Chapter 71

Part 8. The Grand Duke's Clematis

Claude pressed a feather-light kiss to Lia's cheek as she lay next to him, fast asleep from fatigue. He gently massaged her limbs, marveling at how soft her skin was. When his hand reached her ankle, so delicate that he feared it might break at the slightest pressure, he barely managed to stop himself from ravaging her again.

Instead, he swept Lia's hair from her face as she slept curled into a ball. His fingers wandered, flitting over her soft earlobes, light-colored eyelashes, and button nose before he pulled her into his arms. He kissed her, which made her stir. Lia pushed Claude away and mumbled in her sleep, telling him to stop. He chuckled quietly, letting his eyes roam over her in place of his hands.

She looked nothing like a man. How did he—and everyone else, for that matter—have fallen for her disguise for so long?

"If only no one else had found you beautiful…"