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“Yves, please.”

Silence followed. Long enough for me to hear him understand everything I could not say.

Chapter 44

Immortelle

YVES

When her hand closed around the door handle, and she glanced back at me one final time, I was reminded of what I had told her in the dark. That I wanted her to keep looking at me as though I were different. That I wanted her to keep reminding me who I was.

She had hardly taken a step into the corridor before I caught her around the waist and pulled her back inside. Her breath left her in a startled rush as I closed the door, shutting out the distant sounds of the household, and pressed her back against it.

“What are you doing?” she demanded.

I caught both her wrists and pinned them above her head against the door, and she went still. Her cheeks were flushed. Her eyes shone with tears she was far too furious to shed.

She could have cursed me where I stood, or driven her knee somewhere I would have felt for the better part of an hour. I was willing to gamble everything I had on the possibility that she wanted to be exactly where she was.

“You’ve decided for the both of us that this is too dangerous to continue.”

Her lips parted. “Yves⁠—”

“Say I’m wrong.”

“If something happened to you because of me⁠—”

“Something has already happened to me because of you.” I pressed closer, close enough that her next breath was mine.

“You made me want my life, Cora.” My throat tightened around the admission. “And I can’t imagine a future without you in it.”

She lowered her gaze to my collar. “Don’t do this, Yves.”

“I know what you’re trying to protect me from,” I said. “I am not asking you to be safe for me, Cora. I’m asking you to stop deciding my risks on my behalf.”

She glared at me through her lashes with the whole force of the sea, but her heartbeat had changed. It had gone quick and light and irregular, and it gave her away as thoroughly as a confession.

“Let me ask you another question, ” I said. “Can you trust me?”

Her throat moved as she swallowed. “What if Renaud told someone⁠—?”

“I asked if you can trust me.”

She glanced away.

“Cora.”

Her attention snapped back, and she searched my face. I couldn’t promise her there would be no consequences. Rochefort would exploit any weakness he discovered. My court would gossip. All I could promise was that I would never be a man who stood by and let someone he loved slip away without telling them where he wanted them to be.

Finally, reluctantly, she whispered, “Yes.”

My hands flexed around her wrists. “Say it louder.”

“Yes, Yves.” Her chin lifted defiantly. “I trust you.”

“Good.” I ran my tongue along my lips. “Now, I’m going to give you something so you do not forget it.”

I caught her face between my hands and kissed her, tasting anger, fear, and the answer she had refused to give me aloud. Cora’s hands found my cravat, and she pulled until the knot came loose. I felt it slide from beneath my collar and fall somewhere near our feet. Her hands immediately went to the buttons of my shirt.