Chapter 23: Patient
Winter was fast approaching, and Noelle was making sure everything was in place. The pantry was steadily filling with rice, flour, and other non-perishable foodstuffs, ready to see them through the cold months. The makeshift greenhouse had been completed after months of work, and now the herbs growing inside were thriving. Ben had been helping sell some of them to a local pharmacy, bringing in a little extra money that kept things running smoothly. It was a small victory, one that Noelle felt proud of.
After finishing his tasks in the kitchen, Noelle stepped outside into the crisp autumn air, breathing in deeply as he made his way toward the clearing. That's when he saw him—Thorne.
Thorne was exercising again, his body moving with fluid precision as he pulled himself up and down the ledge Ben had built. Noelle stopped in his tracks, eyes fixed on the mesmerizing sight. Thorne's back muscles shifted with every pull-up, defined and strong, his skin glistening under the soft light of the afternoon sun. The sight was magnetic, drawing Noelle in as he stood there, watching in quiet admiration.
There was something undeniably attractive about the way Thorne moved—controlled, powerful, and yet graceful. Each pull-up seemed effortless, the steady rhythm of his body moving in perfect sync with his breath. Noelle's eyes trailed down the lines of his back, following the way his muscles contracted and released, every motion revealing a man in his element.
His heart beat a little faster as his gaze lingered on Thorne's broad shoulders, the way they flexed with each pull-up, and then moved down to the defined curve of his waist. He found himself biting the inside of his cheek, a warmth rising in him that had nothing to do with the sun. There was a raw, masculine beauty in Thorne's movements that Noelle couldn't ignore, and it pulled at him, made him want to get closer.
Noelle's lips quirked up into a soft smile. He leaned against the doorframe, letting himself indulge in the sight for just a moment longer. Thorne didn't know how intoxicating he could be, how every subtle shift of his muscles seemed to catch Noelle's breath in his throat.
As Thorne lowered himself back down one final time, their eyes met. Noelle felt a slight jolt, like he'd been caught watching, but he didn't look away. Instead, he let his gaze stay on Thorne, unspoken desire shimmering in the space between them. Thorne gave him a small, knowing smirk, as if he could feel the weight of Noelle's gaze and welcomed it.
Noelle pushed off the doorframe, walking towards him. "You're going to make me lose track of time if you keep doing that," he said, his tone light but the heat in his eyes unmistakable.