Janelle Denison - Pure Indulgence

He lifted a hand, curled his fingers around the nape of her neck, and skimmed his lips along her jaw to the corner of her mouth. "Since this is all your fault, I'm thinking you should put me out of my misery."

He kissed her, a hot, eager melding of lips and tongues that quickly flared into a blazing inferno of need. She wrapped her arms around his neck and his hands found their way beneath her T-shirt to the waistband of her pants. His fingers grazed her stomach before unsnapping the top closure and tugging down her zipper, and there was no doubt in her mind where this embrace was going to lead if she didn't bring him to a halt.

She pulled her mouth from his. "Jack…" She gulped much-needed air into her lungs. "We can't do this. Not here." No matter how much she wanted to.

"Why not?" He was breathing hard, his body vibrating with barely controlled restraint. "The door is locked and I can guarantee that it won't take me long to come once I'm inside you, that's how turned on I am."

If the entire situation wasn't so serious, she would have laughed. But she was forced to admit that she was responsible for his current condition-or at least her candies were-and she reasoned that it wasn't fair of her to leave him in such a painful state of arousal.

His gaze, dark and heavy-lidded with purpose, held hers as he glided his flattened hand past the opening of her jeans and into her panties. "You're wet," he said as his long fingers slid between her cleft and stroked her slowly, languidly, making her body beg for more. "You want me just as much as I want you."

A statement of fact she couldn't argue. "This is insanity," she whispered at the same time that her hips moved of their own volition against his hand, seeking a more illicit caress.

He held her orgasm just out of her reach. "You feel it, too?"

Problem was, she was beginning to feel too much for this man. "Yes." Oh, God, yes.

"Then let me in, Kayla," he said, his tone low and desperate.

It was a heartfelt plea she couldn't resist or refuse. She reached for his belt at the same time he sealed his mouth over hers again. She worked his slacks open, took him in her hand, and reveled in the way his big body shuddered just from her touch.

He reached into his pants pocket, withdrew a condom, and hastily sheathed himself. "Turn around and put your hands on the wall to brace yourself," he ordered gruffly.

Caught up in the forbidden excitement of the moment, she did as he asked, and bent forward. He stood behind her, and his hands went to the waistband of her jeans. He tugged them down over her bottom and shoved them to her knees.

She sucked in a stunned breath of air. Too late she realized how vulnerable and exposed this position made her. But before she could bring a halt to this wild tryst, he was smoothing his hands over her bare bottom, opening her for him. She felt the thick head of his penis against her slick heat, and then he was pushing inside of her with a low, unraveling groan. With a driving thrust, he sank to the hilt and her body welcomed him, clutching greedily at his shaft.

He wrapped one hand around her waist, and slipped the other between her legs to bring her to a quick, fever pitch of need that matched his own. The tangle of denim around her knees restricted her, and all she could do was roll her hips sinuously against his as he pumped harder, faster, deeper, in a frenzied rhythm.

She moaned as her climax crested. Threading his fingers in her hair, he turned her head to the side and slanted his mouth across hers. The kiss was erotic and wet-and awkward, but served its purpose to smother her cries, and his own, as they came at the same time.

When the aftershocks finally ebbed, he slumped against her, and they both struggled for breath. Jack nuzzled her cheek, her neck, then finally withdrew from her body at the same time he shimmied her jeans and underwear back up her thighs and hips so she wasn't left buck-naked.

She murmured a self-conscious, "Thank you," considering what she'd just done with him, in the light of day and in her office no less. But, regardless, she appreciated the thoughtful gesture.

He kissed her lips, this time tenderly. "Be right back," he said, and disappeared into the rest room at the rear of her office.

She straightened her clothes, and he returned minutes later looking composed and relaxed. Meanwhile she still felt out of sorts after such a wild sexual encounter. As he approached, she was struck with a sudden surge of modesty that made her face warm to the tips of her ears.

Stopping in front of her, he caressed a finger along her cheek, an amused smile on his lips. "Hey, you're blushing."

A light gust of laughter escaped her. "Well, I have to admit, that was a first for me."

A dark brow arched inquisitively. "Up against the wall sex, or an afternoon quickie?"

"Umm, both, actually."

