He lifted his eyebrows. Did she think he was operating in the thousands? “Well, thank God I’m with a scholar. I’m sure you can devise a formula for determining the correct number.”
She frowned at him. “It’s none of my business.”
“No, it’s not.” He gulped down the last of his Bleer.
She drank some of her soda.
So he hadn’t been a saint. She had no right to judge him. He clunked his empty glass onto the table. “After about five thousand or so, I stopped counting.”
She gasped. “Five thousand?”
He glowered at her. “I was kidding.”
“It’s not amusing.”
“I’m not laughing.” He leaned toward her. “Why are you so prickly all of a sudden? Are you jealous?”
She snorted. “Jealous of what?”
“Five thousand make-believe lovers.”
She lifted her chin. “If you must know why I’m upset, it’s because I have serious doubts you can be trusted. I don’t want to be left abandoned in the middle of China while you take off chasing women.”
“China? Is that where we’re going?”
“We aren’t going anywhere. I’ll have to report to my father that you’re not suitable.”
Shit. He loosened his tie. The personal insult was bad enough, but he had too many Vamps depending on him to make sure the alliance with the president went through.
He twisted to face Abigail, resting one arm across the back of the booth and the other along the table. “You judge me guilty without a trial? Where’s your evidence? How many women here have I slept with?”
She shrugged.
“The answer is none,” he continued before she could answer. “If you don’t believe me, call them over and ask them yourself.”
“You would have slept with Prunella Culpepper if you had more time.”
“How do you know that?”
“You told her the sun was setting in thirty minutes, and you needed the entire night to worship and pleasure someone as beautiful as her.”
He snorted. “That was a rejection line. I turned her down.”
“Because you only had thirty minutes.”
“I’d take thirty minutes with you!” He froze. What the hell was he saying? She looked equally shocked, her pretty eyes wide and her soft lips parted. It had been so long since he’d kissed a mortal. Her lips would be warmer than a Vamp’s. Sweeter.
“Well, don’t you two look cozy?” an amused voice asked.
Gregori shifted to face front and gave Phineas an annoyed look. Abigail attempted to scoot farther away from him, but since his arm was stretched along the back of the booth, he grabbed on to her shoulder and blocked her movement. She nudged him in the side with her elbow.
“I’m having a great time!” Madison grinned as she sat down. “Dr. Phang is a wonderful dancer.”
“You’re pretty hot yourself.” Phineas winked at her. “You make the other chicks look half dead.”
Madison laughed, then beamed a smile at her sister and Gregori. “I’m glad you two are getting along. Dad will be so relieved.”
“Be sure and tell him that,” Gregori said with a smile that only wavered slightly when Abigail nudged him harder in the ribs.
“I’m going to get something to drink,” Phineas said. “Anybody want something from the bar?”
“I’m fine, thank you,” Abigail murmured.
“Me too.” Madison took a long drink from her martini.
“I’ll take another Bleer,” Gregori said.
Phineas nodded and strode toward the bar.
Madison set her martini glass down and gave him a confused look. “Did you say beer?”
“Bleer. Half blood, half beer,” Gregori explained. “It’s part of Vampire Fusion Cuisine. We call it VFC for short.”
“VFC?” Madison’s eyes lit up. “Oh my gosh, that’s like KFC, but for vampires.” She giggled. “You guys are so funny.”
Gregori smiled. “We aim to please.”
Abigail turned toward him an inquisitive look. “Is there a lab that comes up with this stuff?”
He nodded. “Romatech Industries.”
Her eyes widened. “The lab that invented synthetic blood?”
“Yes. That’s where I work.”
She blinked. “You have a job?”
He gritted his teeth and lowered his voice. “You think I spend my entire life partying?”
“So are all the Vamps here drinking Bleer?” Madison asked as she peered around the room.
“They could be drinking a number of things,” Gregori explained. “Straight synthetic blood in their favorite blood type or something like Chocolood, chocolate-flavored synthetic blood.”