Instead of feeling reassured, she quickly analyzed his answer. "So you've bitten vampires for . . . other reasons?"
He looked surprised, then adjusted his tie. "You're a smart one, aren't you?"
"Then I'm right? You've bitten vampires?"
"Only women." He looked away, frowning. "In the right situation it can be a pleasurable thing."
A frisson of heat sizzled through her. "How?"
"You'll have to trust me on that." He glanced at her, and his eyes turned a more brilliant green. "Unless you'd like a demonstration?"
"No." She scooted farther away in the booth.
His jaw shifted as he reached for his drink. "I'm not a monster, Miss Tucker. I won't hurt you."
She winced inwardly. If only she could think of him as a monster. It might help her squash this strange attraction she felt for him. Could he actually make a bite feel pleasurable?
She watched him drink the red liquid topped with pinkish foam. When he licked the foam off his lips, her heartbeat sped up. By George, that man can kiss. She slapped herself mentally. Don't think about that! "What - what are you drinking?"
"It's called Bleer. Half synthetic blood, half beer. It's one of the more popular drinks in Vampire Fusion Cuisine."
Her mouth dropped open. Vampire Fusion Cuisine? She looked at the foamy drink, then back at Gregori. "Are you kidding me?" She reached for the glass.
"Abigail." He grabbed the glass, his hand covering hers. "Don't drink it. It could make you ill."
"I just want to smell it." She glanced up.
He was leaning toward her, his face close to hers. "Okay."
She inhaled deeply, then closed her eyes to concentrate on her other senses. The yeasty smell of beer and metallic scent of blood. And the warmth of his hand on hers.
She opened her eyes and found him studying her face. Her heartbeat screamed into overdrive. She set the glass down and pulled her hand away. "So you need blood to stay alive? You are alive, aren't you?"
He nodded. "At the moment, yes. My heart is beating just like yours." His mouth curled up, making his dimples show. "But not quite as fast."
Her face grew warm. So he could actually hear her heartbeat. She motioned toward Josh, who was standing two booths down and talking quietly on his cell phone. "Can you hear him?"
Gregori tilted his head as he focused on Josh. "Sparkle's still on the dance floor." He turned to her with a questioning look.
"We all have code names. Madison is Sparkle."
He smiled. "It suits her." He leaned close to Abigail, his eyes twinkling. "So what's your code name?"
She shrugged. "Not important."
"That's a lousy code name."
"That's not my - "
He chuckled. "Let me guess. Your sister is Sparkle, so you're . . . Brilliant."
"No." Her cheeks grew hotter.
"But you are brilliant."
Unfortunately, her face probably was a brilliant red.
"Well, if you refuse to talk, I have other ways of finding out." He glanced at Josh, who had put away his cell phone and was now murmuring to Charles on his wrist communicator. "Sailor? Who's that?"
"My dad."
Gregori's eyebrows lifted. "He didn't want to be an Admiral?"
"All of our names start with s. And Dad likes being Sailor. He's a Navy man, and he thinks it makes him sound humble."
Gregori gave her a dubious look.
"I know. He doesn't always appear very humble. But it's hard to look modest when you're trying to show a lot of confidence and competence as a leader." She ran a finger around the rim of her glass. "He's different when he's with us. Especially when he's with my mom. He loves her so much. When you're watching someone you love slowly die, and there's nothing you can do to stop it, it's very humbling."
Her hand stilled. What on earth was she doing? Opening up to a vampire? She glanced at Gregori. His eyes had a faraway look to them, a look of remembrance and pain.
She sipped some of her Diet Coke. He remained silent, and she wondered what sad place he had drifted off to.
She reached out to touch him, but changed her mind and lowered her hand to the table. "I'm sorry if I made you sad. I didn't mean to - "
"It's all right." He smiled, but the sadness lingered in his eyes. "I'm really sorry about your mother."
She blinked when tears threatened. It had been a long time since she'd talked to anyone about her mom. She usually kept her fears and anxieties bottled up. And when she was with her mom, she always tried to be cheerful. "Her code name is Serenity."
"That's an excellent name for her."
"Yes." Abigail clenched her fists, determined to keep her emotions in check.
Gregori rested his hand on top of hers. "It'll be all right."
She froze. His hand felt perfectly warm and human. And his touch was light and . . . tender. Her gaze darted to Josh, who was standing two booths to the right, and then Charles, two booths to the left. "I - "
"Sorry." Gregori lifted his hand. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
Uncomfortable? She was tempted to hold hands with him under the table. There was a kindness to him that she hadn't expected. It made him even harder to resist.
"You're a sneaky one." He eyed her with an obviously fake suspicion. "You never did tell me your code name." He eased closer. "Is that it? Sneaky?"
She shook her head, smiling. This was more of his kindness. He was teasing her out of her moment of sadness. And making her like him even more.
"I know! It's Secret, because you live a secret life."
She shook her head again. "It's not anything very exciting."
"Hmm." He studied her closely. "Sweet? Sugar? Spicy?"
She grinned.
"Sex Kitten?"
She laughed. "Are you crazy?"
"It sounds right to me."
She shook her head, ignoring the heat of her blush. "They based it on my . . . brain."
"Ah." He gave her a wide-eyed innocent look. "Simpleton?"
"What?" She swatted his shoulder. "How dare you?"
He laughed. "I'd rather have you attacking me than scooting away. We've moved halfway around the booth."
She pressed a hand against her hot face. "I'm sorry."
"It's all right." He leaned closer. "So your code name is . . . Scientist? Super Brain? Smarty Pants?"
She laughed. "I'm Scholar."
"Scholar?"
"I warned you. It's not very exciting."
"Oh, but it is." He tugged at one of her curls, then let it go. "I can't imagine anything more exciting than a . . . scholarly pursuit."
She gulped. Was he making a pass at her? A part of her leaped with joy that such a handsome, charming, mysterious man could desire her. But another part warned her he was impossible. Completely, irreparably impossible. She couldn't allow herself to fall for a vampire.
Besides, Pru and Constanza were probably right. Why would he be interested in a mortal when so many Undead women wanted him? She had to seem boring compared to vampire women who could have sex on the ceiling.
A terrible thought weaseled into her mind. What if he was just pretending to like her for political reasons? He might be charming her to ingratiate himself and his kind with her father. A playboy would be an expert at charming women.
She groaned inwardly. It was foolish, wishful thinking to believe Gregori was attracted to her. The guys who usually gravitated toward her were the geeky type - lanky build, nerdy glasses, and totally immersed in science. She'd dated a few like that in college and grad school. The relationships had been . . . comfortable.
But they were not the men she dreamed about. After years of listening to her mother's audio books, she'd found herself wanting more than comfortable. She wanted heat and passion. Desperate desire. She wanted to long for a man who would long for her. She wanted a man who believed she should be worshipped and pleasured to her heart's content. All night long.
She'd feared such men existed only in fiction.
Now she feared they were all too real.
She couldn't let herself fall for a vampire. Or a playboy. A vampire expected sex on the ceiling. A playboy would find her sister attractive. Not her.
She sighed. "I know about you."
His green eyes widened. "What do you know?"