A seed of joy burst in her heart and swept over her. “Gori.” She clutched at his shoulders. He was so strong, so solid, and so wonderfully focused on her.
His nose nuzzled against hers, and his breath puffed gently against her lips. “Abby.”
She lifted her gaze to meet his and stiffened. His eyes were glowing and red.
“I have no control over it,” he whispered. “You will always know when I long for you.”
Her hands delved into his soft hair and she cradled his head. “I thought you were planning to kiss me?”
A corner of his mouth curled up. “I don’t need to ask permission?”
“I changed my mind.”
“I always knew you were brilliant.” He touched his lips to hers gently, then pulled back a fraction, waiting.
She closed her eyes, savoring the tension that hummed in the air between them, a dam about to break. And it did.
It shattered into a million pieces. He planted his mouth on hers, devouring her with passion.
She rode along on the flood, clinging to him as he held her tight. His lips were sweet and relentless. He tasted her, nibbled and coaxed till he took full possession, invading her with his tongue.
Heat and desire washed over her. A tiny voice in the back of her mind warned her she was in over her head, but she didn’t care. She’d never been kissed like this. She could drown in his desire and beg for more. His passion pounded against her, one wave after another, lifting her higher and higher.
She groaned with disappointment when he suddenly broke off the kiss. “Gregori—”
“They’re coming.”
“You can—” Of course, she realized. He could hear.
“Charles and Angus,” he whispered, his eyes gleaming red in the darkness. “They came out the side entrance. Charles must have gone to the security office to make Angus unlock a door.” He tightened his grip on her. “Trust me.”
Everything went black for a second, then she stumbled onto the ground.
“Are you all right?” He steadied her.
Hell, no. Her knees were wobbly, her heart was pounding, and her lips were still tingling. By George, that man can kiss.
She’d done it. She’d kissed him. She reached up to touch his cheek.
He turned his head to kiss her palm. “They’re coming.”
She looked around, but only saw trees. “Where are we?”
“At the back of the garden. You asked for a tour, and being a gentleman, I naturally obliged.”
“Really?”
“That’s our story, and we’re sticking to it.” He took her hand and led her down a path she could barely see in the moonlight.
In the distance, she saw Charles running toward the gazebo. Angus MacKay followed behind, his kilt swishing about his knees. She withdrew her hand from Gregori’s. Their moment alone was over.
“Miss Tucker!” Charles disappeared inside the gazebo, then emerged seconds later. “She’s not here!”
“Charles!” She waved at him and quickened her pace until she reached a well-lit area. “I’m fine!”
Relief swept over his face, quickly replaced by anger. “Don’t ever do that again!”
“I was perfectly safe,” she assured him. “I just wanted to see the garden.” She glanced at Gregori, and thankfully his eyes were no longer red and glowing.
Charles shot a suspicious look at Gregori, then turned back to her. “I should take you back to the hotel now.”
She nodded. “In a moment. Mr. MacKay, I understand you’ve been making plans for my trip. I want Gregori to come with me.”
“Och, is that so?” Angus’s eyes twinkled with humor. “I’m sure that can be arranged. If Gregori is willing.”
“I am,” he said quietly.
Abigail touched his arm. “Can you come to the White House tomorrow night and explain your plans to my father? I’d like to get his okay, so we can proceed as soon as possible.”
Gregori nodded. “I can do that. Why don’t you and Charles head toward the limo? I’ll fetch your plant from my office and bring it to you.”
“All right. Thank you.”
His mouth curled up. “I hope you enjoyed the tour.”
Her face warmed. She watched as he dashed toward the building at an incredible speed.
“He moves awfully fast,” Charles muttered.
“Yes.” Her blush grew hotter. It had taken him only a few nights to make her melt in his arms.
Angus led her and Charles back to the side entrance at a much slower pace. By the time they reached the foyer, Gregori had returned with the plastic container containing the plant she wanted to examine.
Angus entered the code to unlock the front door. “Rest assured, lass, that we will do everything in our power to keep you safe on yer trip.”
“Thank you.” She stepped outside.
While Charles circled the limo to the driver’s seat, Gregori opened the back door for her. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yes.” She tried not to blush as she climbed into the car.
He leaned over and whispered, “Take a look inside the box.” He winked, then shut the door.
As Charles drove away, she peeked inside the plastic container. Inside there was a dried root wrapped in plastic. And a note.
She opened it and found a number scrawled at the top.
My dear Scholar,
Here’s my cell phone number. If you’re alone any time at night and wish to see me, call and I will come.
And remember—with love, anything is possible.
She sighed. If only that were true.
She was falling in love with him. But it was still impossible.
Chapter Eighteen
The next evening, Abigail headed upstairs to the family floor so she could check on her mother. She and her sister had flown back to D.C. that morning, and she’d spent the rest of the day at the lab, gathering information for the meeting tonight with her father. And Gregori.
By George, that man can kiss. Prunella Culpepper had been right about that. She’d hardly slept a wink last night. Memories of kissing Gregori had filled her mind, and she’d relived the scene over and over, treasuring each detail she could recall and eventually imagining what could have happened if they hadn’t been interrupted.
