and holding a peanut crisp bar in her hand that she'd no doubt filched from the case out front.
Her sister, who had a key to the shop, but had never used it before tonight.
How convenient, Kayla thought wryly, and put the piece of candy back in the box for safekeeping.
While she was relieved to see that she hadn't just experienced a break-in, she was frustrated that her sister had put a major crimp in one of her last attempts at seducing Jack. She'd been so, so close to feeding him the candy. So close to enjoying the physical pleasure that always followed.
'Jillian?' she questioned. 'What are you doing here?'
Her sister's wide-eyed gaze slid from Jack, to Kayla. She'd taken a bite of the peanut crisp bar before walking into the kitchen, and she quickly swallowed what was in her mouth. 'Well, I was on my way back from having dinner with a friend, and I saw your car in the parking lot. I got worried since it's so late. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, to see if you needed help packaging up an order, or anything else.'
'I'm fine.' She could hardly get upset at Jillian for being so damn sweet and protective, but boy, did her sister's timing suck. 'I was just going over the last of the desserts with Jack here.'
'Whom I finally get to meet.' A dazzling smile lit up Jillian's face as she strolled forward on her four-inch heels with a grace Kayla couldn't have pulled off in a million years. She offered the hand that wasn't sticky from the peanut butter treat. 'It's such a pleasure to finally meet you.'
'Likewise.' Jack shook hands with Jillian, his grin amicable. 'The picture Kayla showed me of you doesn't come close to doing you justice in person.'
'You're kind to say so.' Jillian shifted her gaze back to Kayla and bit on her lower lip. 'I'm really sorry, Kayla,' her sister said with a small wince of contrition. 'I had no idea you had company.'
Kayla shook off the last of her annoyance, because her sister's intentions had been nothing but pure. 'I appreciate you checking up on me, Jilly. We just finished wrapping up the dessert menu for Tremaine's Downtown.'
'How exciting.' Jillian turned back to Jack, her stylishly cut hair swirling around her shoulders like a blond cloud. 'These new desserts that Kayla has been making for your restaurant have been amazing. What cheesecakes did you decide on?'
'The Dutch Apple Streusel, and the Chocolate Pecan Turtle,' Jack replied.
Jillian sighed and pressed a hand to her chest. 'Those sound sooo good. I was dying to taste them earlier, but Kayla wouldn't let me have a piece out of the sample cakes until you'd tried them first.'
'You'll be happy to know that there's plenty left over,' Kayla cut in, knowing that's exactly what her sister was shamelessly angling for. 'I'll wrap up a few pieces for you to take home.'
Jillian grinned impishly. 'One of each, pretty please?'
'Sure.' Kayla headed back to the refrigerator, pulled out the boxes of sample cheesecakes, and went about packaging up the dessert for her sister.
She stood across the room, facing Jillian and Jack as she worked, which enabled her to watch them engage in an easy conversation, punctuated by her sister's laughter and a smile or two from Jack.
At the moment, Kayla couldn't help but envy her sister-her great personality that never failed to gainer male attention, her fabulous body, and the fact that she could eat five slices of cheesecake in one sitting and not gain an ounce-compliments of the genes Jillian had inherited from their reed-thin mother.
That same mother's words drifted through her mind. She'd compare Kayla to Jillian and constantly ask why Kayla couldn't be more like her sister. She'd ask why Kayla didn't try harder to lose weight when Jillian could maintain her figure just fine. Doug had done the same on occasion, but what neither of them had ever understood or wanted to believe was that she and her sister were built differently. And Jillian had been born with a great metabolism, and Kayla had not.
Kayla's stomach churned, her insecurities flaring hot and bright inside her chest. She expected to see Jack ogle Jillian, just like every man tended to do when she was in a room. She was even prepared to experience that sensation of fading into the background that accompanied her sister's vibrant presence. But Jack merely remained polite and friendly to Jillian, and seemed completely immune to her knockout looks and personality.
Kayla couldn't help but feel a bit of shock over his lack of reaction to her sister.
Finished wrapping up the cheesecake for her sister, Kayla came up beside the two of them and handed Jillian the bakery box with a smile. 'This ought to keep you happy until tomorrow morning,' she teased.
Jillian wrinkled her nose playfully at Kayla. 'Then expect me back in here by tomorrow afternoon for a refill. But, for now, I'm out of here.' She gave Kayla a hug, then turned back to Jack. 'I'm so glad I got the chance to meet you, and I hope to see you again.'
He smiled. 'I'm sure you will.'
Kayla walked Jillian to the front of the bakery, let her out, and locked the door behind her. Then she returned to the back of the shop where Jack was waiting for her, leaning casually against the counter. The moment with the Caramel Caresses was lost, and she wasn't in the mood to try to recapture the desire she'd been feeling before her sister had arrived. Instead, she cleaned up the small mess she'd made while getting Jillian's dessert boxed up.
'Are you okay?' Jack asked after the silence had stretched much too long between them. 'You've been pretty quiet since your sister arrived.'
She forced a smile that felt too stiff on her lips. 'I'm fine.'
The skeptical look on his face told her that he didn't believe that for a second. 'Then why do I get the feeling that there's something going on in that head of yours?'
She was startled to think that he might understand her well enough to see beyond the nonchalant facade she'd erected. It was a scary thought, because it had been years since she'd let a man that close. And it had been just as long since she'd trusted another person besides her sister with her emotions.
She gave a casual toss of her head. 'It's that vivid imagination of yours.'
She was trying to lighten the moment with humor, but he wasn't going for it and remained serious. His gaze was filled with a concern that caused her heart to pound hard in her chest-and made her long to believe in this man who seemed genuinely to care about her feelings.
He moved toward her, closing the distance between them, and grasped her hand in his. 'Talk to me, Kayla,' he said, his soft voice encouraging her to open up to him.
Still, old habits died hard, and protecting her emotions was instinctive. 'I'm sure it's nothing you want to hear.'
His thumb rubbed gentle, soothing circles on her palm. 'Try me, sweetheart.'
Jack was too persistent and her resistance caved. Everything that had been bottled up within her for so long- fears, doubts, and vulnerabilities-worked their way to the surface, aching to be set free.
The night certainly couldn't get any worse, she reasoned, and what did she have to lose anyway? Nothing except Jack, and she knew he would be out of her reach after Friday night anyway.
She exhaled a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for the conversation to come. 'As you can see with your own eyes, Jillian and I are as different as night and day.'
A small frown furrowed his brows. 'No, not really. At least I don't think so.'
The man wasn't dense, nor was he blind, and she was frustrated at his attempt to placate her. She was referring to more than just their blond hair, their green eyes, and the smile that Jack claimed they both shared. So, she was just going to have to be blunt with the man.
'I'm talking about our body types and our figures,' she said, trying to tamp her frustration. 'You can't deny that we're opposites.'
'And that's an issue because?'
She pulled her hand from his, exasperated at how difficult he was making this for her. 'It's always been an issue between us.' Or at least others had made it an issue for Kayla, which in turn had affected Jillian, as well.
'How so?' he asked curiously. 'The two of you seem close, and I can't imagine that you'd let something like body type differences get in the way of your strong relationship.'
No, she and Jillian had been fortunate that the experience and their insecurities had bonded them closer as sisters, instead of pulling them apart. Their sisterly love had survived, despite their mother's demands and skewed visions that had made life difficult for the two of them-in vastly different ways.
The only way Jack would fully understand what she was getting at was for her to start at the very beginning. So that's exactly what she did. 'I grew up with a mother who constantly compared me to Jillian, and not in a flattering way, either.'
