Now her fangs were pressed against his neck, her usually slow-beating heart was making a concerted effort to race out of her chest, and she was far more affected by this encounter than she’d ever thought possible.
Judging by the prince’s rapidly beating heart and general rigidness, she wasn’t the only one affected.
You’re duty-bound to protect him, idiot.
The harsh, scolding voice echoed through Vivienne’s mind.
It took every ounce of discipline she’d gained over her century of life, but she slowly removed her fangs from the prince’s neck and eased off him.
Boundaries.
They were important.
She needed more of them. Right. Now.
Straddling Marius had been a bad idea, no matter her intentions. She couldn’t do that again. It had led to wholly inappropriate thoughts.
Rising to her feet, she held out her hand in offering.
She would not apologize for attacking the prince. She’d just been proving a point, and she was certain she’d done that. It was her job to knock some sense into him. She probablyshouldapologize for scenting him, but at this point, that was neither here nor there.
Besides, the prince smelled far too good for a man who had been living in the woods for a week. There was just something about his scent that appealed to her. He’d felt good beneath her, too.
Too good, if she was being honest.
Gods, reinforcing boundaries had never been so difficult.
The prince was still on the ground. He looked relaxed, his elbows supporting his weight as he lifted his head and glanced at her extended hand, raising a brow. His lips twitched into a smirk, which made him far too attractive.
How frustrating.
She was his guard. That was supposed to be the end of their relationship. The problem was, he was making that harder to remember with every passing moment.
“You’re stronger than you look, Viv,” he said.
She ignored the nickname because it was making her feel things she had no business feeling. “I’m a soldier. Strength is a job requirement.”
Marius was still relaxing on the ground, as if they weren’t surrounded by tombs full of undead vampires. “I suppose it is. You know, I’m glad you’re on my side. Having you with me will make things a lot easier.”
It took a moment for his meaning to settle in her mind, but when they did, she stumbled back.
What? No.
He’d completely missed the point of her demonstration.
“I think you’ve misunderstood what I was trying to show you,” she ground out through clenched teeth, glaring at the prince and balling her fists.
He hopped to his feet without her help.
“No, I don’t think so.” The prince strode across the clearing and retrieved his dagger.
“You wanted to show me that vampires are strong. I understandthat.” Marius sheathed the blade forcefully. “In fact, I think I probably have a greater understanding of that than most people.”
Vivienne nodded. “Exactly. That’s why we should turn back.”
“No.” He sounded so sure. So confident.
Infuriating man.