She tightened her grip on the handle of her leather portfolio. She’d have to act cool at the meeting with her father. Not stare at Gregori with red-hot cheeks. Her files were inside the portfolio, along with Gregori’s note, safely stashed away in a zippered pocket. Could she work up the nerve to call him? She would need to be alone to do it. She couldn’t let a Secret Service agent overhear her flirting with a vampire.
She hadn’t found a moment alone since sunset. She’d worked late at the lab with some other scientists. An agent had picked her up and delivered her to the White House. Even now, as she made her way to the clinic, there were Black Suits stationed here and there, always watching. Always on alert for danger. And no doubt they considered Gregori a danger.
She knew she should keep a distance from him. It was the smart thing to do, and all her life, she’d always done the smart thing. But it was already too late. She’d stepped off a cliff and didn’t know how to stop the fall. Wasn’t sure she even wanted to stop.
Falling for Gregori was a crazy, irresponsible act. Totally out of character for her. And totally exciting. How strange that it took an Undead man to make her feel so alive.
She nodded at the female agent who stood by the clinic door. Inside, she could hear laughter—her mother’s and Madison’s.
She slipped inside. “Hello.”
“Abigail!” Her mother waved her over. “We were just watching Madison’s commercial. Come and see it.”
“She already saw it live.” Madison reached for the remote control. “But if you’d like to see it again?”
“Sure. I’d love to.” Abigail hugged her mom and quickly looked her over. She looked tired with dark circles under her eyes. “Is Debra gone for t
he evening?”
“She’s on her dinner break,” Belinda said. She leaned close and whispered, “We’re not supposed to talk about vampires when she’s here. Top secret, you know.”
Abigail nodded, noting the twinkle in her mother’s eyes. All the recent excitement seemed to be invigorating her mother. Her sister, too. Madison had chattered nonstop all the way home about her new friends at the Digital Vampire Network. Maggie had given her a DVD of the pretend commercial she’d done with Phineas.
“It’s starting!” Madison hushed them.
Abigail sat and watched her sister and Phineas. “It’s really good.” Thank God Maggie hadn’t included the commercial she’d done with Gregori.
Belinda clapped her hands. “I love it. I’m so proud of you, Madison.”
“And guess what?” Madison jumped to her feet, grinning. “Last night I auditioned for a mortal role on one of their soap operas. They usually have vampires play those roles because mortals don’t know about DVN, but Gordon—he’s the director—he said it doesn’t work very well ’cause everyone can tell they have fangs. So there’s a good chance that I could get on one of their shows and be a real actress!”
“Wow.” Abigail glanced over at their mom, who looked more alarmed than happy. “That’s really exciting, Maddie.”
“I know!” Madison clasped her hands together with a dreamy look. “I could be a real star.”
“I thought you said the commercial was pretend, just for fun,” Belinda said. “I didn’t realize you were serious about acting.”
“I didn’t realize I’d be so good!” Madison exclaimed.
“But what about art school?” Belinda asked.
Madison waved a dismissive hand. “I’m only going there ’cause I didn’t know what to do with myself. I’m not all that good at art, you know. But Maggie said I show real potential for acting. And Gordon said I look fabulous in front of the camera.”
“Yes, dear, you do,” Belinda conceded, “but this is a vampire network.”
Madison blinked. “So?”
Abigail winced inwardly with a sinking feeling.
“I’m delighted you were able to discover a new talent,” Belinda continued. “But you need to develop it among your own kind. DVN is not the sort of environment you should be visiting every night.”
Madison looked stunned. “Why not?”
“All this excitement lately over vampires—it’s been great fun, but . . .” Belinda sighed. “It’s a nice world to visit, but you don’t want to live there.”
Madison frowned. “You have something against vampires?”
“I’m sure some of them are very nice, but—let’s be honest about this, Maddie. They’re dead. I don’t want you to get involved with any of them.”
“But I wouldn’t,” Madison insisted. “I’m not attracted to any of them.” Her gaze shifted to Abigail.
Please don’t say anything, Abigail beseeched her with her eyes.
Madison’s frown deepened. “I don’t understand, Mom. It’s not like you to be so . . . prejudiced.”
“I don’t mean to be rude. I just don’t want you to form a relationship with any of them. Think about it. They can live for centuries, right? They would either tire of you after a few years, or they would insist on making you a vampire. How can I possibly condone that?”
Madison bit her lip and glanced at Abigail. “Some might think it’s romantic.”
Belinda scoffed. “Only in fiction. In reality, he would be killing you.”
Abigail swallowed hard. Her mom was bringing up valid points. Even she had warned Madison several nights ago that falling for a vampire was sheer folly.
It was like that old saying her grandmother used to joke about. If you’re going to fall in love, it might as well be with a rich man. And if she was going to fall in love, why couldn’t she find a live man?
Her shoulders slumped. She needed to admit the truth. A relationship with Gregori was truly impossible. But how could she possibly find anyone as wonderful as him? He was everything she’d ever dreamed of. Except for the vampire part.
