Pure Indulgence

Chapter 4

"What are we doing here?"

Kayla heard the curious note to her sister's voice, and the confusion, too, as Jillian followed her into the boutique next to the café where they'd just had lunch together. Shopping for clothes or other fashion accessories had never been a high priority for Kayla, and she couldn't blame her sister for questioning her reasons for making the spontaneous detour into the exclusive shop when she normally avoided such places like the plague. Wal-Mart and Target were more her style-casual, no-fuss outfits that were durable, inexpensive, and comfortable to wear to work.

She walked up to a rack of colorful blouses and lifted her shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. "I need a couple of new outfits, and I thought you could help me pick out a few things."

Jillian looked taken aback by that announcement. "I can't believe you're asking me for fashion advice."

Kayla took in her sister's very stylish outfit with a wry smile. Jillian looked gorgeous in a designer scoop-neck top in red lace, and a black miniskirt that show-cased her skinny waist and head-turning legs. She was decked out in all the right accessories, and her tousled hairstyle and tasteful makeup made her look like she'd just stepped off a fashion show runway. In comparison, Kayla felt drab and frumpy in her jeans and plain, loose top.

She'd decided if she was going to have an affair with Jack Tremaine, which she most definitely planned to, then she wanted to look the part of a woman confident in herself. And that meant expanding her wardrobe beyond T-shirts and jeans.

The sensual lingerie she wore made her feel pretty beneath her clothes, but after spending the past two years rebelling against Doug's ultimatum, she was ready to spruce up her outerwear a bit. Nothing too drastic or over the top-just a few nice outfits to wear when she wasn't at the bakery working. Clothes that would make her, feel good about herself, inside and out.

"You're a model, Jillian," Kayla said easily as she moved on to a mannequin wearing a simple but flowing summer dress that appealed to her more conservative side. "So why wouldn't I ask for your advice?"

"Maybe because you never have before?" Jillian said with sisterly sarcasm. "Maybe because every time I've asked you to go shopping with me you act like you'd rather eat slugs instead?"

Kayla laughed at that, knowing it was true. "I'll admit I don't like to shop for clothes. Not if I can help it." It was a form of torture she tried to avoid. Trying on clothes had never been a fun process for her, and usually ended up being an exercise in frustration.

"If that's the case, what's the special occasion today?" Jillian's gaze narrowed in a shrewd way that told Kayla her sister knew something wasn't quite right and she was determined to find out the truth. "Come on, what's going on?"

Kayla bit her bottom lip' feeling a moment's hesitation. This was the first time she and her sister had really had a chance to talk since her evening at Pure Indulgence with Jack two nights ago, and now she debated how much to reveal to Jillian.

She'd been so bowled over by what had happened between her and Jack. She also felt torn by the fact that she was using him as an experiment for her aphrodisiac candies without his knowledge. For two days she'd wrangled with her conscience, and in the end decided to go for it, anyway. She couldn't give up the chance to enjoy his attention and the sensual way he made her feel-even if his lust was due to the effects of a sexual stimulant.

Jack certainly hadn't minded kissing her, she thought with a secretive smile, and she'd taken that knowledge into consideration, as well. His desire for her had been intense, had seemed real, and it had felt so liberating to let go of inhibitions and be wanton with him in return-which was something she'd never been able to do with another man.

And since Jack had been caught up in his own needs for her, not once had she worried about how she looked to him. She'd just reveled in the man and the moment and the glorious sensations he'd evoked.

A dreamy sigh escaped her, and she met her sister's gaze. "It's Jack Tremaine."

Jillian blinked at her, her expression perplexed. "What about him?"

She must have lost her sister somewhere, because she usually wasn't so slow on the uptake. "Well… things got a little heated between us the other night when he came to the bakery to sample the Chocolate Mint Truffle Cake for his restaurant."

"And you didn't call me to tell me this?" Jillian's voice rose an octave in chastising disbelief.

Kayla cringed and cast a surreptitious look around them, grateful to find the salesladies taking care of other customers. "I've been busy at work," she said, and fingered the material of a silk skirt that looked cool and comfortable, yet very feminine. "A couple more catering jobs came in from the Commerce dinner, so things have been a bit hectic."

