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."
It was Kayla's turn to frown, and she tamped down the rising panic at the thought of "showing off" a body she wasn't one hundred percent satisfied with. "I'd rather not."
"Why not?"
Kayla sighed, surprised she even had to explain to her sister what she already knew. "You know I don't do dingy or form-fitting."
"You don't have to do either, Kayla." Jillian skimmed through a rack of sleeveless poplin shirts. After pulling out one in a pale pink shade, she held it up to Kayla's chest and examined it with a critical eye. "We're going to accentuate your best assets, not blatantly display what you're not comfortable showing off."
Kayla wasn't so sure, and shook her head. "Jilly, I just want to look…"
"Sexy?" Jillian guessed.
Her sister had so easily supplied the one word Kayla had a difficult time saying aloud, and now that it was out in the open, it would be ridiculous of her to deny the truth. "Okay, I'll admit, I wouldn't mind looking a little sexy."
"I'm going to tell you a trade secret, so listen up," Jillian said in that way of hers that combined sisterly affection and tough love. "Sexy is a mind-set. If you feel sexy and confident, then others are going to see that in the way you carry yourself. You need to walk with your head held high, your shoulders pulled back so those great breasts of yours get the attention they deserve, and with a self-assurance that tells the world you love who you are."
Kayla laughed, but deep inside she took her sister's words to heart. "I promise I'll work on all that mindset stuff."
"All right then, let's get to work." Jillian rubbed her hands together in anticipation. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this day to come."
Kayla could only imagine, and for the next hour and a half she was swept into a maelstrom of coordinating clothes, shoes, and accessories that her sister picked out for her to try on, and deemed the very height of fashion. They laughed and teased as she tried each outfit, and Kayla couldn't ever remember enjoying a shopping experience more.
"This color and style are so great on you," Jillian said as Kayla tried on a two-piece blouse and skirt set made out of gauzy cotton that her sister insisted would flatter her figure. "What do you think?"
Kayla studied her reflection in the mirror, taking in the pretty periwinkle shade, how the hem of the blouse fell past her hips, and the way the skirt swirled loosely around her legs. She liked the outfit… until her sister slipped a silver chain belt around her waist. The delicate design draped loosely over her hips, but in Kayla's estimation drew too much attention to that too-curvaceous part of her body.
Biting on the inside of her cheek, she smoothed her hands over her hips, trying to make them look smaller, which was impossible, she knew. She met her sister's waiting gaze in the mirror. "Are you sure this belt doesn't make me look fa-"
"Don't you dare say that awful F word," Jillian interrupted before Kayla could finish, and shook a reprimanding finger at her reflection. "You're perfect just the way you are, and don't let anyone let you think otherwise-not even those two dreadful voices in your head."
Her mother and Doug. They were both no longer a part of her life, but still had the ability to affect her confidence. And it was time she kicked their voices right out of her head.
"You're right," she said and lifted her chin, then straightened her posture, which seemed to transform not only her appearance, but her whole attitude. "We'll take this outfit, too, along with the belt."
Another half hour later and they strolled out of the boutique with a new, updated wardrobe for Kayla, and her heart feeling lighter and more carefree than it had in years. They stowed the packages in the trunk of Jillian's BMW and got into the car. But instead of heading back to Pure Indulgence, Jillian turned the vehicle in the opposite direction.
Curious, Kayla asked, "Where are we going?"
"To see my hairstylist," Jillian said with a flash of her famous smile and a sassy toss of her trendily cut mane. "You can't buy all these new outfits and not get your hair cut and styled to go with them."
Her sister's logic was iffy at best, but Kayla knew there was no arguing with Jillian when she made her mind up to do something. So, she reached into her purse for her cell phone, called the bakery to let her employees know that she'd be a little later than expected, and decided to enjoy the rest of the afternoon being pampered.
Jack grabbed the two grocery sacks from the back of his Escalade and made his way up to the front porch of Kayla's small, single-story house, located in a quiet neighborhood in MissionBay. The yard was nicely maintained with vibrant flowers growing in abundance in the brick planters surrounding the home, giving the place a well-loved feel. Hanging from a porch beam was a wind chime, and the light evening breeze caused the brass pieces to create a beautiful, melodious sound that made him smile.
Transferring both bags to his left hand, he rang the doorbell. Less than a minute later Kayla appeared, and he found himself staring at the woman in front of him, startled by her transformed appearance. Gone was the woman who wore loose-fitting clothing and kept her hair swept away from her face in a tidy ponytail, and in her place was a bold, daring female that literally took his breath away.
Unable to help himself, he looked his fill. She was wearing a soft, floral patterned sundress that was far from form-fitting, but grazed her curves in a way that teased and tempted his senses and made him wonder what he'd discover beneath that lightweight material-basic cotton or something more tantalizing? His eyes skimmed along the six little pearl buttons that secured the front of the dress over her full breasts, then continued down to her shapely calves and coral-colored toenails.
Swallowing to ease the dryness that had settled in his throat, he lifted his gaze back up to hers. Her makeup was minimal, but what she did have on emphasized her green eyes, her lush mouth, and pretty features. And then there was her silky blond hair, at least two inches shorter than he remembered and layered in a way that it brushed just below her jawline and accentuated the lovely shape of her face.
He couldn't deny that he liked what he saw-mainly because she glowed with a new, subtle radiance that only enhanced the sensuality that was such a natural part of who she was. She looked sexy as hell, and it was all he could do to keep himself from dragging her off to the nearest bedroom, strip her naked, and finish what they'd started at her shop three nights ago.