Turning, she headed for the door.
“Wait,” he growled from behind her. “We aren’t done discussing this.”
Her retreat never faltered. “A discussion implies an equal exchange of ideas. You were giving me a command and expecting me to obey.” Reaching the door, she paused to glance over her shoulder. “I don’t take orders from you.”
A scowl pinched his brows together, his fangs fully displayed, but before he could continue the argument, she was out the door and headed back to her rooms.
Over the next few hours, Fallon spent her time either monitoring the bowls or resting in her bedroom.
She wasn’t hiding from Cyn. Of course she wasn’t.
It was just that . . .
Okay, she’d been hiding. With a grimace, she forced her feet to carry her down the stairs and through the vast catacomb of rooms.
Being around the vampire clan chief was like being thrown into a raging storm.
She’d lived her life in endless golden peace. No changes. No surprises. Just one sunny day after another.
Now she was suddenly staying in a dark castle, spying on demons who could crush her with a mere thought, and stuck with a vampire who turned her into a woman she didn’t recognize.
She should have been horrified. Instead, she’d never felt more alive.
Suddenly she was surrounded by a whirlwind of emotions. Fear, annoyance, excitement, and a potent desire that haunted her even when she was asleep.
It was no wonder her instincts were warning her to try and minimize the impact of this world on her.
It would be hard enough to return to her homeland when this strange adventure came to an end. How much harder would it be if she allowed herself to become even more addicted to the intoxicating feelings that sizzled through her?
But waking just as dusk was falling, Fallon had come to a firm decision.
No more hiding.
She didn’t know how much time she was going to have in this world. She was going to savor every second.
With her decision made she’d hopped into the shower, then defiantly pulled on the jeans and lavender sweater that Cyn had given her. With her hair left loose to tumble down her back and her cheeks flushed, Fallon barely recognized herself in the mirror.
Gone was the perfectly groomed princess, and in her place was the real woman beneath the fa?ade.
Her father would be horrified.
Moving from room to room, Fallon had finally halted in the paneled chapel, her fingers reaching to lightly trace the delicately carved altar. She didn’t need to be told that it was the work of Cyn. It was obvious in every perfect line and curve that created the image of a sturdy tree growing out of the tiled floor.
Right on cue Fallon felt the distinct chill that warned a vampire was approaching.
Slowly turning, she watched as Cyn appeared from the shadows, her breath squeezed from her lungs as she took in his large body covered by a pair of faded jeans and a cashmere sweater that was the precise jade green of his eyes. His blond hair was still damp from the shower and the braids that framed his bluntly chiseled face were threaded with tiny glass beads that caught the dim candlelight.
He was a big, gorgeous warrior with the soul of an artist.
Precisely the sort of man that had filled her girlish fantasies.
Excitement fluttered through the pit of her stomach, her heart pounding as he strolled past the pews to stand directly in front of her.
For a long minute he studied her in silence, taking a slow, thorough survey of her slender body. Starting at her feet that she’d left bare, his gaze traveled up the jeans that hugged her long, slender legs and then over the sweater that outlined the curve of her breasts. His nose flared, his hands clenching at his side as if he were battling a strong emotion.
“Exploring, princess?” he at last demanded, meeting her wary gaze.
Fallon stiffened, instantly assuming he was angry. “Is that against the rules?”
“There are no rules,” he instantly hastened to assure her. “You’re welcome to go wherever you want in my lair.”
“I am?”
He stepped close enough for her to feel the cool rush of his power wrap around her. Her skin prickled with awareness, her mouth dry as she resisted the urge to close the small space between them and press against his broad chest.
Crap. What was it about this vampire that set her senses on fire?
And why the hell couldn’t she feel this same blistering exhilaration with Prince Magnus?
It might not bring her complete happiness, but it certainly would make the marriage less of a burden.
“As you have pointed out, you are my guest,” he said, pretending that he couldn’t catch the scent of her stirring arousal.
“And only a few hours ago you were trying to get me to leave.” Her lips flattened. “In fact, you’ve been trying to get me to leave since we woke in the caves.”
He shrugged. “Clearly that’s not going to happen. At least not in the foreseeable future. So in the meantime I want you to feel at home here.”