Just A Little Taste — Selena Blake

Braxton Hughes has seven days to complete his mission. His reputation is riding on his attention to detail and infallible focus. Not to mention the bet he has no intention of losing. There's no time for distractions. But then he meets beautiful Elise Savade. She quickly becomes a complication he can't afford...and a temptation he can't resist.ABOUT THIS BOOKContemporary Erotica (short story, wine, vineyard, heist)9,500 words(This story is a rerelease of The Wine Tasting.)EXCERPTChapter OneFrom: Zeus @ theblindbet.comTo: sevenofspades @ theblindbet.comSubject: The Bet1787 Lafite G.W.You have seven days.ZeusA soft, lyrical laugh filled the air, and he sought out the sound's source with his eyes. It was her, of course, laughing at some older man, her hand pressed against her heart.Damn, she was beautiful. Stunning. Doubly so when she smiled. Those lips, framing perfect white teeth, tortured him with thoughts he had no business thinking. Not tonight.But his private pep talk wasn't helping.All he could think of was her and the fact that he'd never been knocked off his game before. Never. Work came first. Pleasure came second. Claire had been part of the plan. Essential.But the beauty in the blue dress with the lovely laugh.... She wasn't part of the plan at all. In fact, she was a risk, a temptation he hadn't even considered.He needed some fresh air. Cold air.A tall set of doors to his right opened to a stone terrace that would save him from staring at her any longer. Brax made his getaway.Damn, he didn't have time for a distraction. He needed to look around. From where he stood, he could see a lower level of the house. Maybe it was in a vault down there. Or a cellar.A waiter circulated among the few guests braving the chilly evening air, and he swapped out his empty glass for a full one. Slowly he sipped the bubbly liquid and turned to take in his surroundings. He carefully gauged distances, counted the exits, looked for alternate entry points and scoped out the home's security. After he finished this glass, he'd find a way downstairs.Not that he was stalling....Can I give you a tour?He turned to see her standing halfway between him and the door, the yellow light silhouetting her. A small smile pulled the corners of her mouth upward.Sorry. I just find the architecture amazing.It is lovely. She stepped closer, and he felt a punch low in the gut.Indeed. It must have been built in the mid sixteen hundreds.Sixteen forty-two, actually. She stopped next to him and leaned against the carved stone railing. So much for the crisp night air cooling his libido. One look at her and his temperature was through the roof.He quirked an eyebrow as he stared down into her upturned face and tried not to notice the thick fringe of dark lashes around her crystal blue eyes. Without her heels, she must have been at least five-foot-eight. With them, she came up to his chin, and he wondered what it'd feel like to have her in his arms. To nuzzle the creamy skin of her naked neck.This is my father's home, she said matter-of-factly.That cooled him down.