Tessa sighed loudly and turned to stare disapprovingly at the young man seated beside her in the carriage. "For the last time, my answer is no".

Raising an eyebrow, Will smirked. "Not even if I promise to behave in the most gentlemanly manner?". Tessa felt her resolve wavering, but remained resolute. "As much as I love you William Herondale, I have no desire to cause yet another public spectacle. It is not proper, and as your future wife, I will not permit you to subject our relationship to malicious gossip."

Will grinned at this outburst. "But Tessa my love, last time, it was purely chance that Tatiana Blackthorne happened to catch us in a compromising position, and that is only because she happened to recognize the carriage, and was looking for her brothers."

Tessa drew her eyebrows together and did her best to disguise her amusement behind an accusing glare. "I am fully aware of that. I am also very aware of the fact that this incident occurred while we were travelling through Hyde Park. And, if I am not mistaken, we have found ourselves in Hyde Park once again. I wouldn't like to make the same mistake twice."

"You wound me Tessa." Will placed a hand over his heart and leaned dramatically against the side of the carriage. "Our love is sacred and it could never be a mistake." he declared theatrically. Tessa opened her mouth to protest, but he continued:

"My dear I would like to draw your attention to the fact that you appeared to be enjoying yourself immensely at the time. You had climbed most determinedly into my lap mere minutes earlier. I do believe my lip is still a little tender from where you bit it …" Tessa swatted him in the forearm with the back of her gloved hand. "I never said I didn't enjoy it" She looked sideways at will with a conspiratorial smile. "I merely mean to say that I lack self control when it comes to you, and the slightest action can make it disappear entirely. And, since we are in a public place at present, I think it would be beneficial for you to assist me in retaining a small amount of dignity and decorum."

Will, encouraged rather than dissuaded by this argument, slowly reached a finger behind Tessa's ear and dislodged a single curl from its fastenings. Removing his black leather glove and tossing it onto the opposite seat, he wound the curl deftly around his fingers. He grinned when Tessa's breath hitched. His grin widened further when Tessa raised a hand to stop him, but merely wrapped her fingers lightly around his wrist, and didn't attempt to halt his attentions. Leaning in so his lips brushed the shell of her ear, he whispered, "How's your self-control fairing now?" Tessa's fingers tightened around his wrist, and he could see her fighting to school her features into a mask of indifference. But Will understood her too well to be fooled. He saw the corner of her mouth twitch, and chuckled to himself.

Tessa abruptly dropped her hand from his wrist and turned her head back to look out the window. Instead of conceding defeat, Will used this opportunity to gently graze his lips against the exposed skin behind his fiancée's ear. He felt Tessa shiver in response. He continued his ministrations, moving his lips further down the pale curve of her neck, but rather than sink into his caresses as she usually did, Tessa stiffened – with some effort – straightening her posture and resolutely directing her unwavering gaze at the trees lining the path.

Will snaked a hand behind her back and around her waist, attempting to pull her closer towards him. Tessa tensed all her muscles in protest, but Will succeeded in lessening the distance between them, if only slightly.

Both Will's arms were about her waist, and he was kissing along the line of her collar bone, when Tessa exclaimed: "Oh, look at those magnificent ducks!" Will leapt back as if he'd been burned, gasping and slightly flushed. He glanced, panicked out the window, eyes desperately searching for the offending beasts.

When he turned his panicked gaze back to Tessa, she was already clutching her sides with laughter. He feigned disapproval and fixed her with a piercing glare. His theatrics only made Tessa laugh harder. "It's nice to know that there is something left you fear" said Tessa imperiously "I was starting to fear that I'd run out of things to use against you". Will sighed melodramatically and pretended to study his fingernails "My aversion to ducks is emblematic of my mortality and vulnerability. Do not mock that which makes me human".

Tessa inched closer to him on the seat, and crossed her hands over her chest. "Oh, I wouldn't dare mock you William Herondale, for fear of the consequences".

Glancing out the window, a wicked grin spread across Will's face. "What?" demanded Tessa, leaning forward to look out the other window.

"Well I just happened to notice we aren't in Hyde Park anymore" he smirked, raising an eyebrow. "If I remember correctly, you said you didn't wish to make another spectacle in Hyde Park." Tessa answered his challenge by raising her own eyebrow and chuckling "I believe I did".