The Cherished Wife

Charles raised an eyebrow, his captivating eyes locked on Noelle with a hint of amusement that was almost dazzling.

Noelle felt overwhelmed by his gaze. Gently, he took her finger and wrapped it in his hand, giving it a soft squeeze as he spoke with warmth, "I've done far more shameless things before, so this doesn't count for much." Leaning closer, he propped one hand on the bench and slid his other arm around her waist, pulling her tightly against him. Their bodies pressed closely together, and Noelle felt her heartbeat quicken.

As Charles' face drew near, she gulped nervously. She was holding her ice cream in one hand while attempting to push against his chest with the other. "Stop... Don't come so close!"

Any nearer, and she felt she would barely be able to breathe-especially under the intensity of his gaze.

Charles smirked. "Did you just call me shameless?"

"No, no... Y-You're pure as the breeze, noble and upright. Clearly, you're a gentleman who's far from shameless!"

between them. Noelle felt her heart and

he could be, Noelle took a deep breath, closed her eyes,

her to lean in. He smiled and tightened his

chance to push him away. However, Charles was not following her script. Wide-eyed, she blinked as Charles placed a hand over her eyes. He chuckled softly, saying, "Focus,

eyes again, surrendering to the kiss. Perhaps it was the lingering taste of the ice cream, but his kiss was sweet, cool, and carried a faint fragrance. Noelle quickly found herself drawn in and wrapped

meeting her warmth with

....

silence. Brandon, who was exhausted from playing, had

wiped

said, "You're no Brandon out alone in Peter raised an eyebrow. "In the