Lucian followed her line of sight and cursed. “I’ve been trying to fit him into my schedule. The man is as slippery as I am.”
“Then you should go,” Abbey said. “We’re here to do business, right?
“I wouldn’t recommend taking Abbey over there,” Melissa said. “The governor has an eye for beautiful mortals and I think it’d be wise to keep her out of his view. Don’t you agree?”
Lucian agreed without hesitation. “I’ll speak to him another time.”
“I’m not going to be the reason you didn’t get your work accomplished,” Abbey said.
“Let me be clear,” Lucian said, turning his full attention to her. “I will ensure your safety tonight. Keeping you in one piece is more important than any work I can get done in this crowd. I’ll make time for him later.”
The words warmed her all the way down to her toes. But even so, she wasn’t going to be a liability to her lover. “I’ll be fine by myself,” she said, patting her purse. “Go do what you need to do.”
“I’ll stay with her,” Melissa offered.
Lucian wavered.
“Look, that’s a good plan,” Abbey said.
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Are you sure? I wouldn’t risk leaving you with anyone else, but I trust Melissa with my life. You will be as safe with her as with me.”
“Go,” Abbey said with a smile. “Do what you need to do.”
Lucian leaned down and touched her cheek gently. “Thank you. I won’t be long.”
She reached up and brushed her thumb over his cheek. “Go take care of your business, Lucian. But hurry back.”
With a slight smile, he leaned in closer and pressed his lips over the pulse in her neck. Without another word, he straightened and left, striding gracefully through the crowd.
Abbey smiled to herself until she noticed she was getting more attention than she was comfortable with. All the vampires in their vicinity seemed to be studying her with undue scrutiny. She turned to Melissa only to find the socialite looking at her with the same interest.
“What?” she demanded. “Did I commit a vampire faux pas or something?”
“Not you,” Melissa said. “But what my sire did just now is a very…intimate symbol among my kind.”
“Huh?”
“You allowed Lucian near your throat without hesitation, even knowing the power of his fangs. Vampires do not expose their throats to each other. We are too vicious, you see, to be trusted with such temptation. Offering or allowing a parting kiss of that nature is a very old, very personal gesture. I believe it was my sire’s way of showing everyone his respect for you.” Melissa’s eyes studied her. “And your trust of him.”
“Everyone is staring.”
“Of course they are. I doubt Lucian has used that parting in anyone’s memory. Come, let’s find an exhibit and keep you away from prying eyes. Any more of this and you will be the talk of the night, not the cancer research.”
Abbey followed gratefully, needing a respite from the crush. She trailed Melissa into the Greek section of the museum and stared at the art with unseeing eyes.
“What are you doing with Lucian?” Melissa asked as she perused the statues around them.
A blush heated her cheeks. “Nothing really.”
The look the socialite shot her was full of amusement. “Is that what mortals are calling sex these days?”
Her blush intensified. Trying to avoid the prying vampire, she stared blindly at the white bust heads surrounding the chamber.
“Come now, Abbey. When you’ve lived as long as I have, you are not squeamish to speak of such things. Do you think I’ve never met one of my sire’s lovers before?”
“It’s not serious. I swear. I’m working hard to find suitable matches to set him up with. We truly want you to join Fated Match and will do whatever we can to satisfy both you and your sire.”
Melissa’s laugh was light. “I’d give up wanting to join Fated Match in a heartbeat if it meant Lucian would find someone who wakes him up to the twenty-first century.”
“It’s not like that,” she protested. “After all, I’m only human.”
The laughter stopped. “Only human,” Melissa said. “Words every one of us in this place could have said at one time or another.”
Abbey hesitated. “Lucian told me never to ask about the transformation. It’s very private.”
“It is,” she agreed. “Vampires do not like to share such information with just anyone. For many, it is a painful memory.”
“Is yours?” The words popped out before she could call them back. “Forgive me. I didn’t mean to pry.”