loudly, figuring he should alert Gaby to his brother’s presence. She stiffened, then slowly opened her eyes and released the tension in her face.
    “Howdy.” Trent darted a curious glance at Gaby. “Hey, Gaby.”
    “Trent, how are you?” She sounded her normal self, to Zack’s relief.
    “Couldn’t be better, what with winning at Indianapolis and all.” Trent gave Gaby the dazzling smile he couldn’t seem to hold back, even now that he was married. Zack knew, as everyone else did, that Trent was nuts about Kelly, his wife, who was the team’s sports psychologist. He’d never so much as look at another woman, but that damned smile sure had women looking at him.
    “You had a great race,” Gaby agreed.
    It dawned on Zack that she was unmoved by his brother’s charm. Probably because she was so stressed—her fingers were curled over the edge of the weight bench in a white-knuckled grip. Zack wasn’t about to quibble over the reasonfor her lack of interest in Trent. His brother had won enough this week, this year, the past few years, without scoring Zack’s PR account manager, too.
    She’s not mine. Hadn’t he just suggested she quit?
    “I hope you’re giving this guy some lessons in how to boost his image,” Trent said to Gaby. “After last week’s headlines, it’ll take a miracle.”
    Typical Trent—when he saw a pot of trouble, he just had to stir it. Against his better judgment, Zack tensed. Although the words had changed since they were kids, Trent had always known how to wind him up. He did it out of kid-brother instinct rather than malice, but when you were as hung up as Zack knew he was…
    Gaby’s eyes had narrowed to slits. “I’m the first to agree Zack doesn’t have your obvious media appeal.”
    Given the conversation they’d just had, Zack figured he deserved that.
    “And he can be a pain in the butt,” Gaby said pointedly.
    Trent chuckled.
    Zack felt his face tighten. Okay, okay, he’d been a jerk. She didn’t need to abandon his side so completely, did she?
    Why wouldn’t she? Dammit, maybe he shouldn’t have rushed into telling her to quit. Now, he felt oddly bereft.
    “That’s why from here on out we plan to emphasize Zack’s hidden depths,” she said.
    Zack started; Trent’s smile disappeared. “Zack has hidden depths?”
    “I don’t expect everyone to be able to see them,” she said kindly. “Zack is…the thinking woman’s NASCAR driver.”
    Trent gaped, then as the implication sank in, colored up in a way Zack had never been able to make him.
    Suddenly enjoying himself, Zack said, “Gaby, I’m sure you intend no disrespect to Trent’s wife.”
    “None at all,” Gaby agreed. “Hidden depths, while undeniably attractive, can be difficult to live with.” Huh, anotherdig at him. Zack found himself grinning. “Not everyone wants that,” she said