Eloise felt a spark of feelings for Damien.

There was no mistaking what it was, and rather than ponder on it and keep it to herself, she thought to let Damien know there was hope for true feelings in their marriage.

"Well, give me a proper kiss. You’re not going to find any love in a peck," Damien said, yearning for more.

Eloise smiled at first, but couldn’t help laughing.

Damien’s response was exactly why she couldn’t deny she was starting to have feelings for him.

"I am quite serious," said Damien.

"And I know you are," Eloise replied.

Damien didn’t miss a beat and pulled Eloise closer before she changed her mind. "Can I kiss you?"

Eloise felt his words were more of a demand than a question, but she didn’t mind.

"You don’t have to ask," Eloise said, touching Damien’s face with the palm of her hand. "You are my husband."

"Don’t ever forget it," Damien said before leaning forward to initiate the second kiss.

"Lord Hawthorne!" Damien’s right hand curled, his knuckles turning white as his hand balled into a fist. It trembled after hearing his name.

"Ignore it," Damien whispered against Eloise’s lips.

Shortly, Damien’s lips were on Eloise’s, moving slowly to savour the moment between them.

Eloise’s lips moved with the same vigour as Damien’s. Her right hand slid from palming his face to touching his chest.

Eloise leaned back as Damien’s weight pressed down on her when he leaned forward.

"Lord Hawthorne!"

Eloise was brought back to her surroundings. For a moment, she forgot they were still in the carriage, surrounded by a crowd.

Eloise was the first one to pull away and notice the crowd had switched to town guards circling the carriage.

"Damien," she patted his chest in a panic. "Town guards."

Damien let out his frustrations by striking his fist against the side of the carriage.

"The one time you have shown your feelings, some bastard decides to interrupt us," Damien said, turning his attention to the group he wanted to strangle.

Outside the carriage, the path was blocked by town guards. Gage, Silas, and Aiden pointed their weapons back at the guards, protecting the carriage.

Eloise reached for Damien’s hand before he opened the carriage door. "The day isn’t spoiled. We may continue once we have left. My feelings won’t simply go away," she assured Damien.

Damien still didn’t like that the mood had been spoiled.

The moment was perfectly set for Eloise’s growing feelings to blossom rather quickly.

"It will be fine," Damien said, opening the door.

Eloise let go of Damien’s hand and patiently waited inside the carriage.

Damien stepped out of the carriage and tidied his shirt.

Gage closed the door to protect Eloise from a sudden attack.

"This better be important," Damien said, eyeing the captain of the guards.

"You are causing a ruckus in town. You must move your carriage-"

"Did it not look like we were preparing to leave? I swear, stupidity in this town is infectious. I am afraid to raise children here," said Damien.

"Be careful, Lord Hawthorne."

"For what? What law did I break for speaking the truth? It feels as though you blocked my carriage because you wanted to talk with me. Or is it my guard you fancy?" Damien said, purposely getting under the guard’s skin.

"Seeing that I have not broken any law, and I was about to leave, get out of my way. You heard my wonderful voice, just as you wanted, so move," Damien said, retreating inside the carriage.

"Next time-"

"It is the job of the town guards to keep order in the town, is it not? If there is a crowd getting out of hand, is it not your duty to keep it in order? Is that not what the money given by the people of this kingdom pays you to do?" Damien asked, looking over his shoulder.

"See, it all leads to you wanting to speak to me, but I am a happily married man," Damien said as he sat back down beside Eloise. "And I have no interest in men like you. Get out of my way so we may leave."

Gage closed the door for Damien. "Either move, or we fight through you."

"Move out!" The captain ordered the guards.

"They were trying to provoke you into a fight," Eloise assumed.

"They always do it and fail," Damien replied, palming his face. It took all his might not to strangle the men outside.

"Will we stay in the market?" Eloise asked, not wanting to leave.

"Why would we leave? We haven’t been in town for long," Damien answered. "The mood is spoiled, isn’t it?"

"No, I am enjoying myself, and I don’t regret the kiss. I do not think it is so bad that the guards disturbed us. I forgot we were in the carriage," Eloise admitted.

Eloise was grateful they did not get carried away and create a scandal.

Eloise held Damien’s hand and said, "As much as I would like to see that the estate is not on fire, I don’t want to return just yet. You might find yourself quite lucky to have another kiss. Perhaps when you least expect it."

"You are cruel," said Damien.

"I am not the one who spoiled our moment. It was the town guards, but you mustn’t dwell on it. Is it not good that I have shared my feelings for you and kissed you? I could have bottled it up and waited far later in our story," said Eloise.

"Don’t pout, Damien."

"I’m not pouting," Damien replied.

"Would you like another kiss now?" Eloise offered.

"I am not so desperate that I would take a pity kiss," Damien said, surprising Eloise with his answer. "Besides, I will have another kiss by the end of the day since you must kiss me before bed."

"Can’t we stop that deal now?" Eloise sighed.

"No. A deal is a deal. Surely, you wouldn’t like to be a woman who breaks her promises."

"You are the cruel one," Eloise said, forced to accept what she agreed to. "Where are we going now?"

"To get you a pretty necklace and jewels to match," Damien replied, coming out of his sunken place. "Then, to get you food. I notice you have been eyeing the stalls."

"I am hungry," Eloise confessed, sneaking a glance outside the window as the carriage started to move. "You look as though you must be fed."

"It isn’t food that I need to satisfy my hunger," Damien replied, his eyes drinking in Eloise’s appearance. He looked away, ridding himself of his thoughts to create a messy state in the carriage.

"Well, we should let food suffice for now," Eloise replied, not ready for the desires Damien was faced with.