Madison stuck out her bottom lip. “I thought you would be happy for me. I really want the job at DVN.”
Belinda sighed. “It would worry me too much for you to be around vampires.”
Madison huffed. “But Abby’s going to be around them when she goes to China!”
Abigail jerked up in her seat and shook her head.
“What?” Belinda gave her a shocked look. “You’re doing what?”
Madison winced. “Sorry, Abby. I thought she knew.”
Abigail shot her an annoyed look, then turned to her mother. “It’s a research trip, that’s all. Just a few days.”
Belinda’s eyes narrowed. “Is your research connected to me?”
“It’ll be fine, Mom. The Vamps will only be there to protect me. They’re super strong and fast. They have special abilities like superheroes.”
“Yeah!” Madison nodded. “It’ll be like traveling with Superman and the Justice League!”
Belinda frowned. “I don’t think you should go.”
“Mom—” Abigail started to say she was doing it for her, but that would only make her mother more opposed to the trip. “I need to do this.”
Belinda’s eyes shimmered with tears. “Sweetie, my health is my problem. You can’t take responsibility for everything.”
Abigail blinked to keep her eyes from misting up. “How can I live with myself if I don’t try everything I can do?”
A knock sounded at the door, and the Secret Service agent cracked it open. “The meeting has started in the Oval Office. The president requests Miss Abigail’s attendance.”
“I’ll be right there.” She stood and picked up her portfolio. “It’ll be fine, Mom.”
Her mother sighed wearily. “I hope so.”
She waved at Madison as she crossed the room. “See you later.”
“Good luck.” Madison eased up close to her and lowered her voice. “With everything.”
Was she referring to Gregori? “Thank you.” Thank you for not mentioning him to Mom.
With a smile, Madison patted her on the shoulder. “You’ve always worked so hard. You deserve to be happy.”
So Madison approved? Abigail nodded and left the room.
Sure, she wanted to be happy, but could happiness be found with a vampire? She’d certainly felt happy in Gregori’s arms last night, but what if that sensation proved to be fleeting? Could her happiness endure if it made her parents unhappy? What if her mother was right and Gregori’s attraction to her faded away as she grew older? What if he expected her to become a vampire, too?
She shuddered. Kissing Gregori was one thing, but getting involved to the point that he’d want her to become a vampire, too—that was really frightening.
She should stop this now before she fell totally, irreversibly in love. Stop falling in love? A chill prickled the back of her neck.
It might already be too late.
Gregori stood when Abigail entered the Oval Office. His chest tightened, and he fought an urge to pull her into his arms. She was wearing a lab coat as if she’d just come from work, and she had a leather portfolio gripped in one hand.
“Good evening.” He kept his face blank.
She glanced at him and nodded. “Gregori.” She smiled slightly at her father and the CIA director, Nick Caprese. “I hope I didn’t miss anything important.”
“We’re just getting started.” Her father motioned to the couches, then sat in the chair at the head of the coffee table.
Gregori sat to the president’s right and set his folder on the coffee table. Abigail took a seat on the couch across from him, next to Caprese. She must be trying to keep a distance from him. Hopefully that only signified she was trying to keep their relationship a secret. He didn’t want to consider that she might be having second thoughts.
She laid her portfolio on the couch beside her, then shifted her gaze straight to her father.
<
br /> “Gregori teleported straight to this office from New York,” the president told her. “Very impressive. And he tells me you practiced teleporting with him last night and did extremely well.”
She nodded. “Yes.”
She was purposely trying not to look at him, Gregori thought. “I was just telling the president and Mr. Caprese about MacKay Security and Investigation.”
“And I verified with the British prime minister that they have a good working relationship with Angus MacKay and his employees,” Caprese said.
“Excellent.” The president turned to Gregori. “So you were about to tell us about a plan you developed with Mr. MacKay?”
“Yes.” Gregori opened his folder. “Angus and I selected the members for the team last night. We’re calling it the A-Team. A for Abigail.”
Her father smiled. “I like it.”
Gregori glanced at Abigail. She was focused on his folder, her cheeks slightly flushed.
He picked up the paper on top. “This is a brief bio and photo for the team captain, J.L. Wang. He speaks fluent Mandarin and can blend in among the locals. He’s been a vampire for two years. Before that, he was a FBI special agent stationed in Kansas City. For the past year, he’s been head of security for the West Coast Coven, headquartered in San Francisco.”
“Sounds good.” The president scanned J.L.’s profile, then passed it on to Caprese, who glanced at it, then set it on the coffee table.
Abigail slid the paper closer to her so she could see it.
Gregori picked up the next profile. “The second vampire on the team is Russell Ryan Hankelburg. He was a major in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. He’s an expert in weaponry and survival techniques.”
The president looked over his profile. “He was declared MIA in 1971. What happened to him?”
“He was discovered by some MacKay employees a year ago in a cave in northern Thailand,” Gregori said. “We believe he was in a coma for thirty-nine years. Angus managed to revive him by transforming him. The minute he heard about this mission, he volunteered. He’s eager to serve his country once again.”
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