Kitabı oxu: «Pure Indulgence»

1

“OH, GOD,” Jillian moaned in pure, unadulterated ecstasy. “Your triple fudge Bavarian torte is right up there with great sex—not that I’ve had any of that lately.”

Kayla Thomas grinned at her sister’s cheeky comment as Jillian sampled another bite of the new dessert Kayla had concocted that morning. “I can barely remember what sex is like, great or otherwise,” she replied wryly. “That’s how long it’s been for me.”

“Fortunately, you’re surrounded by the next best thing. Chocolate.” Jillian waggled her brows in a lascivious manner. “And lucky me, I get to be your official taste tester. This one is a definite winner and gets a five-moan recommendation.”

Kayla laughed and continued arranging an assortment of petits fours on a silver tray. “Oh good, I’ll be sure to put that on the packaging label.” Thoughtful for a moment, she then added, “Since the torte has your approval, I think I’ll include it as one of the desserts for the Chamber of Commerce function I’m catering tonight.”

Jillian licked bits of chocolate from her full bottom lip, obviously not wanting to waste even a crumb of the dessert. “You’ll have them all salivating for more.”

With a smile at her sister’s reply, Kayla glanced across the industrial-sized prep table separating them. They were alone in the kitchen area of Pure Indulgence since her two other employees were handling the front counter while Kayla prepared for the Commerce function that evening.

“I’ll just be happy if I can drum up a bit of extra catering business,” Kayla said.

“I have no doubts that you will.” Jillian set her empty plate in the sink, came up beside Kayla, and started putting the small, fancy cakes onto a scalloped paper liner to help speed up the packaging process. “You’re doing so great. Look at all that you’ve accomplished.”

Jillian’s tone was infused with genuine pride as she swept a quick glance around the back of the shop, taking in the cakes and pastries cooling on bakery racks, and the refrigerators filled with dozens of different desserts. “I always knew you’d be a success in your own right. No other place in San Diego comes close to creating desserts as outstanding as yours.”

Kayla appreciated Jillian’s support more than she could ever express. Despite a childhood spent with a mother constantly pitting them against one another, they’d managed to remain close. The bond had become even stronger after their mother had passed away and was no longer around to interfere in their lives.

“I learned most of my skills during those summers with Grandma Thomas. She taught me my way around a kitchen and how to bake from scratch,” Kayla said fondly. “But you’re the one that made Pure Indulgence, and all this, possible.”

Her sister made a pfft sound that Kayla recognized as a dismissal of her gratitude. “I might have helped to get your own bakery shop opened, but you’re the one who made it solvent after six months’ time. I had nothing to do with that.”

“You know I can’t thank you enough for your help.” Financially and emotionally, her sister had been a rock for Kayla the past year.

Jillian’s green eyes softened. “It was my pleasure. Truly.”

Kayla finished filling the tray and started on another, knowing deep in her heart that Jillian had more to do with her success than she’d ever admit or take credit for. When her sister had retired from her modeling career in New York nearly a year ago and returned to San Diego to start out fresh and new, Kayla had been working during the day as a secretary and spending her nights as a cocktail waitress. She’d been scrimping and saving so she could afford to open a small bakery. While she’d managed to accumulate quite a nest egg, she’d been years away from her goal.

Jillian, who’d made an ungodly amount of money as a cover model, had insisted on giving Kayla the cash she needed to open her bakery. Even after putting away every penny, Kayla would have been able to afford nothing more than a small shop in a run-down grocery center. Her sister had landed her a prime spot in Seaport Village, one of San Diego’s most exclusive shopping plazas.

Kayla had been overwhelmed by her sister’s generosity and had sworn she’d pay back every last cent, but Jillian wouldn’t hear of it. It was a gift, she’d said, so Kayla could finally follow her own dreams.

“You know,” Jillian said as she absently bit into a mocha butterball she filched from a nearby tray, “since tonight’s function is being held by the Chamber of Commerce, I’m betting there’s going to be plenty of single businessmen milling about, which means this could be a ripe opportunity for you to snag a guy and end your run of celibacy.”

Kayla rolled her eyes. “Easy for you to say, and not so easy for me to do,” she teased.

“It’s not so easy for me either,” Jillian replied in a guarded tone that Kayla understood all too well.

She watched Jillian polish off the gourmet candy, envying the way her gorgeous, slender sister could put away so many sweets without any weight gain, while all Kayla had to do was inhale the scent of sugar and an extra pound seemed to find its way to her already curvaceous hips. While their naturally blond hair and green eyes were sisterly traits they had in common, that’s where the physical resemblance between them ended.

