“Forgive me, Your Grace, I must still be overwrought. Surely you didn’t come here to watch me weep like a silly schoolgirl. Somehow, I can’t seem to help myself. It’s not at all like me. I’ve never—” Before he realized what he was doing, Cole caught her bare hand in his, and brought it to his lips. His eyes didn’t stray from her face as he kissed the moisture from her fingers, tasting the salt of her sorrow. Her breath quickened behind her stays, and her gaze darted about the crowded park as though only just realizing what an exhibition they made. “Please don’t be kind to me,” she begged in a
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