The Cherished Wife (Noelle and Charles)

"I'll head downstairs to rest now," said Eloise.

"Okay." Steven did not even bother to look up. Only after Eloise left did he slide his hands into his pockets, his dark eyes shining brightly in the night.

He stood by the window, gazing out at the desolate view with his brows slightly furrowed. It had been so many years since he last returned, and it seemed that much had changed, including the people.

After drinking too much alcohol that evening, Charles, though appearing to behave himself, ended up being quite a challenge for Noelle.

Both of them disliked having outsiders in their homes, so even after getting married, they maintained their habit of not having any household staff around.

Noelle usually did not mind, but tonight, taking care of a drunk Charles by herself was proving exhausting.

She finally managed to get Charles out of his clothes, but then came the dilemma of how to drag him to the bathroom.

After weighing her options, Noelle decided to fetch a basin and water to wipe him down instead. It was not until the latter part of the night that she finally breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Charles was calm when drunk. He did not get loud or cause a mess. Otherwise, Noelle felt she might have lost her mind.

She eventually drifted off into a hazy sleep in the middle of the night. She was not sure how long she had slept when she began to feel warm, noticing something on her lips and someone pressing down on her.

"Mmm..." Noelle let out a soft murmur, her eyes slowly fluttering open to find Charles propped up on one hand, leaning over her. His lips roamed freely across her face, and his expression showed no hint of inebriation.

Sensing Noelle was awake, Charles placed both hands on either side of the bed, lifting his head to look at her. "You're awake?"

His post-drinking voice carried a low,

husky tone, like the rich warmth of aged wine. Still groggy, Noelle stared at Charles's face hovering so close to hers, her mind taking a moment to catch up.

When Charles leaned down again, she abruptly opened her eyes wide, quickly pushing him away. "Stop it! I'm too tired!"

After taking care of him for so long last night he was immediately wanting to mess around now that he was wide awake. Noelle was worn out and not in the mood. "Stop it, lie down. I want to sleep!"

"You sleep, and I'll do my thing." Charles, who was fully alert, was far from feeling drowsy. Plus, tonight Noelle looked especially tempting.

When he had first woken up, he had

seen her nightgown bunched up from sleep. It revealed her smooth, pale thighs, and the sight of her slender, shapely legs had ignited a rush of heat within him.

Charles had never claimed to be a gentleman, and with his wife lying before him, he could not help but feel his desire surge.

"Nelly, just go to sleep."

"How could I possibly sleep like this?" Noelle protested, her hands pressing against Charles's chest. "Charles, you can't do this, go to sleep!"

"Alright, you sleep," Charles said, leaning down to kiss the corner of Noelle's lips. "I'm too awake, I'll just give you a massage."

"No way!" Noelle did not believe Charles for a second. Ever since they had been together, Charles had made all sorts of promises, especially when it came to bedroom activities.

He had used lines like, "You sleep, I'll do my thing," or "I'll just give you a massage". She had never known him to keep those kinds of promises.