"That's a poor excuse," Jillian grumbled and her frown deepened. "And I thought you told me that Jack Tremaine has a girlfriend."

"Apparently, not anymore." Which made Jack a free man, in Kayla's opinion. Free to indulge in an affair if he wished, and free to make out with her if the urge grabbed him, which it most certainly had.

"We kissed," she said, then moved on to a peach embroidered top paired off with a pair of khaki drawstring pants that appealed to her casual nature.

Jillian snapped her open mouth shut and hurried up beside her. "Ohmigod, Kayla! You can't just say something like that and leave me hanging." She leaned in close, lowered her voice, and asked, "Okay, 'fess up. I want details. Was he any good?"

Kayla laughed at her sister's eager interest, willing to share at least that much with her. "Oh, yeah, he was amazing." He had a mouth made for pleasure, and the pleasure had been all hers.

"I'm so jealous," Jillian said with a smile, though there was a wistful quality in her tone. "Are you going to see him again?"

"Wednesday night. At my place," she said, as her gaze was drawn to a vibrant purple blouse. She wondered if she could pull off the bright color and off-the-shoulder style. "He's bringing dinner and I'm supplying the dessert."

Her sister grabbed her arm, demanding Kayla's attention, and it didn't escape her notice that Jillian had suddenly grown very serious.

"Hey," Jillian said softly, her knowing gaze searching her features. "You're not in here to buy new clothes and change your appearance for him, are you?"

Before making the decision to add a bit of variety to her wardrobe, Kayla had thought long and hard about that very same question. She'd also remembered the pact she'd made with her sister about never again compromising their identities for a man. After two years of wearing non-descript clothing that hid her body, she was ready to make a few changes, and she trusted her sister to make sure she didn't make any fashion blunders in the process.

"No, I'm not doing this for Jack Tremaine," she told her sister, and meant it. "I'm doing it for me."

"That's a great answer," Jillian said, obviously very happy with Kayla's levelheaded thinking. "And in that case, we definitely need to find something to show off that figure of yours."

It was Kayla's turn to frown, and she tamped down the rising panic at the thought of "showing off" a body she wasn't one hundred percent satisfied with. "I'd rather not."

"Why not?"

Kayla sighed, surprised she even had to explain to her sister what she already knew. "You know I don't do dingy or form-fitting."

"You don't have to do either, Kayla." Jillian skimmed through a rack of sleeveless poplin shirts. After pulling out one in a pale pink shade, she held it up to Kayla's chest and examined it with a critical eye. "We're going to accentuate your best assets, not blatantly display what you're not comfortable showing off."

Kayla wasn't so sure, and shook her head. "Jilly, I just want to look…"

"Sexy?" Jillian guessed.

Her sister had so easily supplied the one word Kayla had a difficult time saying aloud, and now that it was out in the open, it would be ridiculous of her to deny the truth. "Okay, I'll admit, I wouldn't mind looking a little sexy."

"I'm going to tell you a trade secret, so listen up," Jillian said in that way of hers that combined sisterly affection and tough love. "Sexy is a mind-set. If you feel sexy and confident, then others are going to see that in the way you carry yourself. You need to walk with your head held high, your shoulders pulled back so those great breasts of yours get the attention they deserve, and with a self-assurance that tells the world you love who you are."

Kayla laughed, but deep inside she took her sister's words to heart. "I promise I'll work on all that mindset stuff."

"All right then, let's get to work." Jillian rubbed her hands together in anticipation. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this day to come."

Kayla could only imagine, and for the next hour and a half she was swept into a maelstrom of coordinating clothes, shoes, and accessories that her sister picked out for her to try on, and deemed the very height of fashion. They laughed and teased as she tried each outfit, and Kayla couldn't ever remember enjoying a shopping experience more.

"This color and style are so great on you," Jillian said as Kayla tried on a two-piece blouse and skirt set made out of gauzy cotton that her sister insisted would flatter her figure. "What do you think?"