Despite Jillian’s successful modeling career, the two of them shared the same self-doubts when it came to men. Kayla, who’d always been compared to her beautiful, thin sister by their mother, was especially self-conscious. Most men judged women by their looks, as Kayla had learned the hard way.

Kayla was softly rounded thanks to the extra twenty pounds she couldn’t seem to shed permanently, no matter how hard she tried. In Jillian’s case, all men saw were centerfold curves and not the warm, intelligent woman inside who craved the same kind of unconditional acceptance that Kayla did. It amazed Kayla how opposite she and her sister were in stature and appearance, how differently they were raised as children, yet as adults they shared a very common bond because of those contrasts.

When Jillian had returned from New York emotionally shattered after a relationship gone bad, she and Kayla had made a pact that neither of them would ever again compromise their identities to please a man.

Unfortunately, that alliance didn’t help to soothe Kayla’s more sensual cravings. To make matters worse, her needs had become heightened by the experimental chocolate aphrodisiacs she’d secretly started creating, and sampling. If all went well and she was able to substantiate that the candies did, indeed, boost a person’s sex drive, she’d have a surefire seller to add to her current line of desserts.

But in the meantime, with only herself to test those specialty candies, her body and hormones were becoming increasingly stimulated. Just a few bites left her aroused and aching for the touch of a man’s hands, the caress of his mouth on her breasts, the heat and friction of his body within hers. It had been much too long since she’d experienced those kinds of sensual intimacies with a man, and she was beginning to wonder if she needed to do something about her long run of abstinence, as her sister had suggested.

Her new creations would provide the perfect opportunity, if she was able to find a man she was attracted to. Based on what her candies did to a person’s libido, she’d be able to reap the benefits of a short, fun affair at the same time that she conducted her experiment. Once she proved that her creations met certain criteria, she would be ready to take the candies public.

Shaking off her thoughts for now, she snapped a clear, plastic lid onto the full tray of petits fours and retrieved the cut-up fruit and fondue sauces from the refrigerator. She added them to the growing stack of items she planned to take to the banquet tonight. “Tell you what, I’ll do my best to check out the unattached businessmen, but I won’t make any promises. I’m there to work, Jillian, not troll for men.”

Her sister made a playful face. “You know what they say about all work and no play…”

“Yeah, too much play makes the bills pile up and bankruptcy loom like a dark cloud.” For good measure, Kayla jabbed her sister in the side where she was ticklish.

“Okay, okay,” Jillian relented around breathless laughter. “Just try to keep an open mind while you’re working. One of us has to find our Prince Charming and live happily ever after.”

They spent the next hour boxing up the rest of the cakes and other desserts, then transferred them into the shop’s van that Kayla used for deliveries. Just as Kayla came back into the kitchen after loading up the last of the order, she caught her sister eyeing a plastic container of candies with too much interest.

“Hey, what are these over here?” Jillian asked, slanting Kayla a curious glance.

“They’re a new candy I just created.” She wiped down the stainless-steel countertops, all the while watching Jillian to make sure she kept her hands to herself. “I’m calling them Heavenly Kisses.”

An amused grin tipped the corner of Jillian’s mouth. “I love the name. Very sensual. What’s in them?”

“Espresso butter cream and caramel covered in white chocolate.” And a secret ingredient that claimed to stimulate lust in the person who consumed it.

“Oh, yum.” Enthusiasm deepened Jillian’s voice, and before Kayla could stop her, she opened the plastic lid, picked up one of the smooth, creamy-looking candies, and inhaled its scent. “It smells wonderful. I bet it tastes just as good.” She opened her mouth to take a bite.

Kayla sucked in a quick breath and released it on a long “noooo!” At the same moment, she lunged toward her sister, nearly tackling her in her haste to get the candy out of her hand. Thankfully, she managed to extricate the chocolate from her fingers before Jillian could eat it.

Jillian jumped back in startled surprise and frowned at her. “Geez, Kayla, you’re acting like that candy is poisoned or something.”

Definitely or something. Kayla put the candy back into the container and snapped the lid on tight. “Do you have to put everything into your mouth?” she asked, unable to tamp her exasperation over her sister’s habit of grazing while she was at the bakery. In this case, she would have gotten more than she bargained for.

“Hey, I’m very selective about what goes into this mouth of mine.” Jillian’s tone was defensive, but the amusement glimmering in her eyes contradicted her indignation.

Kayla ducked her head sheepishly. Undoubtedly her reaction was out of character and extreme, but she’d just saved Jillian’s libido from being whipped into a frenzy of need. And she wasn’t prepared to let anyone in on her secret just yet—not until she had a chance to test the candies more thoroughly.

