I opened right back, to a chorus of whistles from passersby, even a clap from the barman who had served us. When Matthew finally released me, I was completely out of breath.
“I don’t know what to say about you buying me off your cousin,” he said. “But I’ll never say no to kissing you in the open, duchess. Not when I’ve been dreaming about it for an entire year.”
“You’re not the only one who can take care of the people you love, you know,” I reprimanded him, even as I took his collar with both hands and pulled him close again.
He pressed his forehead to mine. “Love?”
I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the fear knotted in my stomach right alongside the joy when he looked at me like this. “It’s looking that way again, isn’t it?”
I could feel his smile curve against my lips.
“I’ll hold you to that, Ms. de Vries,” he said, and then kissed me again.