Kayla studied her reflection in the mirror, taking in the pretty periwinkle shade, how the hem of the blouse fell past her hips, and the way the skirt swirled loosely around her legs. She liked the outfit… until her sister slipped a silver chain belt around her waist. The delicate design draped loosely over her hips, but in Kayla's estimation drew too much attention to that too-curvaceous part of her body.

Biting on the inside of her cheek, she smoothed her hands over her hips, trying to make them look smaller, which was impossible, she knew. She met her sister's waiting gaze in the mirror. "Are you sure this belt doesn't make me look fa-"

"Don't you dare say that awful F word," Jillian interrupted before Kayla could finish, and shook a reprimanding finger at her reflection. "You're perfect just the way you are, and don't let anyone let you think otherwise-not even those two dreadful voices in your head."

Her mother and Doug. They were both no longer a part of her life, but still had the ability to affect her confidence. And it was time she kicked their voices right out of her head.

"You're right," she said and lifted her chin, then straightened her posture, which seemed to transform not only her appearance, but her whole attitude. "We'll take this outfit, too, along with the belt."

Another half hour later and they strolled out of the boutique with a new, updated wardrobe for Kayla, and her heart feeling lighter and more carefree than it had in years. They stowed the packages in the trunk of Jillian's BMW and got into the car. But instead of heading back to Pure Indulgence, Jillian turned the vehicle in the opposite direction.

Curious, Kayla asked, "Where are we going?"

"To see my hairstylist," Jillian said with a flash of her famous smile and a sassy toss of her trendily cut mane. "You can't buy all these new outfits and not get your hair cut and styled to go with them."

Her sister's logic was iffy at best, but Kayla knew there was no arguing with Jillian when she made her mind up to do something. So, she reached into her purse for her cell phone, called the bakery to let her employees know that she'd be a little later than expected, and decided to enjoy the rest of the afternoon being pampered.

Jack grabbed the two grocery sacks from the back of his Escalade and made his way up to the front porch of Kayla's small, single-story house, located in a quiet neighborhood in MissionBay. The yard was nicely maintained with vibrant flowers growing in abundance in the brick planters surrounding the home, giving the place a well-loved feel. Hanging from a porch beam was a wind chime, and the light evening breeze caused the brass pieces to create a beautiful, melodious sound that made him smile.

Transferring both bags to his left hand, he rang the doorbell. Less than a minute later Kayla appeared, and he found himself staring at the woman in front of him, startled by her transformed appearance. Gone was the woman who wore loose-fitting clothing and kept her hair swept away from her face in a tidy ponytail, and in her place was a bold, daring female that literally took his breath away.

Unable to help himself, he looked his fill. She was wearing a soft, floral patterned sundress that was far from form-fitting, but grazed her curves in a way that teased and tempted his senses and made him wonder what he'd discover beneath that lightweight material-basic cotton or something more tantalizing? His eyes skimmed along the six little pearl buttons that secured the front of the dress over her full breasts, then continued down to her shapely calves and coral-colored toenails.

Swallowing to ease the dryness that had settled in his throat, he lifted his gaze back up to hers. Her makeup was minimal, but what she did have on emphasized her green eyes, her lush mouth, and pretty features. And then there was her silky blond hair, at least two inches shorter than he remembered and layered in a way that it brushed just below her jawline and accentuated the lovely shape of her face.

He couldn't deny that he liked what he saw-mainly because she glowed with a new, subtle radiance that only enhanced the sensuality that was such a natural part of who she was. She looked sexy as hell, and it was all he could do to keep himself from dragging her off to the nearest bedroom, strip her naked, and finish what they'd started at her shop three nights ago.

His body was certainly up for the occasion, he thought wryly, but he wasn't about to rush something so important to their developing relationship-not until he was absolutely certain she was ready to take that next step with him.

Reining in his randy hormones, he masked his need for her with a lazy grin. "Excuse me, I think I'm at the wrong house," he said in a playful tone. "I'm looking for Kayla Thomas."

She blushed at his attempt at humor, and opened the door wider for him to enter. "Come on in, Mr. Funny Guy."

He stepped into the small foyer, stopped in front of her, and waited for her to meet his gaze. "You look great, by the way."