She faced her sister again, and summoned an excuse for her odd behavior. “I’m sorry, Jilly. I didn’t mean to get so upset. It’s just that I’m not ready for anyone to taste these just yet.”

Jillian’s lip puffed out in a feigned pout that only enhanced how beautiful she was. “And here I thought I was your official taste tester.”

Kayla put the candies in her tote bag to take home, so no one else would try to eat them without her knowledge. “I promise you’ll get a chance to sample them, just as soon as I’m satisfied with the recipe.”

“Oh, all right.” Seemingly satisfied with that compromise, Jillian wrapped Kayla in a warm, affectionate hug. The significance of the embrace made Kayla smile. As kids they’d made an agreement that any fight or argument followed by a hug meant all was forgiven. As adults, the wordless pact was still as meaningful as ever.

“Good luck tonight.” Jillian grabbed her designer purse and slung it over her shoulder. “Call me later to let me know how things go, okay?”

“I will.”

Kayla watched Jillian sashay from the kitchen, and could only shake her head when her sister snatched a Chantilly cream puff from a cooling rack on her way out the back exit.

JACK TREMAINE WAS SEDUCED by her smile. As sweet and addictive as the desserts she was serving, the teasing curve to her sensual mouth lured his attention back to her time and again. Her laughter had the same effect, a husky, playful sound that instigated a spark of desire low in his belly.

The instantaneous response was unlike anything he’d experienced in a very long time, and he was undeniably intrigued by this woman’s ability to affect him with nothing more than an impish grin, lilting laughter, and sparkling green eyes. Years of being on the receiving end of so many women’s scheming smiles and sly designs of becoming Mrs. Jack Tremaine had obviously jaded him. She was like a breath of fresh spring air.

He took a drink of his cold beer to douse the heat spreading through his veins. He heard the business-related dialogue going on around him but was far more interested in watching the lovely lady interact with the guests than in participating in the conversation. Wearing a uniform of black skirt and white blouse, she moved with natural grace as she served the guests standing in line at the linen-draped dessert table. He assumed she was a waitress employed by the banquet facility hosting the San Diego Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Dinner. Despite the plain outfit, there was no denying that she had the kind of sexy, voluptuous body a man could lose himself in for hours, days, years. Her breasts were full and soft-looking, definitely more than a generous handful, and her curvaceous hips and long legs were designed to cradle a man in between.

There was nothing dainty, delicate, or overtly sophisticated about her, and that, along with her complete lack of pretense, drew him too.

She glanced up after serving a man a slice of some kind of cheesecake she’d just topped with caramel sauce and whipped cream, and their gazes met and held. She appeared startled to find him staring at her, and the amiable smile on her lips wavered. She even cast a quick, surreptitious look around to make sure that she was the one who’d captured his attention. Then she tipped her head and gave him an uncertain smile.

Before he could continue the silent, flirtatious exchange between them, another guest demanded her attention and the moment was gone. He waited for the line at the table to dissipate, and once she was alone, he excused himself from the group of businessmen and their significant others and headed over to sample a few of the desserts she was offering.

Busy replenishing trays from the portable refrigerator against the wall behind her, she didn’t see him approach, giving him the opportunity to appraise her up close. His gaze slid down her backside as she bent low, and he couldn’t help but admire the gentle flare of her lush hips, and the way her black skirt tightened very nicely over her shapely bottom, prompting all sorts of sinful, erotic fantasies.

His groin stirred, and he shook himself, hard. Good Lord, he felt like a horny teenager. He’d always preferred real full-bodied figures—and ones that were one-hundred-percent natural. They turned him on much more than the too-thin and artificially enhanced women he’d dated. Their looks were as fake as their interest in him as anything more than a wealthy meal ticket—like his date who’d disappeared to “powder her nose”. He’d regretted bringing Gretta even before he’d laid eyes on this woman, and now his feelings were magnified.

For the last few years he’d devoted ninety-nine percent of his attention to making a success of his fine dining restaurant, Tremaine’s Downtown, and he’d dedicated one percent to dating. As a result, he’d deliberately gone out with women who wouldn’t pose a threat to his time, and who wouldn’t affect him emotionally.

But now that his business was financially stable enough for him to open a second restaurant, he was becoming increasingly aware of how much was lacking in his personal life. He realized maybe he was ready to settle down in a committed relationship. He glanced at the woman in front of him and smiled to himself. Obviously he had a whole lot of lost time to make up for.

He hoped for a chance to get to know her before he had to face his date again. And there was no doubt in his mind that he’d be letting Gretta down tonight. Permanently.

