One Bee sting, a whole lot of vexing conversations, and an abundance of hand closeups defined Kate and Anthony's will-they-or-won't-they/hate-to-love romance in Bridgerton Season 2. Unlike their Season 1 counterparts, Daphne and Simon, Kate and Anthony didn't get to act on their romantic feelings until the season had almost come to a close. As a result, their courtship was all about the yearning — as evidenced by the couple's sexiest Bridgerton Season 2 moments.

This year there was no spoon licking, but there was plenty of sexually charged banter and multiple Mr. Darcy homages that would no doubt make Jane Austen blush. A huge credit is owed to actors Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley for conveying simmering heat with little more than a brush of their hands. After last seasons lead characters got hitched in episode four and proceeded to have sex absolutely everywhere (not even the library was safe!), this season's pair didn't even say "I do" onscreen.

But that doesn't mean their courtship wasn't every bit as sexy as Daphne and Simon's. Kate and Anthony spend the season tortured by their own sense of duty, which leads to the kind of pent up sexual tension that makes one yearn to break out a swooning couch. If these two crazy, emotionally constipated kids taught me anything, it's that sometimes nothing is sexier than delayed gratification.

22. The Race In The Park

Kate and Anthony's very first encounter turns into an impromptu race, which makes total sense since these two humans are both competitive and deeply stubborn. From the moment they meet, sparks fly, but this is still a relatively low-level flirting session compared to what's to come.

21. Horsing Around

The bickering in this scene is divine, as is Kate absolutely losing her mind when her horse wins. But at the same time, they're kind of behaving like petulant children, so you're mileage may vary.

20. Anthony's Pleasing Smile

Kate absolutely eviscerates Anthony for talking about women like they're chattel, but all he hears is that she likes his smile. Infuriating? Yes. Hot? Also yes.

19. Pall-Mall, Part 2

The Season 2 coda, which finds Kate and Anthony canoodling before a pall-mall rematch, is cute and gratifying because it proves getting married did nothing to curve their competitive streaks.

18. Lady Danbury Breaks Out Her Walking Stick

Anthony and Kate smolder so hard post-wedding disaster that Lady Danbury resorts to whacking them with her stick to keep them apart. That's what true love looks like, people.

17. Pall-Mall, Part 1

The playful flirting in this scene is exquisite. Whether it's Anthony absolutely fuming over Kate knocking his ball into the bushes, or Kate laughing when they both land in the mud, this whole segment makes it crystal clear they're perfect for one anther.

16. The Library

The closeup of their hands when Anthony hands Kate back the book after telling her the books in the library were his father's prize possessions — reader, I died.

15. Hunting Lessons

There's much to be said about Anthony's face after catching a glimpse of Kate's stocking, but I need to take a moment to appreciate the sheer amount of intimacy crammed into the moment he shows her how to shoot a British gun. There's hand touching, ear-nuzzling, and an almost kiss that gave me actual goosebumps. Bravo, Bridgerton, bravo!

14. The Ring

Can a moment be both sexually charged and heartbreaking? Of course it can, just look at these two obviously in love humans trying to ignore their feelings in hopes of doing what they believe is best for their families.

13. Bangle Interruption

This moment would be so much higher if not for poor, oblivious Edwina realizing her sister and the man she was seconds away from marrying have fallen in love. But even though I hate to see Edwina's heart break, the look on Anthony's face when he picks up the bangle makes me weak in the knees

12. Concussions Are Sexy

Only Kate and Anthony could make a possible concussion feel like foreplay.

11. "Dancing On My Own"

They were very much not dancing on their own, Robyn, but they certainly acted like they were.

10. The Viscountess

Bridgerton gave us just two Kate and Anthony sex scenes, and honestly, this one just felt like such a joyful relief after watching them try to stay apart all season long.

9. Mr. Darcy, Is That You?

This an obvious homage to the 1995 Pride & Prejudice scene where Mr. Darcy emerges from the water in his soaked white shirt, but I am here for it both because Bailey is hot like burning and Kate gives us a wonderful female gaze moment.

8. Anthony's Hero Moment

Bailey looks positively Byronic as he carries Kate to safety in the rain. What can I say? I love a tortured hero moment.

7. "Wrecking Ball"

"No one else matters." I'm still squealing, ya'll.

6. The First Kiss

Up until this point, I felt like I was holding my breath right along with Kate and Anthony, which made their first kiss feel like a beautiful release.

5. The Pinkies

And here we have an homage to the 2005 Pride & Prejudice hand flex scene, except here Anthony and Kate both reach for one another's pinkies. It's such a small gesture that it would no doubt go unnoticed by anyone else in the room, but it speaks volumes about their connection.

4. The Proposal

He uses her full name! Nothing is sexier than that.

3. The Bee

Thank goodness for pesky, matchmaking bees. If Kate hadn't been stung, she and Anthony may have never realized their constant bickering was masking their true feelings for one another.

2. Kate Won't Go Inside

They may be a gentleman and a lady, but they also can't keep their hands off of each other for one second longer when they run into each other in the Bridgerton family backyard. And thank our Lord and savior Shonda Rhimes for that, because if I had to wait one more minute to see these two finally give into their feelings, I may have spontaneously combusted.

1.Vexed, Bothered, & Confused

What else could be number one? While sex is sexy, nothing is hotter than unrequited yearning. Everything about this moment is flawless from the way Kate tells Anthony that he vexes her to the Viscount momentarily forgetting he's a gentleman and pondering whether or not Kate knows all the ways he could seduce her if given the chance. This is what a masterclass in chemistry looks like, my friends.

Kate and Anthony barely manage to squeeze in three kisses in Season 2, but they brought serious heat to every single scene that they were in together. Here's hoping neither of them pull a disappearing act ala Simon, because the world needs more of their sexy bantering in Season 3.

Images: Liam Daniel/Netflix; Netflix