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"Yes," Darcy replied.
"Did you have a good dream?"
"Nope."
Sakura moved her hand and ruffled his dark hair. Darcy liked that. He liked that a lot.
"I don't have good dreams either," she whispered softly, gazing off into the distance.
Darcy looked up at her, noting her sorrow expression which in turned caused his own heart to rob with pain. Of course, he didn't understand why.
"Do you have nightmares?" he asked.
He watched her nod her head.
"Well, if you have another one, I'll come and sleep with you. I'll protect you from your nightmare. I'll be your bodyguard. I'll be your prince, Sakura."
She laughed softly. "You're only a little boy, Darce."
"I don't care. I'll still protect you even if I'm just a little boy," he said firmly, giving her a dashing smile. He moved his hand from her hair to touch her face then, his little finger caressing her soft skin.
"You're such a nice brother, Darce," she said, returning his smile.
Darcy's expression quickly changed to a scowl. He sat up abruptly which caused Sakura to gasp in surprise. He turned to look at her long and hard, his mauve gray eyes intense on her face. "I'm not your brother," he muttered darkly.
Sakura was taken aback. "But--"
"I don't want to be your brother--ever!" he said firmly. "I want to be with you forever, but I don't want to be your brother."
"Darce," Sakura whispered, her face pale and sad. "But I thought you like me."
Darcy panicked. No! No! No! He didn't want to upset her. He just didn't want her to be his sister, that was all. So why was she so upset? Oh no! She was going to cry.
"I do," he protested, trying to soothe her sadness. "I like you a lot."
"Then why?" she asked. "Why, Darce? Why can't I be your sister like Alaina and Tara?"
Darcy watched two fat tears rolling down Sakura's cheeks. He didn't understand why himself, but he just knew that he wanted to stay with her forever and that he didn't want her as his sister.
"Because I love you. Because I never want to lose you, ever!"
*
Darcy felt his heart thumping loudly and furiously within his chest. His head was pounding at the reminder of their childhood.
Could this tree in the painting be the same tree on St. Joseph Island? But how? No! It must be his imagination. No, he reasoned himself. It was just very alike, that was all, and nothing more.
"Ah, there you are," Melissa said from the distance. "It's ready."
Darcy turned to her then. "That painting, how much is it?"
Melissa blinked, momentarily confused. Then she turned her attention to the painting on the floor resting against the wall. The first thought that came into her mind was 'it's finished?'
"How much is it?" he asked again, his eyes intense.
"I'm not sure," Melissa said uncertainly, taken by surprised by his tense tone of voice. "I'll have to ask first."
"Who's the owner?" Darcy demanded.
"Ms. Tanaka," Melissa said. "But she's out."
Darcy gritted his teeth. "I want that painting. How much is it?"
"I don't know, sir," Melissa replied again. "You'll have to wait until Ms. Tanaka return." Then she thought, 'well that was stupid of you, Melissa'. She grinned pleasantly and said instead, "But I'm sure it's not so much different from her other paintings. How about I look up in the computer for you? She usually logs in the price for her painting in the computer."
"Please, do that," Darcy said.
Once Melissa quickly rushed to the back of the gallery, he turned his attention back to the painting. He went down on one knee and inspect closer. He noted that the paint was still slightly wet.
"Sakura," he said softly.
A moment later, Melissa came back out. "Thank god," she said, laughing uneasily. "I've found the price. It's five thousand." The exact price, she thought, for that sexy red dress she had wanted for ages.
"Please be careful packing, apparently it's still a bit wet," Darcy said, taking his wallet out.
"Really?" Melissa asked. "I will. Oh, it'll have to be check, sir. Our system isn't working today." That was a lie, but then again, Melissa was used to lying.
After he had signed and given her the five thousand dollars check, Darcy carried the two paintings out the door, leaving Melissa to wonder how she was to ask him out on a date.
Outside, Darcy carefully placed the two paintings in the boot of his car and then drove across from Soho to the other side of town to Princeton Hotel. After parking the car in private parking lot under the building, he headed up the stairs and came into the main foyer. He was struck with a hive of activities. There were people everywhere, guests of all assort, staffs going about their works, and those who were there for the fashion show.
He hurried past them toward the lift. Thank God, not many were there and when it dinged, he walked in. A couple of people got into the lift with him and when it closed again, Darcy sighed with relief. He hated sharing his space with other people, especially in a lift and especially when it was jammed pack with people.
His phoned beeped. He got it out of his pocket and saw that he had a text message.
Ding! He knew the door of the elevator had just opened again and more people were coming in. Darcy wasn't paying any attention though as he was too busy reading the text from Conrad.
Darcy, where the heck are you? We're at Mom and Dad's penthouse. Meeting before the show. Hurry!!!
Darcy texted back: In the lift. Be there soon. He pushed sent. That was when he realized the lift was jammed pack with people.
"Shit!" he swore under his breath as he was being pushed back to the corner. Then he realized there was a lovely blond squashed right up against him. Oh God! He could feel her softness against his hard length. Her hair, the color reminded him of dust corn, was brushing against his chin. She had beautiful smell, he thought. It reminded him of spring, and instantly, the image of the cherry blossom tree came rushing back to him in full force. The gentle breeze, the warmth, the soft lips of Sakura--
He flashed his eyes opened and gritted his teeth. Without knowing it, his hand was lifted up with its own accord, ready to touch the lock of pale hair. Darcy held himself in check on time. Shit! He was just about to caress a stranger.
Then there was some more shuffling within the elevator, and she was thrust up against him even more, the side of her face snuggling against his brick wall of chest.
"Oh God! I'm so sorry," she said breathlessly.
That voice. Shit! That voice. He knew he had heard of that voice before. No! It couldn't be. How could it be? Sakura couldn't be here. Not here! Yes, he must be going crazy, he thought.
*
"Fourth floor," Sakura murmured to herself as she rushed along the corridor.
She couldn't believe it. Jane had been right. Backstage was as hectic and busy as a beehive. Everybody was running around everywhere and doing everything, and now she was one of them. Except she wasn't properly dressed like them in black shirt, black jeans, and comfortable shoes. She was wearing her long skirt, white frilly blouse, and a pair of heels. Yes, she looked elegant and lovely. And no, she was not comfortable in these to do this particular job which required her to run.
Now she was running toward the lift, hoping to get to the fourth floor on time so she could give these files to Chris Wilson, who was supposed to arrange all the wardrobe according to these lists that was in her clutch.
She got to the lift just in time as it was opening. Hastily, she rushed in, not looking at who was in there. The moment she stepped in, at least a dozen more people rushed in as well, pushing her back to the corner. She found herself squeezing against three other people, and one of those was behind her. She hadn't time to look up at him as she was too busy texting Jane to tell her friend that she was on her way.
Oh God, she thought, this was not what she had expected. Being squished up against a stranger wasn't part of her to do list. She hoped the man
behind her, whoever he was, wouldn't mind too much. She really did want to take a sneak peek at him but found it too embarrassing to do so. Holy Mother! She could feel the length of him--his hard muscular chest, his firmed abs, and the length of his long legs, against her.
Suddenly, there was more shuffling within the confined space of the lift, and Sakura found herself thrusting back even more against the stranger and her face snuggling against his massive, rock hard chest.
"Oh God! I'm so sorry," she said breathlessly to him. Then the door dinged, opened, and Sakura rushed out with other people, hoping the stranger would accept her apology.
She wasn't thinking much about him after that as she rushed toward the room she was told to. She knocked on the door, and it was instantly opened by Chris himself who she had met only half an hour ago.
"I got the list," she said.