"Thanks," she murmured, and smoothed a hand down the skirt of her dress in a self-conscious gesture.

The color in her cheeks deepened, giving him the distinct impression that she wasn't used to being on the receiving end of compliments or flattery-and she certainly deserved both.

He lifted his hand and sifted the short strands of her hair through his fingers. His thumb brushed along her neck, and he felt her shiver in response. "And your hair… I like it."

She shrugged in a dismissive manner, as if the new style was no big deal. "It was long overdue for a cut."

He let his hand fall away, and found himself reading beneath the surface of Kayla's actions. He was beginning to understand those insecurities he'd glimpsed a time or two, and he was fairly certain that she was making excuses for her changes because she didn't want him to think they had anything to do with him. And he respected that, along with that strong, independent streak he'd seen flash through her eyes.

He followed her through a living room decorated in oak and earthy tones of peach and beige, and into a cheery, spacious kitchen accented in violet and pale yellow hues.

"Nice place," he said as he set the grocery bags on the large wooden block in the center of the kitchen and started unloading the items he'd bought to make them dinner. "Have you lived here long?"

"About two years." She retrieved two crystal glasses from the cupboard for the wine he'd promised to bring, and set them on the counter. "It's small-perfect for me. Except for the kitchen, which I had remodeled to make it bigger. That way, I can bake at home if I need to."

Everything about her place was cozy, warm, and inviting-a genuine reflection of the woman herself. It made him think of his own custom-built house, so big and open, and too quiet and lonely, he'd noticed lately.

He felt something rub up against his ankle and glanced down to find an orange tabby cat making herself known. Gold-green eyes met his, and she meowed a greeting.

"That's Pumpkin," Kayla told him. "Are you okay with cats?"

"I love cats." And this one was especially friendly. He bent down and scratched her beneath her chin. The feline purred happily. "I'd probably have a cat or dog of my own if I was home more often. Considering how much time I've spent at my restaurant over the past six years, they wouldn't get the attention they need."

"The nice thing about cats is that they're very independent and don't demand a whole lot of attention." She placed a crystal platter on the center island, and beneath the glass dome was an elegantly decorated cake. "And when they want to be loved they'll let you know."

Beside the cake platter, she set out another glass dish with chocolate candies in the shape of small lips that intrigued him. "Do we get to eat dessert first?" he asked, reminding her of the motto she'd shared with him the first night they'd met.

She laughed and shook her head, causing her newly sheared hair to caress along her jaw. "No, I'm going to make you wait and increase the anticipation."

He liked the flirtatious twinkle in her eyes, and the double entendre in her words. "Do I at least get to know what it is? You know, to help build toward the big climax?"

"Ohh, you're good," she murmured, praising him for his play on words. Then she lifted the glass dome off the cake. "This is the next dessert for your restaurant, a white chocolate lace cake layered with raspberry filling and white chocolate buttercream."

"It looks and sounds scrumptious." His gaze lowered to her mouth, which he was dying to taste again, and he thought about those candies he'd just seen. "And what about those sweet lips of yours?" he asked, another sexy entendre that seemed to make the temperature rise in the room.

She smiled. "The lips are part of my new line of candies," she said as one of her fingers traced the edge of the dish. "These are filled with lemon cream and I'm calling them Love Bites."

He groaned. After sampling her Heavenly Kisses the other night, he could only imagine how delicious her Love Bites would taste. Inhaling a deep breath to keep the heat of arousal at bay for the time being, he popped the cork on the bottle of wine and poured them each a generous portion.

He handed her a glass, they touched their rims in a silent toast, then took a drink of the smooth Riesling.

"So, what can I do to help?" Kayla asked, and licked away a glistening drop of wine from her bottom lip.

Jack glanced away from temptation and motioned to the fresh vegetables he'd bought at the market. "Would you mind preparing the salad while I make the main dish?"

"Fair enough," she said with a nod.

She grabbed a knife to cut up the vegetables, and he put a pot of water on the burner to boil for the pasta. Then he tucked a hand towel into the waistband of his jeans as a makeshift apron and began sautéing the shrimp in a garlic herb sauce. Every so often Kayla glanced up from her own task to watch him as he worked.

