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 her.

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 she needed.

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 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."