Clearly, the man was thrown off balance by his reaction to her-not in a bad way if the heated glow of possession in his eyes was any indication. Still, he obviously needed time to recover, and she only hoped that as the aphrodisiac faded away and reality settled back in he didn't come to regret what had happened between them tonight.
His first apology had been issued out of shock, which she understood considering he was under a love spell of sorts. A second one, made after careful, clearheaded thought, would be too painful to bear.
No matter how foolish to her heart, a part of her wanted his desire to be authentic and real, and she didn't want anything to shatter that illusion-at least not yet. Not until she'd finished his account and her time with him was over.
But until then, she wanted to live the fantasy. And that meant letting him go before the stimulant wore off. 'I'll walk you out front.'
He followed her back to the door, which she unlocked for him, but before she could open it, he stopped her with a hand over hers.
'When can I see you again?' he asked.
Her body came alive once again at his question, until she realized that he probably wanted to make another appointment for the next dessert-not go on a date with her.
She considered her next recipe, and how long it might take her to have it ready for him to sample. 'How about Wednesday evening?'
'Here?'
A reckless idea popped into her mind, one that was impetuous on her part, and would expose them to a wealth of tempting possibilities, if he agreed. 'Actually, the shop doesn't close until nine during the week, which is kind of late. Do you have any qualms about coming to my place instead?'
'Not at all.' The idea seemed to please him. 'Do you have any qualms about me bringing dinner and a bottle of wine?'
'Sounds wonderful.' Walking back to the counter, she took one of the business cards in the holder and jotted down her street address and home phone number. Then she handed him the card. 'How about seven o'clock?'
'Perfect.'
He tucked the information away. Then without warning he threaded his fingers through her hair, cradled the back of her head in his big, warm palm, and brought her mouth to his for another kiss-this one a blissfully slow, sweet glide of lips and tongue that made her knees weak and her toes curl.
He managed to end the kiss and pull back before things spun out of control again, and she was grateful that he had the willpower to do so, because she certainly did not.
'I'll see you then,' he said, and let himself out the door.
She watched him stroll away and disappear into the darkened walkways between the shops. 'See you then,' she whispered, and touched her fingers to her still damp, kiss-swollen lips.
At home a half hour later, Jack stepped into the shower, letting the hard spray hit his tense body. Hopefully, the cool water on his heated skin would finally ease the fierce erection he'd been sporting since leaving Kayla's shop. If not, he was in for a long, restless night.
The evening had gone better than he'd expected, even if she'd initially greeted him with a smidgeon of reserve in those eyes of hers. She'd been all business with him-up until the point when she'd asked him to sample her Heavenly Kisses.
At that moment, things had shifted between them in a way even now he couldn't fully grasp or define. He'd been eating her candy, and she'd been watching him so expectantly. And the next thing he knew he had her up on the table and was feasting on
He groaned at the illicit memory and dipped his head beneath the nozzle, shivering as the brisk water sluiced down his spine and chest to southern regions that needed it the most.
Oh, yeah, her kisses were heavenly all right. He'd suspected from the first time he'd laid eyes on Kayla that beneath her guarded facade was a sensual creature just waiting to be set free. And boy, had she ever let loose! Never in his wildest dreams could he have anticipated the way she rocked his entire world with her uninhibited response to him.
But her unrestrained participation in their kiss told him more about the woman than even she probably realized. That despite her caution, she couldn't hide her attraction to him.
Tonight, she hadn't even tried. And that was enough of a start for him to let her know that he was interested in more than just her desserts. To let her know he was serious about her. Them. Together.
For years he'd put everything on hold in order to build his business and get ahead in life. The stability and financial security he'd sought as a teenager had finally come to fruition. He had all the nice things he'd ever wanted, and enough money to do as he pleased. Even his mother was happy in her new marriage.
Everything was just as he'd planned, except now that he was prepared to take the time for a serious relationship of his own and see where it all led, Jack was coming to realize that when it came to courting a woman, he wasn't quite sure how to handle the delicate process.
Especially with a woman like Kayla, who seemed to need the kind of TLC he'd never given another woman, because for so long his main focus had always been his restaurant.
He felt inept and out of his element, and too used to women who wanted something from him, which had been easy enough for him to deal with by keeping himself emotionally distanced. But because he'd never really looked past his own wants and needs, he couldn't help but worry on some level that he didn't have what it took to give Kayla what
It was an unnerving thought, but he had to try. And to start with, he'd take things as slow as he needed to with Kayla, gradually learn her secrets and cultivate the kind of relationship that could lead to something special.
He was ready for that. And he was ready for Kayla.
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 cafe 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
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.
