Read An Exquisite Challenge for Free Online Page B

her hand in the air. “Let’s just say they’re not one of my favorite things.”
    “Interesting.” He lowered his tall, lean frame onto the stool beside her and slid a glass across the bar. “We’ll start with the lightest ones. First the Zinfandel.”
    She took a sip. “Too fruity.”
    “Lots of people find that.”
    Next came the Pinot Noir. It was better. Smoky, maybe? She wrinkled her nose. “Too light.”
    His mouth quirked. “What are you, Goldilocks?”
    She smiled. “Next?”
    He pushed the second-deepest-toned red toward her. She took a sip. This time the smoother, richer tone of the wine curled itself around her tongue in a mellow greeting she was fully on board with. “Mmm. This one is good.”
    “I should hope so.” Humor darkened his eyes. “It’s our gold-medal award-winning Merlot.”
    She took another sip. It really was good. Rich, smooth and so easy to drink... A warm glow began to spread through her body as the combined effect of the different wines and a lack of sleep hit her. She pushed her empty glass toward him. “Next.”
    “Easy, tiger. You still have two more to go.”
    “Two?”
    “Our Devil’s Peak is behind the bar. Just getting it labeled.” He flashed her one of those schoolteacher looks of his. “What did you notice about the last wine?”
    She frowned. “I dunno. It’s heavier but still soft.”
    “Exactly. Merlots are softer and fruitier than a Cab, yet display many of the same aromas and flavors—black cherry, currant, cedar and green olive. You can even have mint, tobacco and tea-leaf tones in them.”
    She snorted. “Green olives? You don’t actually believe all that mumbo jumbo, do you? I mean, have you ever tasted green olive in a wine?”
    “Sì.” He gave her a condescending look. “I have.”
    She surveyed the twist of his lips with an inner growl. He was so smug. So confident. She wondered what it would take to knock him off his peg. To kiss him again, except this time ruffle that deep, dark packaging and see what happened.
    Which couldn’t happen, given their agreement. But fun to think about nonetheless...
    “And this one?” She summoned her best dutiful-schoolgirl look. “Must be a Cab.”
    He nodded. “From 2006. Our best year. Try it.”
    She tasted it. It was rich and dark and so good she wanted to eat it up. “ That is a wine.”
    “The king of all reds, infatti. Cabs are the world’s most sought-after grape—they take five to ten years to achieve an optimal flavor, and they’re worth every minute of it.” He gestured toward her glass. “You should taste plum, cherry, blackberry and a hint of tobacco in that one.”
    She frowned. “I’ll take your word for it.”
    “Lex,” he said darkly. “Focus. You aren’t going to get a feel for this unless you try.”
    She took another sip, rolled it around her mouth and swallowed. “Maybe the spice?”
    “Not spice, tobacco.”
    “I can’t taste it.”
    His lips moved but no sound came out. He looked as though he was counting to five. Was he counting to five?
    “Gabe...”
    He shook his head and waved a hand at her, as if he’d given up. She pouted. Really? Could it be this hard?
    He walked around the bar and pulled out a bottle without a label. “Now for The Devil’s Peak.”
    She perked up. This was what it was all about.
    He poured them some. She pulled her glass toward her lips. “Lex—” He muttered a curse and came around the bar. “You don’t drink wine like you’re slinging beer. You savor it.”
    “That’s pretentious garbage.”
    He grabbed her wrist and pulled the glass away from her mouth. “It’s not pretentious garbage, it’s how to drink wine. First,” he instructed, guiding her wrist in a smooth, circular movement, “you swirl it in the glass to smell the bouquet. It’s important to get that first scent of the flavor to taste it correctly.” He pushed the glass toward her nose. “Now you inhale.” She did and lo and behold, an intense shot of berry