Kim Baldwin - The Gemini Deception

“Very much.”

“Will you try some?”

“I’d love to.”

Shield uncorked the bottle and poured for the president.

“How about you?” Thomas asked.

“I’m on duty.”

“I won’t tell, and I’m sure just one won’t compromise your ability to protect me.”

Shield smiled. “It won’t. But aside from that, we only have one wineglass and I’d rather not ask for another. It would draw attention, and I don’t want that.”

“Very well.” Thomas lifted the goblet. “Cheers, then.” She took a sip.

Odd , Shield thought. The president, because of her position, had to have been trained in the basics of wine. Yet Thomas had skipped swirling, sniffing, and allowing the burgundy liquid to permeate her palate before she swallowed. Maybe wine wasn’t her thing, after all. Shield was disappointed. She didn’t know why, but she wanted Thomas to like it. “What do you think?”

“It’s heavenly.” Thomas leaned back in the armchair with the goblet. “Truly delicious.”

“Do you generally enjoy wine?”

“I know this will sound very wrong, but I really don’t know much about it.”

Shield laughed. “I can tell.”

Thomas looked chagrined. “Uh-oh. That bad, huh?”

“May I?” Shield looked at the glass.

Thomas handed it over and Shield held it up to the setting sun. “This is a merlot.”

“Okay.”

“Can you describe the color?”

“Red.”

“Red wine is produced from grapes that are not only red, but purple and blue as well. The many different varietals of red wine give it names like dark red, light red, almost black, maroon, deep violet, and burgundy. If you look at it again, how would you describe it?”

Thomas looked from her to the wine. She stared at it for a while and pursed her lips. “Maroon, almost black.”

“Very good.” Shield lifted the wineglass and swirled it. “Aerating the wine like this introduces more air molecules into it, which can capture the aroma molecules and carry them up to the nose. More dominant aromatics that arise after swirling can overwhelm some subtle ones, so most professional tasters will sniff the wine briefly first before swirling. The closer the nose is to the wine, even right inside the glass, the greater the chances of capturing aromatics. A series of short, quick sniffs versus one long inhale will also maximize the likelihood of detecting aromatics. The human nose starts to fatigue after around six seconds, and so a pause may be necessary between sniffs.” She stopped swirling and placed the goblet under Thomas’s nose.

The president took successive brief sniffs.

Fast learner , Shield thought. “What do you smell?”

“Fruit, but not sweet. Earth, and…smoke?”

“Excellent. Inferior merlots can smell like vinegar.”

“This definitely doesn’t smell like vinegar.”

“I know.” Shield didn’t want to sound arrogant, but she prided herself on the quality of her wine.

“How would you describe it?” Thomas asked.

“A full-bodied and complex ruby, with a soft sweetness and velvety aftertaste. Hints of wild cherry and blackberry, finessed with a slight cocoa tone and undercurrents reminiscent of the rich, smoky soil of Tuscany.”

Thomas sighed. “That’s beautiful. So…romantic.”

“And now, finally, is the time to taste.”

Thomas lifted the glass to her mouth, never taking her eyes off Shield’s, as if waiting for her permission.

“Before you…” Shield stopped.

“Yes?”

They were staring at each other and Shield couldn’t look away. The president looked more relaxed at that moment than Shield had ever seen her—softer, somehow, and more… real , not the figurehead politician, but a warm and inviting woman. Again, Shield was struck by how beautiful Thomas was when she was stripped of her perfect media-friendly hairdo and flawless makeup. She’d evidently showered after her workday before changing into the comfortable-looking long-sleeved blue T-shirt and designer sweatpants she now wore; her fresh-scrubbed face and slightly flyaway, short brown hair gave her an enticing approachability. But the vulnerability in Elizabeth Thomas’s dark eyes really drew her in and made her forget momentarily what she’d been about to say.

Shield also couldn’t remember when she’d decided it was proper to stare at Thomas’s kissable mouth. What was she doing? This woman was the American president and was also apparently involved in some scheme.

“May I…” Thomas’s hoarse voice brought her back.

“Yes…if you know how.”

Thomas paused a long moment before replying in a soft voice, “Teach me.”

Shield shivered involuntarily at the words. Damn it, this was insane. Was she actually flirting with Thomas? And more insanely, was the president actually flirting back? “Take a small sip and keep it on your tongue. Give it a chance to mix with your saliva. It decreases the acidity and enhances the flavor.”

“How long?”

“You’ll know.”

Thomas slowly brought the glass to her lips and, her eyes still fixed on Shield’s, took a small sip. The setting sun had created a green hue in the president’s deep-brown eyes, and her lips shone from the maroon liquid. Thomas closed her eyes to swallow and let out a small groan.

Shield’s whole body reacted to the sound, every muscle tensing involuntarily, and she had to stop herself from moaning as well.

“Your wine is…delicious.” Thomas’s voice was barely audible.

Unable to trust her own voice, Shield smiled and looked out the open doors to the balcony.

The situation was becoming more unprofessional by the second. Flirting on the job, and never mind with Thomas, was against her every taught and self-imposed code of ethics. Shield cleared her voice before she spoke.

“I…” they said simultaneously.

Shield gestured for Thomas to go first.

“I was going to say, I think it’s time I turned in,” the president said.

Shield immediately stood. “You have a busy day tomorrow.”

“Indeed. What were you about to say?”

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask.”

“Oh?”

“Do you really not remember me?” Shield asked. “Or is there a reason you won’t acknowledge having met me?”

“Remember you from…?”

“Greece. The summit. I know you saw me, because you looked right at me and nodded.”

“The global-warming summit? I…I don’t, I’m sorry.”

Shield felt oddly disappointed she’d not made more of an impression. “It’s okay. I was just curious.”

The president got up and faced her. They were less than a foot apart. “Thank you for the wine and the lesson.”

Shield took a step back and looked away. “It was my pleasure, I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

Thomas headed out and Shield followed silently a pace behind. She opened the door for the president and Thomas stepped into the foyer.

As she opened the door to her bedroom, with her back turned, the president said, “Good night, Kennedy.”

“Sleep well, Elizabeth.”

Chapter Fourteen

Ryden dropped on her back on the bed and covered her face with a pillow. “Oh, my God. Oh, my God. What just happened? What did I just do?” She had little to no experience with flirting, but even she knew what had just taken place, and for the first time in her life, she had flirted back.

Not that guys had ever swamped her with flowers, romantic dinners, and heated insinuations, but her limited practice had been one-sided and uninteresting. In her forty years she’d had three relationships, although that term was overrated when trying to characterize what they’d really been. Not one had lasted longer than a few months, and all had involved infrequent, uneventful, physical obligations. The men were nice enough but had done nothing for her libido. Hell, the only reason she knew about the existence of the G-spot was because she’d accidentally read about it when she clicked on an evidently dubious website called Fun With Candles.