The Cherished Wife (Noelle and Charles)

"If you keep this up, I'll really get mad-mmph!" Noelle's protest was completely silenced as Charles covered her lips with his own. His agile tongue traced the edges of her lips, not in a weak way but with a touch of sweetness. Charles indeed had a way of making her lose control; even just a kiss sped up Noelle's heartbeat, making her feel as if her body was no longer hers. "Charlie, I..."

"Shh. Let me take care of you this time."

That turned into two hours of activity, leaving Noelle utterly exhausted and nearly rolling her eyes in disbelief.

She silently cursed Charles for being such a brute, not sparing her even a little. While Noelle lay there, worn out, Charles looked completely satisfied, like someone who had just feasted well.

Seeing Noelle so drained, he felt a pang of tenderness and brushed the damp hair from her forehead behind her ear, then leaned down to kiss the corner of her lips. "Want a bath?"

"No, I'm too tired!" Noelle mumbled, unable to even open her eyes. "Don't bother me anymore!"

"Alright, get some sleep then." Charles finally stopped bothering her, realizing she was genuinely exhausted and that he might have gone a bit overboard earlier. He fetched a basin and gently wiped Noelle clean, then gave her another kiss. "Sleep, we'll bathe in the morning."

Noelle slept straight through until the sun was high in the sky. Luckily, it was the weekend, so there was no work, otherwise she would definitely have been late.

She crawled out of bed, still feeling groggy, and sat in a daze for a while before fully waking up. She glanced at the marks all over her body and gave her forehead a light smack "Noelle Shaw, you need to be- stronger!" She scolded herself for

always giving in to Charles

Sve

flirtations so easily.

After silently chiding herself, she slowly checked the time, then got up to shower and freshen up. By the time Noelle made her way downstairs, nearly an hour had passed.

Charles had already completed a round of work and was now in the living room handling business. Hearing footsteps from upstairs, he looked up. "You're up?"

Noelle nodded, still feeling her legs

tremble. She could not help but cast

a resentful glance at the culprit behind her current state. The said culprit, however, seemed completely unaware, merely smiling and motioning with his hand for Noelle to come over. "Come here."

Noelle acted a bit stubbornly. She refused to approach and just stood at the foot of the stairs. "You're not allowed in the bedroom tonight!"

Charles raised an eyebrow at her words, his lips curling into a smile with a hint of lingering amusement in his eyes. "Oh? And what does Mrs. Hoffman mean by that?"

"No hidden meaning. You're just not allowed in the bedroom." If he kept this up, Noelle felt she really would not be able to handle it anymore.

Charles arched his brow thoughtfully

and teased, "Oh, so the bedroom isn't interesting enough? Does that mean Mrs. Hoffman prefers the study, the kitchen, the living room, or perhaps the balcony?"