The Cherished Wife (Noelle and Charles)

Noelle could not help but giggle, finding it almost impossible to picture Charles doing something like this.

Charles gave her a sidelong glance, his large hand cradling her slender ankle. At that look, Noelle's cheeks flushed a soft pink, and she kept her foot still.

Charles was focused, examining the nail polish bottle like it was the most important thing in the world. He gave it a careful tap, then lifted Noelle's foot again, gently squeezing her toenail. "Do I paint it like this?" Looking up, Charles caught Noelle's gaze-she was sitting there quietly, but her eyes were intently on him. He quirked an eyebrow, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "Hmm?"

Embarrassed, Noelle came back to her senses and pointed to a toenail. "Maybe you can start with this one. Try not to go over the edges!" She eyed Charles. "You're really going to do this, huh?"

"I'm a man of my word." Charles settled onto the couch, resting Noelle's foot on his lap and holding her toes with great care. He was surprisingly focused as he dabbed the brush on Noelle's nail with precision.

With her foot in Charles's steady grip, Noelle leaned her head against her other leg, watching him work with rapt attention.

Despite his careful efforts, Charles still managed to get a bit of polish outside the edges.

Noelle ducked her head, inching closer to get a better look at Charles's face. She could not help but notice how his pores were practically invisible, and his skin was flawless-even better than her own. His eyes, though, were something else. They were intense and concentrated, with long, slightly curled lashes that cast the coolest shadows on his face, making him look even more handsome.

As Noelle watched, a sheen of sweat appeared on Charles's face, beading up on his nose too. She leaned over the coffee table, taking a few tissues, Charles, mistaking her lean for restlessness, quickly steadied her by the waist. Catching Noelle's playful grip on the tissues, he shot her a look. "Try to sit still will you?" Noelle, taking the hint, settled down, but her hands playfully swiped at Charles's face.

Charles gently brushed Noelle's hand away with a sigh. "Easy there!"

"But you're sweating!" Noelle protested, dabbing at his face despite his mild protests, then sunk back into the couch. "Charles, aren't you bored of this? Maybe I should do it myself!"

"No worries. Just relax. If you're bored, you can always watch TV." Charles was meticulously painting Noelle's toenails, admiring her pale, delicate feet. His gaze grew intense. She probably did not realize it, but to him, she was absolutely captivating.

Sensing a shift in Charles's mood, Noelle arched an eyebrow and leaned in closer. "What's up, Charles? You seem off."

Charles glanced away with a smirk.

"Don't worry about it. Just enjoy the show! Hey Arnold..." With a wave of his hand Arnold, who had been huddled in a corner, sprang to his feet and dashed over, playfully circling Charles and Noelle was like he was trying to win their hearts with his cuteness.

Noelle could not help but be charmed by Arnold's antics despite him being a massive German Shepherd with a bit of a wild streak.

She reached out and gently stroked

his head, and he nuzzled up to her, leaning affectionately against her leg. At that moment, Charles shot a stern look their way, and Arnold snapped to attention, knowing better than to mess around.

"Why are you scaring him?" Noelle called out. "Come here, Arnold!"