Gregori patted him on the back. "I was just telling Laszlo last night that you were interested in going to China. So we thought you might like this plant."
"Yes." Laszlo handed her a plastic container. "It's a rare plant from the Yunnan province."
She gasped. "That's exactly where I want to go." She took the container. "Thank you, Laszlo."
"Glad to help." He plucked at a button. "I think I'll be going now." He scurried back down the hallway to his lab.
"Is he all right?" Abigail asked.
"Sure." Gregori opened the door to his office. "He's just a little shy."
Charles rushed forward to enter the office first. He pivoted, looking about, then motioned for Abigail to enter.
"It's very ni - " She halted when Charles jumped back from the closet he had just opened.
"Please step out of the room," he said quietly as he pulled a cell phone from his pocket. "I'm calling the police."
"What?" Gregori asked.
Charles gave him a disgusted look. "There's a female body in your closet."
Gregori scoffed. "You mean VANNA? She's not alive."
Abigail gasped.
"I mean she was never alive!" Gregori strode toward the closet.
Charles grabbed his arm. "You can't go in there. It's a crime scene."
"Don't be ridiculous." He flipped on the lights in the closet. "You see? It's a doll."
"A doll?" Abigail moved closer. "In a red bikini?"
Charles held up a hand to stop her. "Stand back. I'll investigate the matter." He eased inside the closet.
"Oh come on," Gregori growled. "It's just a stupid doll."
Charles leaned over to inspect VANNA. "It looks like a sex toy." He shot another disgusted look at Gregori. "The ribbon around its neck could be used to simulate strangulation."
Abigail stiffened. A horrified look flitted over her face, then she ran from the room.
"Abby!" Gregori followed her. "It's not what you think."
She turned to face him. "What should I think? That you've been strangling a life-sized sex toy in your closet?"
"No! VANNA is a Vampire Artificial Nutritional Needs Appliance. Laszlo and I invented her. He put in some tubes to simulate veins and a battery-operated pump to make synthetic blood flow through her. But it didn't work. Her skin is too rubbery for biting."
"You bit her?"
"No! Not me. It was Roman."
"Talking about me?" Roman sauntered down the hall toward them.
Gregori winced. Now he'd made his boss sound like a perv. "They found VANNA in the closet."
Roman chuckled. "Don't let VANNA upset you, Miss Tucker. She was a failed experiment from a few years ago."
"Oh." She gave Gregori a wry look. "And yet, she's still in your closet."
"I was going to give her to Connor for his five-hundredth birthday. As a gag gift. That's why there's a bow around her neck. But Connor just got married, and . . . I don't think his new wife will appreciate it."
Roman laughed. "No, definitely not."
Charles stepped into the hall, carrying VANNA. "It's harmless. Sorry for causing you alarm, Miss Tucker."
Gregori grabbed the doll and bent her over his arm. "See the opening we cut in her back to insert a circulatory system?" He peeled back the rubber skin to show her.
"Interesting," she murmured.
"We thought VANNA might be useful for Vamps who were still addicted to biting," Roman explained. "I know it must seem a bit odd, but our ultimate goal is to protect mortals and keep them from being attacked."
"I see." She nodded. "She's a substitute victim."
"Exactly." Gregori straightened the doll. When Abigail frowned, he realized his hand was planted on VANNA's breast. He quickly lowered it to her waist.
"Would you like to see how we manufacture synthetic blood?" Roman asked Abigail. "I'd be happy to take you on a tour and answer any questions."
"That would be wonderful." She smiled. "Thank you."
Roman patted Gregori on the back. "You look like you could use a break."
"I'm okay." Just one near disaster after another. Laszlo reappearing, then VANNA. And the way Abigail had seen right through him, opening his eyes. He'd marketed himself to make everyone in the Vamp world like him. The truth was there was no way to please everyone. He should just be himself and only worry about the people he truly cared about.
Like Abigail.
"Maybe you can use this?" She pulled a stress ball from her pocket. "I'm not sure how I got it, but your mother said it belongs to you."
He swallowed hard. "I slipped it into your pocket when you weren't looking. You can keep it. I have a bunch more."
"Okay." She stuffed it back into her pocket, apparently accepting his explanation.
"You can leave the plant in my office if you like," Gregori offered, and she handed the plastic container to him.
"We'll see you in about twenty minutes," Roman told him as he walked off with Abigail, Charles trailing behind.
Gregori went back into his office, set the plant on his desk, then tossed VANNA in the closet and shut the door. Unable to relax, he grabbed a stress ball and paced. When that didn't work, he retrieved a bottle of synthetic blood from his mini-fridge and gulped down half of it.
He strode to the security office to hear what plans Angus had come up with. Emma was gone, having teleported his mother back to the school. He sat across the desk from Angus, and the two were deep in discussion when the phone rang.
"Aye, he's here," Angus spoke on the phone. "I'll send him yer way." He hung up. "Roman finished the tour. He and the lass are looking for you."
Gregori dashed toward his office and ran into Roman, Abigail, and Charles in the hallway.
Roman turned toward her. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Tucker. If there's anything I can do for you, just let me know. And if you ever need a lab, you're welcome to use one of ours."
"That's very kind of you. Thank you." She smiled. "I'm going to recommend to my father that he befriend you and your people."
"Excellent." Roman shook her hand. "And we will do everything in our power to make your trip to China successful."
"I was with Angus just now, making plans for the trip," Gregori said.
"I'll leave you to discuss it. I need to see how my wife and children are doing. Good evening." Roman inclined his head, then teleported away.
