Pure Indulgence

And Jack Tremaine’s date had managed to do that exceptionally well.

“Did you dazzle the Chamber of Commerce members with your awesome desserts?” Jillian asked, pulling her back from her unpleasant memories.

“I had no complaints.” And that was enough for Kayla to consider the evening a victory. “A few chamber members took my business card for future events, so, all in all, it was great exposure.” Though it remained to be seen if any of them actually followed up on their promises to contact her—especially Jack Tremaine.

“Here comes the million-dollar question. Did you meet any good-looking businessmen this evening?” Jillian’s tone was low and teasing.

Kayla’s cheeks flushed at the one man in particular who loomed larger than life in her mind, and she closed her eyes to bring him into better focus. Too easily, she conjured up seductive blue eyes that set her pulse fluttering, pitch-black hair cut into a short, executive style that accentuated his chiseled features, and big hands with long, tapered fingers designed to bring a woman’s body immense pleasure. Then there was that sexy, lean frame of his that filled out his charcoal suit as if it had been custom made for him—and no doubt probably had.

She bit her bottom lip and pressed a hand to the butterflies taking flight in her stomach, debating whether or not to share her secret with Jillian. She was dying to confide in someone about Jack Tremaine, and Jillian was not only her sister, but one of her best friends.

“Okay, so I did meet a guy,” Kayla said on a rush of breath. “And I have to confess that he looked more scrumptious than that triple fudge Bavarian torte you were eating earlier today.”

“Whoa!” Jillian’s breezy laughter drifted over the phone line. “I didn’t think anything topped that dessert!”

Kayla giggled, too, and added naughtily, “I wanted to top him with the dessert and eat him up, bite by delicious bite.”

“You are so bad,” Jillian scolded lightly, though she was enjoying their playful banter just as much. “Is he single and available?”

Her little fantasy of having Jack Tremaine covered in her richest, most mouthwatering torte came to a screeching halt. “Unfortunately, no. After he spent a good fifteen minutes flirting with me, this svelte young woman on stiletto heels came along, hooked her arm possessively through his and glared at me. I think if I’d dared to touch him, she’d have clawed my eyes out.”

Kayla still found it hard to believe she’d misjudged Jack Tremaine so badly, that she’d let his charming words suck her in. The other woman hadn’t seemed at all his type intellectually, neither had her cool personality. But then again, his lady friend had the kind of Barbie-doll shape that turned a man’s head. And sometimes men found outward beauty more attractive than brains.

“What can I say,” she said, striving for a flippant tone that she didn’t completely feel. “Some girls have all the luck, and the figure to go with it.”

“Kayla…” Jillian said softly.

“I’m okay. Really,” she assured her sister, and directed their conversation back to business. “The guy I met is Jack Tremaine, who owns Tremaine’s Downtown. He said he was interested in revamping his dessert menu and took my business card, but it remains to be seen if he’ll actually call.”

“Wow, Kayla, that would be quite a name to add to your résumé.”

“Tell me about it,” she said wryly, and gave her sister the details of her conversation with Jack. Then she brought their call to an end with a promise to meet her for lunch later in the week.

Once Kayla hung up the phone, she tried to fall asleep. It was late and she was exhausted, yet peaceful slumber eluded her. She tossed and turned restlessly as Jack Tremaine starred in her most erotic fantasies, and her silk and lace chemise slid arousingly across her breasts, her stomach, and thighs.

With a low groan of frustration, she got up, grabbed her matching robe, and slipped into the silky garment. Some women went gaga over purses or shoes, but pretty lingerie was Kayla’s one weakness over chocolate. And because she wore plain, loose clothing in public that didn’t draw any attention to her body, in private she indulged that sensual, feminine side of herself freely and without guilt.

She padded barefoot into the kitchen and was greeted by her orange tabby-cat, Pumpkin, who’d appeared on her doorstep last Halloween as a stray and had made Kayla’s home her own since then.

Bending down, she scratched Pumpkin behind her ears, which triggered an automatic rumbling sound deep in the cat’s throat. “Hi, purry-bug,” Kayla murmured affectionately. “Are you looking for a late-night snack, too?”

“Mrroww,” the cat replied.

“I thought so.” Smiling, Kayla gave the tabby a few cat treats, then poured herself a glass of milk. She set a few of the espresso butter cream candies she’d brought home with her on a plate. She hadn’t had a chance to sample them earlier because of her busy schedule getting the desserts ready for the Chamber of Commerce dinner.

Sitting at the small dining table, she took a bite of her newest aphrodisiac creation, and the combined ingredients of espresso, caramel and rich, smooth white chocolate literally melted in her mouth. Amazingly, there was no odd aftertaste of the aphrodisiac powder that she’d purchased on a whim from a new-age Web site that catered to the mystical and magical. The all-natural stimulant was said to increase and enhance a person’s sexual response when consumed, and so far, Kayla found that claim to be true.

After eating three of the Heavenly Kisses candies she knew she had to stop or her body would be feverish with need and her night would be even more agonizing. Already, that familiar tingling sensation was spreading through her veins, making her feel warm all over. Her breasts grew heavy and sensitive, her nipples hardened, and a slow, steady ache spiraled low.

She took a big gulp of cold milk, but knew from previous samplings that it was too late to douse her growing desire, the stripping away of her inhibitions, or the slow building need for an orgasm. But beyond her body’s aroused state, she was excited by the possibility that she’d hit upon a unique addition to add to her growing selection of confections. She imagined a whole new line of desserts, all designed to arouse a lover’s passion, and she couldn’t wait to offer such a fun, sexy item on her bakery menu.