The woman turned around with a platterful of fancy candies and came to an abrupt stop. Her green eyes, threaded with gold flecks, widened in surprise, and he could have sworn he heard her suck in a startled breath. Her blond hair was secured into a ponytail away from her girl-next-door pretty face, and she had a beautiful, flawless complexion. His fingers flexed at the urge to reach out and stroke her smooth cheek, to see if her skin was as creamy-soft as it looked.

A slow, lazy grin lifted the corners of his mouth. “You’re tempting me,” he said huskily. Boy, was she ever.

Her gaze turned wary, and she carefully set the silver tray down on the table, causing her blouse to stretch taut across those full, luscious breasts of hers. “Excuse me?”

“You’re tempting me…with all these desserts.” He waved a hand to encompass the array of confections surrounding him. “I have little to no willpower when it comes to anything sweet.”

“Oh.” She ducked her head, as if she couldn’t quite believe he was flirting with her, but not before he caught the delightful blush sweeping across her cheeks. “What can I get for you?”

Certain the first answer that came to mind would undoubtedly shock her, he decided to behave himself. “Everything looks fabulous. What do you recommend?”

A teasing light entered her eyes. “That all depends on what you’re in the mood for.”

Oh, man, another loaded question that begged for a suggestive reply. “Let’s go with something rich and decadent.”

She reached for a plate and slanted him a speculative glance. “Sounds like you’ve got yourself a major sweet tooth.”

He shrugged, and winked at her. “I rarely pass up dessert.”

“Ahh, a man after my own heart,” she said with a dramatic sigh that was underscored by a mischievous grin, which let Jack know that she was finally relaxing with him. “My personal motto is, ‘Life is too short. Eat dessert first’.”

He laughed in amusement. “I might have to adopt that motto for myself.” He read the place cards in front of each dessert, amazed at the varied and overwhelming selection of treats in front of him. “Hmm, I think I’ll try a slice of the chocolate praline layer cake.”

She nodded her approval, causing her silky ponytail to swish against her shoulders. He wondered how long her hair was, how the blond strands would feel running through his fingers, trailing across his chest, his belly, his thighs….

“Excellent choice,” she said, snapping him out of yet another arousing daydream as she passed him a piece of the decadent-looking cake, along with a fork.

He took a bite, and the silky substance literally dissolved in his mouth. “Oh, wow. This is absolutely delicious.”

She looked extremely pleased with his comment. “That’s one of my favorites, too, though I have to admit I have too many desserts that I’m fond of,” she said a bit sheepishly.

The woman was a mass of intriguing contradictions, from confident to modest in the span of a few moments. But it was those sincere traits that roused his libido and his interest in her. “If everything is as delicious as this, I can see why you have so many favorites.” He continued eating his layered cake, and moved down to the end of the table to check out a few pots of melted sauces. “What’s this over here?” he asked curiously.

“This is for the more health-conscious,” she said wryly, and gestured toward the platter of pineapple wedges, strawberries, peaches, and sliced bananas and apples. “Guests can eat the cut-up fruit just as it is, or for the more adventurous and daring, there’s fondue dip.”

“I’m definitely feeling adventurous and daring,” he said a bit wickedly.

Her gaze glimmered with humor. “In that case, there’s Caramel Kahlúa, Chocolate Rum, and Pink Squirrel fondue.”

“Pink Squirrel?” he repeated incredulously. “Do I even want to know what that consists of?”

She laughed, the light sound pure music to his soul. “Despite the name, it’s actually quite good. The dip is made up of marshmallow creme melted with creme d’almond, and creme de cocoa.”

He eyed the sauce dubiously. “I suppose I’d look like a wuss if I refused to eat something with such a frou-frou name.”

She leaned across the table and placed her hand on his arm in a way that was friendly yet arousing, even through his coat sleeve. “If you don’t mind me saying, I don’t think anyone could ever mistake you for a wuss,” she said in a low voice threaded with playful overtures.

He felt his chest expand a few inches beneath his dress shirt, and noticed just how close her glossy lips were. If he lowered his head and moved forward a few inches, he’d have the chance to see if she tasted as good as she looked.

His stomach muscles clenched, and he forced himself to glance away from the temptation of her mouth. He released a taut breath. Oh, man, he was craving her a lot more than the scrumptious confection on his plate—though he was fairly certain she wouldn’t appreciate being accosted over the dessert table.

He took another bite of his cake, determined to keep their conversation on track. “You certainly seem to know your desserts.”