"Wow," Abigail breathed. She turned to Gregori. "That's how I'll get into China?"
"Yes. But before you go, we'll have everything planned out. It would help if we knew exactly what you're looking for."
"Three rare plants that are endemic to the Yunnan province. They're used in some ancient Chinese remedies, and from my research, I believe they might be helpful in boosting my mother's immune system. I tried to get hold of some samples legally, but the government wouldn't allow it. I have the information on the plants at work, including the mostly likely areas for locating them."
"Good." Gregori nodded. "That would help a lot. For now, we're busy selecting the right team, those who have experience in covert missions and know the native language."
She frowned. "But you're going, aren't you?"
"I would like to, but I don't have any experience - "
"You have to go." She grabbed his arm. "I don't know the others."
"You'll get to know them."
"Not like you. I - I need you there. I trust you."
Trust. He didn't deserve her trust, not after wiping her memory.
Her grip tightened on his arm. "Please. I'll feel safer with you."
"I'll tell Angus you want me to go." Did this mean she really liked him? He glanced over at Charles, who was glaring at him. "Before we take off across the world, we need to test how well you can handle teleportation."
Her eyes widened. "What happens if I can't handle it?"
"You . . . might get nauseated." He pointed out the window. "See the gazebo? I'll teleport you there, so we can see if you can stomach it."
She touched her tummy and winced. "On a full stomach. Great."
"I don't like it." Charles stepped toward them. "I have to be able to monitor her at all times."
"You'll be able to see her through the window," Gregori assured him.
"Charles," Abigail said, "we have to know if I can do this."
"All right." Charles frowned at Gregori. "I'll be watching."
He extended a hand to Abigail. "I have to hold on to you."
"Okay." She placed her hand in his.
"Like this." He pulled her into his arms, and she stiffened with surprise. He heard her heart rate speed up.
Charles's eyes narrowed.
"And I need you to hold on to me," Gregori continued. "You don't want to get lost on the way."
"No, that would be bad." She wrapped her arms around his neck.
He gazed into her pretty hazel eyes. "Ready?"
She nodded and squeezed her eyes shut.
Everything went black for a second, then they landed by the gazebo. The grass was damp from a recent rain. The air was thick with humidity and the scent of climbing roses.
"You can open your eyes now," he whispered.
She did, and her eyes widened as she looked around. "Oh my gosh, we actually did it. I hardly felt a thing."
He waved at the window in the distance where Charles was watching. "Let him know you're okay."
"Right." She waved at the Secret Service agent. "I'm not nauseated at all. Isn't that great?"
"I . . . sorta lied about that. Mortals usually teleport just fine."
Her mouth dropped open. "Why would you lie?"
"Because I wanted to get away from all the cameras." He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the gazebo. "And away from Charles."
"He'll just come after us."
"He'll have trouble finding an unlocked door so he can get out here."
She winced. "This is going to make him angry."
"It'll be worth it." Gregori released her and stepped back. "Finally. We're alone."
Chapter Seventeen
Abigail's mind raced, along with her heart, as she mentally ticked off any reasons Gregori might have to be alone with her. Unfortunately, no matter how she figured it, she kept reaching the same conclusion: he was planning to seduce her.
It was dark inside the gazebo, so she couldn't see his expression to gauge how serious he was. His posture seemed tense.
She took a deep breath of the heady rose-scented air. "If you're concerned about the alliance, I can assure you that my father will honor - "
"I'm sure he will. That's not why I brought you here."
She swallowed hard. Seduction remained on top of the list. "If you're concerned about the doll we found, then you needn't be. Roman explained it all to me. He said you only bring her out of the closet for bachelor parties."
He nodded. "I never dated her. She's hard to talk to."
Abigail smiled weakly. "Well, you can always talk to me."
"That's exactly what I want to do."
She blinked. "It is?" What happened to seduction? Well, this was a relief. Or was it? She winced inwardly with a sudden realization.
She was disappointed.
Good Lord, she must be losing her mind.
He shifted his weight. "I want to talk about us."
Us? "I . . . hope we'll be traveling together to China in a few days - "
"How do you feel about me?"
She hesitated. What on earth could she say? That he was the most handsome, attractive, and charming man she'd ever met? That he was the sort of man she'd dreamed of? That she wanted him to long for her as much as she longed for him? That his act of stealing her away made her dizzy with excitement? He'd taken charge with boldness, and it made her knees tremble.
But how could she admit any of that? He was a vampire. As much as she yearned for heat and passion, she was still, underneath it all, a sensible, practical person. She couldn't fall in love with a vampire.
He yanked at his tie. "Are you . . . repulsed that I'm Undead?"
She winced. "No. You were attacked. You didn't ask for this. You did the best you could under the circumstances."
He stepped toward her, and she stepped back.
"Are you afraid of me?"
"Should I be?"
"I would never hurt you." He took another step toward her. "I'm going to kiss you."
Seduction. She'd been right all along. She stuffed her hands in her coat pockets. When she bumped into his stress ball, she clenched a fist around it. "Don't you think you should ask permission first?"
He shook his head. "If I ask, you might refuse."
Bold and aggressive. He sliced right through her defenses and seized hold of that secret primitive part of her that ached to be loved by such a strong, determined man. An Alpha hero like the guys in her mother's books. A man like Gregori who would take an entire night to worship and pleasure her to her heart's content.
But she couldn't give in. A relationship with him was impossible. Completely, irreparably impossible.