Just A Little Taste Read Online Free PDF Page A

and the wine bottle was
gone.
    “I have to go,” she whispered. She'd taken
the pins out of her hair, and it cascaded around her shoulders. She
looked like she wanted to say something more, but instead she stood
up.
    “I should go too,” he said. ”I can see myself
out. Is there a trail from here?”
    “Right out that door and to the right.”
    He nodded and got to his feet. She handed him
his jacket and turned toward the tunnel.
    “Elise.”
    She turned back, and he slipped his hands
around her waist. He gave her a soft kiss. “Thanks for last
night.”
    “Thank you,” she said with a smile and then
disappeared through the door.
    Braxton visualized the cellar, counting the
security cameras in his mind. There'd been one over the door of the
tunnel and another near the staircase leading to the house. He'd
planned to knock out the power for a few minutes while he snuck
past the security cameras, but that was impossible if he wanted to
steal the bottle right now. He'd need to loop the feed on the
camera instead.
    He pulled the handheld computer from the
pocket of his tuxedo jacket and turned it on. His fingers moved
swiftly over the device, prepping it to fool the security system.
He pulled a wire with a clip at the end and plugged it in. Then he
checked his watch to see how long it'd been since Elise had left
him.
    Once she'd been gone for fifteen minutes, he
opened the door just enough for him to squeeze through. Flattening
himself against the wall, he looked over his head at the camera.
Stretching way up, he clipped the metal clasp to the wire running
out the back of the camera. He pressed two buttons on the computer
and then set it on top of the door frame.
    Praying this worked, he quickly strode across
the room to the display of Roger's priceless collection. The 1787
sat on top of a clear shelf, a light shining down on it as if it
were the star on a stage. He studied the case surrounding the
prize. He could just make out the lasers. He reached into the other
pocket of his jacket, pulled out a tiny can and sprayed the
contents over the opening. Green bars of light hovered in front of
the collection.
    Braxton smiled.
    As if that would keep him out. He slipped on
a pair of latex gloves and popped his knuckles. With studied ease,
he reached between the bars and wrapped his hand around the neck of
the bottle. It was cool against his palm, smooth.
    Carefully he lifted the bottle and pulled it
between the laser beams.
    He breathed a sigh of relief and felt the
adrenaline pump through his veins. Quickly he turned and studied
the nearby bottles looking for one of a similar shape and color.
Finding one, he reversed the procedure, wondering how long it would
take Savade to figure out the bottles had been switched.
    With the switch made, he cradled the prize in
his arms and headed for the tunnel door. His mind was racing with
thoughts, steps that he needed to complete to pull this off.
    When the computer was disconnected from the
camera, he slipped it back into his pocket then crept back into the
tunnel. After he closed the door behind him, he strode down the
long corridor. It didn't take long to get to the winery again. He
slipped his jacket from his shoulders and put the bottle in the
special pouch inside the lining. Then he draped the jacket over his
arm so it looked natural.
    The sky was just beginning to turn a pale
blue as he walked outside. The gentle sounds of the morning
surrounded him. He glanced around to get his bearings and then
headed off across the vineyard, keeping an eye out for Roger's
employees.
    The earth smelled sweet; the air was damp. By
the time he saw the roof of the car he'd stashed at the edge of the
property, the sky was pink and purple. The grass looked extra
green.
    It was going to be a beautiful day. He pulled
the key from his pants pocket and unlocked the door. Carefully he
laid the bottle inside. A slow smile spread over his face as he
thought of Zeus's email.
    He turned the key and heard the