“I should.” She fussed with the assortment of candies, rearranging them on the tray just so, then filled an empty plate with a few different chunks of fruit. “I run my own dessert shop.”

“Pure Indulgence?” he guessed.

She stopped stirring the Pink Squirrel fondue, and her gaze jerked to his in startled surprise. “You’ve been there?”

“No, it’s on your name tag.” He grinned and pointed his fork at the pin secured on her blouse above her left breast. “As is your name, Kayla.” Even her name had a soft, seductive ring to it.

“My name tag…of course.” She rolled her eyes and shook her head, as if she couldn’t believe she’d forgotten the badge that identified her. She poured a small amount of Caramel Kahlúa fondue over the bananas she’d selected for him, and drizzled the squirrel sauce over the strawberries. “Since I don’t have the advantage of you wearing a name tag, care to share?”

“Jack Tremaine.” She didn’t seem to connect his last name to his five-star restaurant, which was more than fine with him for the moment. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Deliberately, he stretched his hand toward her, giving her little choice but to accept it.

She slipped her warm palm against his much larger one, and he closed his fingers around her slender hand. “It’s nice meeting you, too,” she said, sounding breathless.

His heartbeat quickened. The sprinkling of gold in her eyes had darkened in awareness, and she dampened her bottom lip with her tongue. There was no denying the chemistry and latent desire that rippled between them, and it was damn nice to know that his interest was reciprocated. He glided his fingers along the soft skin of her wrist, and wished they were alone instead of in a banquet room with two hundred other people.

“Miss,” a woman said, diverting Kayla’s attention to the other end of the table where an elderly lady was pointing at the small, cut up squares that looked similar to brownies. “What’s in these Snicker Brownie Bars?”

Kayla pulled her hand back, and he let her go. “Excuse me while I help this guest,” she said to him, seemingly reluctant to abandon his end of the table. She exchanged his finished cake with the plate she’d just prepared for him. “Here, give this fruit and fondue a try. I think you’ll like it.”

Not ready to leave her just yet, Jack remained where he was and sampled the fruit and different sauces while listening to Kayla as she listed the ingredients of the brownie bars and swayed the older woman to try a small piece.

Absently, his gaze skimmed the table of sweets as he bit into a juicy strawberry topped with the marshmallow cream dip. He’d only sampled a few items so far. Still, he was highly impressed with the wide variety she offered that would please even the most discriminating palate. He was equally swayed by the fact that she’d obviously made the desserts herself.

He popped a sliced banana into his mouth and chewed. As the rich flavor of the Caramel Kahlúa sauce tempted his taste buds, he couldn’t help but wonder if the standard desserts he served at Tremaine’s Downtown were too ordinary in comparison. It had taken him and his chef years to perfect the main courses and side dishes that blended French cuisine with seafood fare. There was no doubt they had helped to garner a five-star recommendation for his establishment and rave reviews, yet he’d never given much thought to the desserts he’d initially chosen when the restaurant first opened years ago.

Now, he did. Just as he’d spent the time and care refining and improving the entrées at Tremaine’s Downtown to a high standard of excellence, maybe it was time to revamp and spruce up the dessert menu, as well. It would be a way to make sure that the final course of the meal lived up to the whole Tremaine’s Downtown experience.

“So, what do you think of the fondue?” Kayla was back, her expression expectant as she waited anxiously for his answer. “The Pink Squirrel especially?”

“Incredible,” he stated with honest enthusiasm, and licked a smear of Caramel Kahlúa from his thumb. “All of it, and especially the pink squirrel.”

“See, you aren’t a wuss at all,” she teased as her dancing eyes drifted to a spot just below his lower lip. “But you do have a bit of the sauce right below your mouth.”

He swiped at his chin with the back of his hand. “Did I get it?”

“Ahh, no…” Tentatively, she reached out and removed the sticky substance in a slow caress of her thumb. If it were just the two of them, he would have grabbed her wrist and sucked the sweetness right off her finger, and nibbled and tasted his way up her arm from there.

“See?” She showed him the smear of white froth, a smile in her eyes and on her lips. “That’s why only the adventurous should attempt to eat the Pink Squirrel fondue. It can be quite messy.”

“Maybe next time you’ll just have to feed it to me so I can avoid the mess.” That adorable blush swept across her cheeks again, and he had to stifle an amused laugh. “So, tell me, do you make all these desserts, cakes and candies from scratch?”

She grabbed a napkin to wipe her sticky finger and nodded. “Using only the finest, freshest ingredients, of course.”

Judging by the tastes he’d encountered, he didn’t doubt that in the least, which made his interest in her twofold. “And where is your shop located?”