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He nodded, keeping his tone neutral. “It is not my first ever early ride. Ye know of this.”

Yvette’s lips pressed into a thin line, and he could sense her unease. It wasn’t anger exactly, but something hovered beneath the surface, unspoken and fragile. He considered asking whatwas on her mind but decided against it. He had learned long ago that Yvette rarely spoke before she was ready.

The silence between them stretched uncomfortably until it was broken by the hesitant voice of Mrs. Calloway.

“Pardon me, Your Grace,” she said, her gaze flickering nervously between the duke and duchess. “I was wondering if the guest room you used last night should be prepared for use again.”

Killian’s frown was immediate and deep. Yvette’s reaction was swifter—her eyes widened, her lips parted, and then a flush of anger crept across her cheeks.

“No,” he answered stiffly, so much so that the older woman didn’t hear him.

“Thank you, Mrs. Calloway,” Yvette said, her voice tight and controlled. “That will be all.”

Mrs. Calloway hesitated for a moment, glancing at Killian as though seeking confirmation. When none came, she nodded quickly and disappeared down the hall.

Yvette turned back to him, her amber eyes burning with hurt and fury.

“Killian,” she said sharply, her voice low enough that only he could hear. “I’d like to have a word with you in my chambers.”

He clenched his jaw but nodded, following her as she turned and strode purposefully toward her room. The awkwardness between them thickened, and he couldn’t help but feel that this was about far more than where he had slept the night before.

Inside her chambers, the faint scent of lavender and something uniquely Yvette filled the space. Killian stood near the door, his arms crossed as she closed it behind them and turned to face him. Her cheeks were still flushed, though whether from anger or embarrassment, he couldn’t tell.

“What is this I hear about you sleeping in a guest room?” she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.

Killian’s frown deepened.

“Ye were sleeping in my bed. Ye looked peaceful, and I didn’t want to disturb yer sleep.”

Her lips parted, her expression both disbelief and frustration. “Why couldn’t you sleep there too?”

“I didn’t think—” he started but he stopped.

Yvette pressed her lips together, her voice momentarily lost to the storm of emotions roiling within her.

“Am I to understand,” she began softly, her tone carefully measured, though her voice trembled faintly, “that sharing a bed with me is so intolerable, so wholly undesirable, that even after—” She paused, her cheeks flushing. “Even after last night, you felt compelled to leave?”

Killian’s jaw tightened, his expression unreadable. He shook his head, taking a deliberate step toward her, but she instinctively moved back, a barrier of distance she hadn’t consciously intended to erect.

“Ye misunderstand me,” he said at last, his voice low, yet his usual authority lingered within it. “I merely wished not to disturb yer rest, as I already mentioned.”

Her lips parted in disbelief, a bitter laugh threatening to escape but dying on her tongue.

“Considerate of you,” she replied, her tone laced with irony. “How very thoughtful to spare me the inconvenience of your presence.”

The words spilled from her before she could stop them, and she despised how raw, and how vulnerable she sounded. She had hoped that what had happened between them would possibly be the start of something new for them. But she her hope had failed her, and the sting of disappointment now cut deeply.

“Yvette,” he began, his voice softer this time, but she raised her hand, silencing him.

“I had thought,” she said, her words slower now, more deliberate, “that last night signified… something. A change, perhaps. A turning point for us.” Her voice faltered, and she hated the telltale tremor in it. “But I see now that I was mistaken.”

Killian’s brows drew together, his hesitation evident as he took another step forward.

“There is no denying the connection between us,” he said, his tone steady, though his gaze flickered uncertainly.

“But it would be unwise to complicate matters with unnecessary sentiment.”

Yvette blinked, his words landing with the force of a blow.