The Trap of Youth

I sighed like a burden had been lifted from my shoulders when the sharing session was finally over. I got up, wanting to leave the place as soon as possible. After texting my colleagues and telling them I was leaving, I pushed Jeremy away and fled.

I stopped at the entrance and turned back to see Jeremy chatting up a storm with other people. He showed no intention of coming after me, which relieved me.

However, for some reason, I still felt odd. The feeling was especially obvious when I thought about what he'd done to me earlier. I could feel my face warming up again.

It was so embarrassing. I hoped no one saw anything.

After returning to my hotel, I rolled around on the bed a few times before calming down. I had to change my pants because of what had happened during the sharing session. I looked at the wetness in my underwear, chastising myself for my reaction.

After changing, I patted my hot cheeks. Just then, I heard someone knock on the door. Jeremy couldn't have chased me all the way here, could he?

I peeked out the peephole and sagged in relief when I saw a hotel employee. Then, I opened the door.

"Good day, Ms. Grant. These are some flowers for you." The employee handed me a bouquet of roses.

I asked a few questions before dismissing him when I realized he had few answers. As I shut the door and turned around, I fell into deep thought while staring at the roses. Then, I noticed a card hidden inside. I picked it up and read it.

"You're not getting away from me, angel."

Hmph. What a brat. I set the flowers aside, not taking Jeremy's words to heart. As soon as I did that, Mabel Lane called me. She said, "I have good news, Sasha. I've found a great streamer here; I think the company will…"

Her mention of this reminded me that I'd yet to find any suitable streamers during this trip. All I'd found was a young man who was backing me into a corner.

The thought of Jeremy reminded me of what had happened during the sharing session. My body started heating up again.

Mabel was still talking about her achievements during this trip. I responded absent-mindedly; she seemed to notice this on the other end of the line. So, she concluded, "You'll know what a prize I've found when we get back to work on Monday."

After hanging up, my mind was overwhelmed by thoughts of the roses and the odd sensation Jeremy had made me feel. I patted my cheeks and told myself to calm down.

…

My business trip lasted another two days. Throughout that time, I attended various gatherings and seriously kept an eye out for potential streamers. Finally, I discovered one who looked like he would do well.

Jeremy didn't show up again, but I forced myself not to think about it. My career was more important than him.

On Monday, I brought the streamer I'd discovered to the company. He was the more mature type, and we didn't have many streamers like him. This would be a good time to train him for better things.

I pondered this while walking and entered my office. The streamer followed me. I said, "Take a seat. I'll get an assistant to show you around the company later."

Silence greeted me. "Hmm?"

I wanted to turn to see why the streamer hadn't said anything when someone grabbed me from behind. "What the—let me go!"

I felt an unfamiliar moisture on the back of my neck. I also felt someone's warm breath fanning over me. Whoever it was, he was sniffing me. This was so weird.

When I turned around, I saw Jeremy instead of the streamer I'd brought with me. "What are you doing here?"

"Were you hoping to see someone other than me, angel? Who were you thinking of?" He pulled me flush against his body, seemingly wanting us to merge as one.

"This is my office. Don't… Don't do this…"

"You smell amazing, angel. You're as sweet as honey." Jeremy tugged me to the couch nearby and pinned me to it. "You look gorgeous today…"

He had my arms above my head, so I couldn't fight back. All I could see was his eyes gleaming with desire as he looked at me. "You like this, don't you? Look at how you're…"

Before he could take things further, I heard the doorknob jangle. This scared me, almost making me jolt up.

Jeremy held me down. "Don't panic, angel. I locked the door."

The jangling stopped at his words. Whoever was outside switched to knocking on the door.

He straightened his clothes as I glared at him. Then, he squeezed me mischievously, almost making my knees give out. "You want me, too, don't you?"

"Hmph." I turned away and ignored him as I straightened myself out.

However, I couldn't help thinking about his words. My body wasn't repulsed by his touch—in fact, I seemed particularly sensitive to him. Was it worth giving this a shot?

When I was done straightening up, I noticed him staring at me from his perch on the couch.