"You like to cook?" she asked after a long silent moment had passed between them.

"Sure, I enjoy it, but I have to admit that I wasn't always so great in the kitchen."

"No?" The surprise in her voice was evident. "I would have thought with you owning your own restaurant that being a good cook would come with the territory."

"Not in my case." He'd never intended to be a restaurateur, but had fallen into the business because he'd been at the right place at the right time. A lucky break he'd be forever grateful for. "Let's put it this way. I grew up eating a whole lot of prepackaged foods because it was quick and easy for my mother who was working two jobs to make ends meet. So I never really got the hang of making a meal from scratch. When I opened Tremaine's Downtown and hired my current chef, he taught me a thing or two about cooking that's come in handy."

"Ahh," she said in understanding, and took another sip of her wine.

"And what about you? How did you learn to make all these fancy desserts?" He watched her toss chopped Roma tomatoes into the salad as he stirred the vermicelli. "Did you go to some kind of pastry school?"

"No. I went to college and got a degree in business. My grandmother is the one who's responsible for teaching me how to bake." She glanced over her shoulder at him with a fond smile that reached her eyes. "I spent my summers with her."

"An only child?" he guessed.

"Actually, no." Another drink of wine passed her lips. "I have a sister who is two years younger than me."

"Is she in the baking business, too?"

She hesitated for a brief moment, then said, "She's a cover model. Or was, anyway, until she retired this past year."

"A model?" He couldn't have been any more surprised, or intrigued.

"Do you get Sports Illustrated? She was on the cover of the swimsuit issue two years ago." Kayla washed her hands and dried them on a paper towel. "Her name is Jillian Thomas."

He turned the heat off the sautéed shrimp, certain he must have seen her sister's face before if she was a cover model, but he wasn't up on the fashion world enough to recall a specific name. "I can't say her name rings a bell."

"Maybe her face will." She walked over to the refrigerator and pulled a picture from beneath a magnet, then showed it to him. "This is her at a photo shoot for Cosmo magazine just before she decided to retire."

Her sister was stunningly beautiful, and dressed in a trendy outfit that drew the viewer's attention to her best assets-her breasts, slim hips, and endlessly long legs that ended in spiked heels. She must have been facing a fan, because her curled hair was blowing around her head in a sexily tousled way, and her come-hither eyes beckoned to the viewer to come and join her for a good time.

He felt Kayla's gaze on him, as if she were waiting for some kind of reaction to her gorgeous sister. A few of the complex pieces of the puzzle that was Kayla clicked into place, making him realize where a few of her insecurities might have stemmed from.

"Hmmm," he said mildly, his gaze on her face. "I can't say that I recognize her, though I can definitely see the resemblance between the two of you. The blond hair, the green eyes, and you both have the same amazing smile."

She glanced from him, to the picture, then back at him again, her brows furrowed into a small little frown of disbelief.

"But back to you, your summers with your grandmother, and how you got into the baking business," he said, dismissing the photograph in favor of conversation with Kayla.

She returned the picture of her sister, then reached into the cupboards for dinner plates. "My parents divorced when I was eight, and every summer my mother would send me off to Arizona to live with my father for three months. Since he had to work, I'd spend my days with my grandmother at her place, which I loved, since she spoiled me rotten."

"How come your sister didn't go with you?"

"She wanted to, badly, but my mother had a slew of pageants and auditions lined up for Jillian, and she never had the extra time to come and visit."

So, Kayla had been shipped off like an unwanted child by her mother. The thought burned in his stomach like acid. "Did your sister want to do all those pageants and auditions?"

"No. Not really." She set the table with flatware and laid out potholders for the main dishes. "Our mother was the one who was obsessed with Jillian becoming a model, and since that's all my sister knew, she ended up signing with a modeling agency before she was eighteen."

He transferred the pasta and herbed shrimp to a serving dish, and tossed a little feta cheese on top to give it an extra bit of flavor. "Sounds like Jillian missed out on a normal childhood, and all those summers with your grandmother."