Oh, yeah, she thought with a naughty grin, and licked the lingering flavor of caramel and white chocolate from the corner of her mouth. But before she could make that claim, there was other data she needed to analyze, such as how long it took after eating the candies to become stimulated and what different levels of arousal they could create.

At this point, she only had her own physical responses to go by, and it wasn’t enough to come to any kind of solid conclusion. She had to test her candies on an unsuspecting person, someone without any kind of precontrived notions. She needed that tangible proof that her enticing creations ignited a man’s sexual appetite as much as it did hers.

But who to use as a guinea pig for her experiment? One man in particular immediately came to mind, and she wouldn’t have hesitated to use him for her research—if he wasn’t already taken. That left her choices quite limited, and she wasn’t about to use her aphrodisiacs on just anyone.

She sighed. As for tonight, she was on her own to deal with her body’s demands, so she did the only thing she could. She returned to bed and took her fantasies of Jack Tremaine with her.

FIVE DAYS AFTER the Commerce dinner, Jack still couldn’t get Kayla Thomas off his mind, and like a man driven by a deep burning need, he had to see her again. Thoughts of her had consumed him during the day when he should have been concentrating on the proposals and estimates he needed to review and approve for the new restaurant. Those thoughts had followed him right into some pretty intense erotic dreams. Each morning he’d awakened with an aching hard-on, and a cold shower had been a lousy substitute for what he really wanted—the reality of Kayla, soft and warm beneath him.

The image of that provocative fantasy had the fly of his jeans growing uncomfortably tight as he drove toward Seaport Village, reminding him just how long he’d been without a woman.

He’d never slept with Gretta and had ended things with her the night of the dinner, which had resulted in her slamming her door in his face. But her scorn was a small price to pay for his freedom. With new and exciting prospects beckoning to him, he felt more charged and alive than he had in months, possibly years. Tremaine’s Downtown was getting a new dessert menu, and now he was completely free to explore his attraction to Kayla.

Jack turned into the Seaport Village parking lot, parked his Escalade, and headed to the directory in front of the shops. He found a listing for Pure Indulgence and followed the map to her place of business, which was located between a wind-chime store and an art gallery.

He stepped inside the bakery shop and was immediately embraced by the delicious fragrance of sweet confections and baked goods. It was after six in the evening, yet the place was impressively packed with customers waiting their turn to order from the glass displays filled with an array of cakes, cookies, candies, and other treats. Two young girls worked quickly and efficiently behind the counter, but Kayla was nowhere in sight.

It would serve him right if she wasn’t there, since he hadn’t called ahead to make an appointment. But instead of planning a meeting with her, which seemed impossible with his schedule lately, he’d grabbed the first free moment he’d had in days, and before anything else could demand his attention, he’d headed toward Seaport Village.

After a few minutes of waiting for the crowd to thin, he caught the attention of one of the workers and motioned her over. “Excuse me, is Kayla Thomas here?”

The girl eyed him curiously. “Did you have an appointment to see her?” she asked, though her cautious tone told him she didn’t think it was likely.

The woman obviously thought he was selling something, when in fact he’d be buying. But he understood the woman’s hesitation, as well as her loyalty in protecting her boss from unwanted solicitors. “She should be expecting me,” he replied easily, and with just enough assertiveness to sound confident that Kayla would agree to see him. “Tell her it’s Jack Tremaine.”

“Let me see if she’s available,” she said, then disappeared through a swinging door that led to a back kitchen area.

Kayla was immersed in accounting paperwork in her office when her full-time employee, Sarah, knocked lightly on her open door, then stepped inside.

“Do you need help out front?” Kayla asked automatically.

From six to seven during the week was the shop’s busiest time, when tourists wanted a sweet treat before heading back to their hotels, and locals stopped in to buy their families’ favorite dessert on their way home from work. Kayla was always prepared to step in and help at the front counter if necessary.

“It’s the normal six o’clock rush, but we’ve got it under control,” Sarah assured her. “Actually, there’s a man here who asked to see you. His name is Jack Tremaine, and he said you were expecting him?”

Just the mere mention of Jack’s name was enough to send an unexpected warmth spreading through Kayla’s veins, not to mention a good dose of shock. After five days of not hearing from him, she’d convinced herself that he hadn’t been serious about his interest in revamping his dessert menu. She’d also considered the possibility that he’d found a more experienced, well-known company to handle the job instead of taking a risk with a small, up-and-coming bakery.

She’d finally come to terms with that probability, and now here he was, asking for her—and she was nowhere near prepared to see him again. Not mentally, anyway. She felt thrown off balance, and she didn’t care for the bit of hope scratching below the surface of her shock.

She took a deep breath in an attempt to regain her composure, and said to her employee, “Give me a minute, and I’ll be right out.”

Once Sarah was gone, Kayla stood and made a quick trip to the rest room. As she was washing her hands, she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror and cringed. Good Lord, she looked a mess. Then again, she had spent most of the day elbow-deep in flour and sugar.

She took off her stained apron, but there were a few smudges of chocolate on her baggy T-shirt that she couldn’t do much about. As for her hair, wispy strands had escaped her ponytail and there were sugar granules on her cheek. She wiped them away with her hand. She didn’t wear much makeup, but what she had put on that morning was nearly gone. She found herself opening the medicine cabinet over the sink and using the colored, flavored lip gloss she kept in there to keep her lips from getting dry and chapped.

She made a sound of disgust at herself for even primping that much for Jack Tremaine. He wasn’t there to seduce her, for crying out loud, and she had no desire to try and impress him. Okay, so that was a blatant lie, but what he saw was what he got—a woman who worked hard for a living and had no qualms about looking the part.