Chapter 288: My Midnight Snack

Chapter 288: My Midnight Snack
"Take it off," he commanded. "Slowly."

I obeyed, maintaining eye contact as I slowly pulled down the straps, revealing my bare breasts. James cursed under his breath, his hand moving out of frame.

"Are you touching yourself?" I asked, my voice trembling with excitement. "Show me."

James adjusted his phone, revealing his erection and his hand slowly stroking it.

"Put the phone down," he instructed, breathing heavily. "Somewhere you can see your whole body. Now, spread your legs."

For the next half hour, we pleasured ourselves at each other's direction, James describing in explicit detail everything he wanted to do to me while I touched myself where he could watch, until we both reached our climax.

"Fuck," James panted afterward, his forehead glistening with sweat. "I swear, when I get back, you won't leave the bed for three days."

"I'll hold you to that promise," I replied, my body still quivering from the aftershocks.

Several days later, James finally returned to New York. I called him late that afternoon.

"Coming over tonight?" I asked hopefully.

"Can't. Need to pull an all-nighter at the office." The background noise suggested he was in a crowded meeting room. He lowered his voice. "Miss me?"

"Of course."

"Hmm."

"That's all I get? Just 'hmm'?" I teased.

"Things are almost wrapped up here. Once we're done... I'll take care of you properly."

"Maybe I'll come to the office later," I suggested.

"What's that? Can't wait?" His tone was playful despite his exhaustion.

"As if! I was thinking you and your team might appreciate some midnight snacks. You're working so hard." I pretended to be offended. "Seems like the company problems aren't that serious if you can still joke around."

He chuckled softly. "I'll be waiting."

After hanging up, I immediately started planning the midnight feast. I selected some of Ephemeral's newest small plate specialties that would travel well and stay delicious even after sitting out for a while. The timing was perfect—around midnight, anyone working late would have already digested dinner and would be getting hungry again.

Just after midnight, I arrived at Thornton Tower with several insulated bags. The security guard recognized me immediately, escorting me up to the executive floor where James and his team were still hard at work.

Through the glass walls of the conference room, I could see about eight people huddled around a table covered with papers and laptops. James wasn't immediately visible, but I could hear voices—not his—discussing financial projections.

"Mrs. Thornton, shall I let Mr. Thornton know you're here?" his assistant asked quietly.

"No need." I handed her the bags of food. "Please save one portion for him and distribute the rest to everyone working late."

"Of course, thank you." She hesitated before adding, "You're not leaving, are you?"

"Why do you ask?"

"It's just that... Mr. Thornton has been traveling so much, working constantly. He hasn't seen you in ages. He'd be disappointed if you came all this way and left without seeing him."

"I wasn't planning to leave," I assured her.

"Oh, good. He misses you terribly, you know." She leaned in slightly, as if sharing a confidence. "When we were flying overseas, he kept looking at your photos on his phone. He's been desperate to see you, just swamped with work."

"I'll wait in his office," I told her, smiling.

"Perfect. The meeting should wrap up in about ten minutes, according to the agenda. He'll be with you soon."

I noticed a half-finished cup of freshly ground coffee on his desk and two empty Starbucks cups in the trash, evidence of the long hours he'd been putting in.

True to the assistant's word, James appeared about fifteen minutes later. The first thing he did after closing the door was lock it.

I watched him approach, noting how days away had subtly changed him. His naturally fair skin had darkened slightly from the Australian sun, and his shoulders seemed broader in his tailored shirt, which was open at the collar with the sleeves rolled up to expose strong forearms.

"What's wrong? Don't recognize me anymore?" he asked, his voice carrying that magnetic quality that always made something flutter low in my belly.

I took him in, noticing the subtle outline of muscle beneath his shirt and the slightly messy way his hair fell across his forehead, giving him a more rugged appearance than usual. "Just thinking that a few days apart has made you even more attractive."

His eyes darkened as he crossed the room in three long strides, pulling me up from the sofa. "I've fallen asleep thinking about your lips, about every inch of your body." His hand slid to my waist, drawing me closer. "About how you looked when you came for me on that video call."

I shivered, feeling the heat radiating from his body. "How does reality compare to the video?"

"A thousand times better," he murmured, biting my lower lip gently. "I couldn't see you blush on video, couldn't smell your perfume, couldn't..." His hand slid down to cup my ass, pressing me firmly against his hardening length, "let you feel how much I want you."

I leaned in, my lips nearly brushing his ear as I whispered, "How much longer is your meeting?"

"I gave them an hour break," James said, already loosening his tie, his eyes predatory. "So we have limited time, and I suggest we don't waste it talking."

"What should we spend it on instead?" I asked innocently, my hand moving to his belt buckle.

James caught my wrists, spinning me around and pressing me against his desk. A growl rose from deep in his throat: "Let me show you exactly how I've been fantasizing about making you scream."

"Less talk, more action, Mr. Thornton," I challenged, looking back at him over my shoulder while deliberately grinding against his arousal. "Prove just how much you missed me."

James pushed my skirt up, his breath catching when he discovered I wasn't wearing underwear. "You came specifically for this, didn't you?"

"I have no idea what you mean," I replied with feigned innocence, though my smile was pure seduction. "I just came to deliver a midnight snack."

"Oh, baby," James's fingers slid through my already wet folds, "you're the only midnight snack I'm interested in devouring."