"I definitely consider myself the lucky one."

She smiled, but it was obvious to him that her mother's rejection had hurt, and possibly even affected her still.

"My grandmother and I would bake scones and pies and cakes and cookies…" Her smile grew as she shared her happy memories. "I always came home having gained at least ten pounds, which my mother would disapprove of, and immediately put me on a diet."

Suddenly, Kayla grew quiet, as if she'd revealed more than she'd meant to. He instinctively knew there was much more to that story, but he wasn't about to force her to dredge up painful recollections she wasn't willing to share on her own.

Together, they put everything on the table, then sat down and filled their plates with the fragrant entrée. The salad was tossed with a vinaigrette dressing, and he'd brought a warm, fresh loaf of French bread to go with the meal.

"What about you, Jack?" Kayla asked as she twirled long grains of vermicelli around the tines of her fork. "Do you have any siblings?"

"Nope, I'm an only child." He refilled her empty glass of wine, and topped his off, too. "My father passed away when I was five."

"I'm sorry," she said, her gaze soft with compassion.

He broke off a slice of bread and slathered it with butter. "I definitely miss him and often wonder what it would have been like if he hadn't died, but I had a great mother who did her best to take care of me, and despite some hardships, I never doubted that I was loved." Their life hadn't been easy, which made him appreciate what he had now all the more. "She's happily remarried and lives in San Francisco with her new husband. The closest I've got to a brother is my best friend, Rich. We grew up together in the same apartment building, and now he's the manager of my restaurant."

"That's so great." She smiled and took a bite of her shrimp.

They finished eating their dinner with Jack regaling her with amusing tales and antics about how wild he and Rich had been during their early teenage years. By the end of the meal, she was laughing and relaxed, from the two and a half glasses of wine she'd consumed over the past hour, and from their casual conversation, which was exactly what Jack had wanted.

They both worked to clear the table, and while Kayla washed the dishes, Jack dried the pots and pans for her and put them away. Then she urged him to sit back down, and she set the cake platter and dish of candies on the table in front of him.

She went back to the cupboard for a clean plate, and he filched one of the Love Bites to sample. He put the whole thing into his mouth and chewed, surprised by the smooth, creamy lemon filling that was more sweet than tart.

"Ready for your dessert?" she asked, just as she turned around, dish in hand, and caught him biting into his second piece of candy. She came to an abrupt stop, and looked momentarily startled.

He swallowed and grinned impishly. "I kinda already helped myself. These Love Bites are fantastic." He finished off his second piece and reached for a third.

"I'm, um, glad you like them." She came back up to the table, her gaze watching him attentively.

For what, he had no idea. Unless he'd been too presumptuous in sampling the candies. "I'm sorry, was I not supposed to eat them yet?"

"No… no, that's okay." Her smile reappeared. "In fact, I'll have one, too."

She tossed a Love Bite into her mouth and chewed. Yet despite enjoying a candy of her own, she seemed to watch him out of the corner of her eye as she cut a generous portion of the dessert and put it on a plate.

The slice of cake broke apart, and she grimaced in obvious disappointment. "Damn," she muttered. "This cake might be too moist, but I'll readjust the recipe if you like the taste." A worried look creased her brows. "Looks like this particular piece will be a bit messy with the raspberry filling. I hope you don't mind."

Oh, he didn't mind one iota. Especially when she'd just presented him with a prime opportunity to increase the intimacy between them-which he had a sudden driving urge to do.

He examined the cake thoughtfully. "I have to agree. It does look a bit messy." He transferred his gaze, to her face and let a slow, sexy grin ease up the corner of his mouth. "I'm thinking maybe you ought to feed it to me," he suggested. "Remember the problem I had with the Pink Squirrel sauce?"

She laughed, obviously realizing where he was heading with this whole scenario. And with that silent acknowledgement, something about her whole, demeanor changed… turned sultry and seductive and oh-so-confident. "I remember."

"Good." Certain they were both thinking the same thing, he grasped her wrist and tugged her gently toward him. "Then what do you say you come here, sit on my lap, and feed me my dessert?"