"It was great. You were great." His low, husky voice assured her, as did the honest look in his eyes. "Your Chocolate Orgasms are delicious, but nothing compares to the real thing. I needed that, and you, badly."

His sweet words curled around her heart, and for the moment she let herself believe she could provoke such intense passion in this gorgeous, incredible man, and that her candies had nothing to do with it.

"I won't be able to see you tonight because I need to stand in for Rich at the restaurant," he said, his regret palpable. "But how about tomorrow evening?"

Saturday. The weekend. "That's perfect. I'll have another dessert for you to sample, and since the shop closes at six-"

He pressed his warm fingers over her lips, cutting her off. "I want to take you to dinner. Someplace you've never been before."

She liked the sound of that, and she wasn't about to refuse such an offer, not when she enjoyed being with him so much. "Okay."

"Consider it a date then," he said with a concise nod. "I'll pick you up at your place at six-thirty. Bring the dessert, and we'll have it after dinner."

After Jack left her office, she sank back into her chair with a smile, her mind already conjuring up a new aphrodisiac recipe to bring along on their date.

Saturday s at Pure Indulgence were always busy, and this one was doubly so due to an outdoor arts-and-crafts show the village was sponsoring. From the moment the bakery opened in the morning, there hadn't been a lull in business. Somehow, in between filling orders and keeping the front displays fully stocked with fresh-baked treats, Kayla managed to prepare a new recipe for Jack to try for his restaurant's dessert menu, as well as create a batch of Caramel Caress candies.

And while she worked, she imagined Jack's response to her newest aphrodisiac candies, and fantasized various erotic ways their night together would end.

The shop closed promptly at six, and Kayla barely made it home in time to take a shower and get ready for dinner with Jack. She jumped into the shower, washed her hair, and shaved her legs. Then she dried her hair until it was silky soft and decided to curl the ends but leave it down, like Jack seemed to prefer it. She applied a light layer of makeup, put on her prettiest lingerie, and dabbed perfume in all the right places.

Minutes later she was dressed in the two-piece periwinkle skirt and blouse she'd bought from the boutique, along with the silver chain belt. She slipped her feet into a pair of cream-colored heels and actually liked what she saw in the mirror-a sexy, confident woman.

By the time Jack arrived at her house at six-thirty sharp she was out of breath from rushing, but miraculously ready. The appreciative look in Jack's eyes when he saw her made her feel like a million bucks. She grabbed the cake box with his dessert tucked inside, and off they went to dinner.

It wasn't until they turned onto Harbor Drive and were heading toward the San DiegoHarbor that Kayla realized in her rush and excitement that she'd forgotten the Caramel Caresses on the kitchen counter at home.

* * *

"Damn."

Jack heard the soft expletive and glanced over at Kayla sitting in the passenger seat of his Escalade. She was staring out the windshield, her brows furrowed in distress. Concern immediately took hold of him.

Reaching across the console, he grasped her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Everything okay?"

She glanced at him, her green eyes troubled. "I forgot the new candies I meant to bring along for you to try."

He didn't understand why that was so important to her, or why she was so upset, but he attempted to bolster her spirits. "You can always send them to me like you did the last batch." He grinned and winked at her.

A seductive smile chased away some of her disappointment as she obviously remembered how that scenario had ended. "You're so bad," she murmured, that adorable blush of hers casting a pink tint to her smooth complexion.

"You seem to bring out that side of me." He brushed his thumb along the pulse point in her wrist, loving the silky texture of her skin. "Any complaints?"

She shook her head, causing the rays of the setting sun to highlight those blond strands with gold streaks. "None at all."

"Good to hear," he replied, satisfied with her answer.

She returned her stare back out the window, taking in the scenery along Harbor Drive, and he replaced his hand back on the steering wheel, though his gaze kept straying back to her profile. She looked beautiful tonight, the soft, purplish color of her outfit complementing her skin tone and adding a radiant glow he was glimpsing more and more of late.

There was a definite change in her since the evening they'd first met. Not just the hair and makeup and clothes, but a more intangible metamorphosis, one that seemed to start on the inside and was gradually working its way out. Self-assurance. Openness. Trust in him. And maybe, the faith to let him in, past those emotional barriers he could still feel between them.