She leaned back in the Jacuzzi tub. “You wouldn’t believe the size of this bathtub I’m in.”
Madison giggled. “Are you alone?”
Abigail snorted. “Yes.” She’d locked the door so she could enjoy a long hot soak in the tub. “This place is beautiful. Full of art and antiques. And the garden outside is heavenly. Kyo must be awfully wealthy.”
“Really?” Madison sounded impressed. “Can I meet him?”
Abigail laughed.
Gregori suddenly materialized inside the room. She gasped and nearly dropped the phone in the water.
“Something wrong?” Madison asked.
“I . . . dropped the soap.” So much for locking a vampire out.
Gregori winked at her, then pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it on the floor.
She watched as his trousers hit the floor. Then his underwear. Good Lord, could any man be more gorgeous?
“Abby? Are you still there?”
“Yeah.” Abigail sat up so she could observe Gregori in the glass shower stall. “Tell Mom and Dad I’m fine.”
“Okay. What about the plants?”
What plants? Abigail watched as Gregori soaped up his body. Oh God, he was lathering up his groin.
“Abby? Hello? I think there’s something wrong with our connection. Did you look for your plants?”
Oh, plants! “Yes! We’re making excellent progress. We’ve already collected one and we know the location of the second.”
“Wow! That’s awesome!”
“Yes. Awesome,” she murmured as Gregori rinsed off. He turned his back to her, and rivulets of white lather slid down his back, then over his muscular buttocks and down his legs. “I need to go now, Maddie. Tell everyone I’m fine.” She hung up and dropped her phone on a white bathrobe she’d left on a nearby bench.
Gregori stepped out of the shower and smiled at her, his dimples showing. “Did you enjoy the show?”
“Yes.” Her gaze lowered to his groin. Wow. He was already semi-aroused.
He walked toward her. “That’s an awfully big tub.”
“Yes.” She sighed. “Totally selfish of me to keep it all to myself.”
“Naughty girl.” He grinned as he climbed in.
She moved over to make room for him, but he pulled her close into his arms. His eyes darkened to a red glow as he skimmed his hands over her rump.
“There’s something I need to tell you,” he began. “I don’t want you to get scared later.”
“You want me to stay here, don’t you?” She ran her fingers along his whiskered jaw.
“In the tub? Actually, I thought we might move to a bed.”
She poked a finger in one of his dimples. “I meant you want to keep me here in Japan.”
“Ah.” He teased the crevice between her buttocks. “You have to admit it’s much more pleasant here than a cave.”
“The plants are over there.”
“Yeah, but you’re safer here.” His eyes returned to their normal grayish-green. “Why not let us do the dangerous stuff?”
“How can it be dangerous? I have three Vamps, a tiger, and a bear to keep me safe.”
He gave her a dubious look.
“I can be very persuasive.” She smoothed her hand down his chest to his abs. “What can I do to convince you?”
He sucked in a breath when her hand circled his penis. “You’re on the right track.” His eyes turned red again.
“Well, it’s a big track.” She tugged gently. “Hard to miss.”
He winced. “You’re too smart for me, Scholar. I came in here to seduce you into staying, and you . . . you . . .” With a groan, he leaned his head back.
“Shame on you.” She kissed his ear. “Using sex to persuade me.”
He snorted. “And you’re not?” He grabbed her, and everything went black.
He tumbled her onto a bed. “We’ll see who can be more persuasive.”
Abigail smiled as she reached for him. He tried for several hours to persuade her, but in the end, she teleported back to the cave with him.
She woke hours later, cuddled beside Gregori on their sleeping bags. It seemed dark in the back of the cave, but then she noticed a wooden screen had been stretched across the cave, dividing it in half and blocking any sunlight that filtered through the entrance.
Back in the dark recesses of the cave, J.L. and Russell were in their sleeping bags sound asleep. It had to be daylight outside. The numbers on her digital watch glowed two-fifteen P.M. Good Lord, she’d slept most of the day away. Her body no longer knew night from day.
“Good afternoon,” she murmured to Gregori, wondering just how deeply a vampire could sleep. She kissed his cheek. Goodness, he was cold.