Whether front or backside, he was a gorgeous hunk of male. And in this case, she had a spectacular view of the way his broad shoulders filled out his blue cotton T-shirt and of the defined muscles that bisected his spine. She took in his narrow waist, his lean hips and a world-class ass that made her envy the denim that hugged his butt in such a loving way.

Her breasts swelled in reaction to her naughty thoughts, her nipples tightened, and she felt tingly all over. She didn't need the benefit of eating her candies to want Jack, and she wished he felt the same.

She swallowed the groan in her throat and instead inhaled a deep breath that did little to calm the desire taking hold. "Here you go," she said, drawing his attention back to the fact that she'd returned. The sooner he signed the exclusivity form, the quicker they could move on to more… pleasurable matters.

He strolled back to the table and read through the paperwork for the two cheesecakes before signing on the bottom line. She gave him a copy of the form, then closed the file folder and pushed it out of the way for now.

"What kind of dessert would you like to consider next?" she asked.

He leaned a hip against the counter and pushed his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. "I know this isn't exclusive, but I've tried the shortbread tarts you carry out in the front display case and I think they'd make a nice addition to the dessert menu. They're rich and buttery, but not overly sweet. Just a smooth cream-filled pastry that we can top off with fresh strawberries or kiwi slices."

"Sure, you could do that." She boxed up the rest of the sample cheesecakes to put into the refrigerator. "The shortbread tarts are one of our most popular items."

"Then let's go with that." He helped her remove the plates and utensils and set them in the sink. "And with the cheesecakes and tarts, I think that wraps up the dessert menu."

She'd known from the moment that Jack had hired her that their relationship, business or otherwise, would inevitably come to an end. But there was no denying the sharp twist of dread Kayla felt in the vicinity of her heart. The one that told her she'd allowed herself to get involved with Jack on a much deeper level than she'd ever intended. But business was business, and she'd made a commitment to Tremaine's Downtown that superceded any feelings she might have developed for Jack. Making sure she satisfied the terms of their deal was her first priority.

With that in mind, she asked, "When would you like to start receiving the new desserts?"

"I need to have new menus made up and printed, so let's say the beginning of next month?"

That gave her a few weeks to get everything prepared on her end and work his desserts in with her other weekly orders. "That's doable for me."

She returned to the table, which had been cleared of everything but the box of Caramel Caresses that she'd deliberately set out earlier. They might have just finished up their business transaction and no longer had a reason to see one another on a regular basis, but she had tonight with him, and Friday at the art gallery show. And she was feeling shameless enough to take advantage of both opportunities, because she knew that once she had no professional reason to see him anymore, their current relationship would return to a more casual, businesslike exchange.

Reconciling herself to that fact was getting harder and harder to do.

She brought the box of candies forward, lifted the lid, and glanced up at Jack with a hopeful smile. "Since I forgot to bring along my Caramel Caresses to dinner the other night, I was hoping you'd give one a try and let me know what you think."

He leaned close, bringing with him the warm male scent that was uniquely his, and peered at the candies she'd revealed. Then he looked up at her with amusement dancing in his eyes.

"You know, I couldn't help but notice that the last batch of candies you sent to me, the Chocolate Orgasms, resembled a very intimate female body part." His voice had turned into a low, mesmerizing murmur and a sizzling heat was slowly replacing the humor she'd seen in his gaze only moments before. "And now these… am I mistaken, or do they look like the curve of a woman's breast with that small dollop of chocolate right in the center serving as a nipple?"

She watched him graze the tip of those candies with the pad of his finger and felt that touch as surely as if he'd just caressed her own taut nipple.

"You have a very vivid imagination," she said, trying to suppress a visible shiver, and failing miserably.

He lifted a dark brow. "Do I?"

It was a question, a dare for her to admit just how naughty her candies were. "You're not mistaken. It's all part of the new line. I wanted the sexual resemblances to some of the candies to be subtle, but definitely arousing."

"Then you achieved your goal. The candies are very sensual, in name and taste. And erotic." His deep tone was equally so. "Just the name of the candies are enough to turn me on. And when I eat them, they make me think of you, and I'm beginning to learn that that can be a very dangerous thing."

She tipped her head and slanted him a beguiling glance, enjoying the direction of their conversation "Dangerous, how?"

He gently brushed a stray strand of hair off her cheek before tucking it behind her ear. "Because after eating those candies and thinking of you, then I have to have you."

His touch electrified her, making her skin feel ultra-sensitive. "Sounds like a very good thing to me."

A lopsided grin curved his lips, though his dark eyes seemed to eat her up whole. "It's not so good when I'm eating your candies alone."

She felt breathless, anxious, and excruciatingly aroused. "I'm here now, so let's see what you think of these."

Taking one of the Caramel Caresses out of the box, she brought it up to his mouth at the same time she heard a clanking noise from out in the service area of the bakery. Startled, she jerked her gaze toward the swinging door leading to the front counters.

Jack must have heard the same clatter, because he frowned and cocked his head to listen for any other sound. This time, there was no mistaking the jangling of keys and the click, click, click of high-heeled shoes on the tiled floor.

"Sounds like someone's here," he said in a low, uneasy tone of voice. "I thought you locked the front door after I came in this evening."

"I did," she said, her heart slamming in her chest at the thought of the place being burglarized.

"Stay put," he ordered, and started around the table, then came to an abrupt stop when her sister appeared in the doorway leading to the kitchen. She was wearing a cute little minidress that molded to her centerfold figure, 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.