章 222: 223

Her mouth was the most kissable he had ever encountered and her skin the softest he had felt. Even her hair suited her to perfection. He half smiled in appreciation as he eyed her elegant topknot. Tendrils had escaped to curl with fiery abandon about her temples and the nape of her neck.

And that's when he saw beneath the surface. Her hairstyle mirrored her nature, he suddenly realized. She struggled to attain the appearance of severity and restraint, but couldn't quite achieve it.

Equally, she fought an unending battle between the tempestuous aspects of her nature and the need for rigid control. On the surface, she appeared perfectly composed. But underneath smoldered an inferno that probably terrified her, that threatened the calm, orderly existence she'd built.

With new insight, he looked at her again. And in the end it was those soft eyes that gave her away—betraying her uncertainty, her desperation, her passion, as well as her unwavering strength and determination.