Even though Vivienne didn’t dance around him, careful of her every word and action because of his relation to the king and queen, barriers divided them. They couldn’t have anything else.
She wasn’t just some stunningly beautiful woman. She was the king’s employee. His bodyguard.
There needed to be space between them.
Marius knew that. It made sense.
So why did stepping back and creating more space between them hurt so much? Why did he desperately want to pull her against him? Why did he want to find out if the rest of her was as soft as her hand?
Whatever the reason, he’d have to address it later.
Vivienne tugged on the saddle and patted Azil’s flank affectionately. “It’s safe. You should mount; I don’t want to linger here.”
She glanced at the bodies nearby, grimacing. He felt the same way. Death remained in these woods, even now.
Grunting in agreement, Marius swung up into the saddle. He settled into his seat, the comfort of being back on a horse diffusing some of the tension he’d been carrying since walking the silver planes.
Once he was settled and holding the reins, he glanced at Vivienne. Her sword was strapped to her back, and she’d quickly braided her hair into a crown.
“What about you? Are you riding with me?”
Despite his earlier thoughts, he couldn’t help but hope she would share the horse with him. They would be forced to sit close and touch, and even though his mind remembered that she was his bodyguard and they needed to keep things platonic between them, his body didn’t seem to be getting the message. He could imagine her weight pressed againsthis front, her cooler body sitting rigidly in the saddle until she relaxed into his arms.
A smile tugged on his lips at the thought.
Instead of answering, Vivienne rolled her shoulders. She stretched out her arms and cracked her neck to the left, then the right. Her black eyes twinkled as she straightened and flashed him the first genuine smile he’d ever seen her give.
It was a beautiful sight, and he had to remind himself that these were inappropriate thoughts he could never act on.
“Oh, don’t worry about me, Prince.” She waggled her brows. “You ride. I’ll keep up.”
The promise in her voice intrigued him. He couldn’t wait to find out what she was planning.
Casting one final curious glance at the vampire, Marius dipped his head, whispered a command to Azil, and squeezed his thighs.
The horse took off, breaking into a gallop. Azil’s hooves pounded against the snow as though she’d been born to run through forests, and pulling carriages had just been something she did to pass the time.
The forest was a green, white, and brown blur.
It was beautiful.
A laugh bubbled up inside Marius as the cool breeze caressed his cheeks. He leaned back in the saddle, tipping his head to the sky. Snow danced from the clouds, and the moon glowed in approval.
Thiswas freedom.
It was cold and moonlit and tasted like new experiences.
He wanted more. He wanted it all.
Then he looked to his right.
Vivienne was running next to Azil like she was one with the wind. She glided alongside the steed, her movements graceful and dancelike. Power infused her every action, and she glanced up at him, grinning.
She was a beautiful creature of the night, fully in her element.
Minutes passed. He rode, and she ran.
A fallen log covered the road ahead. Had they still been in the carriage, it would have been problematic.