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Chapter 13
Warm Embraces
Sakura collapsed onto her bed once she got into her room. She sighed in exhaustion and could still feel her body trembling from the encounter.
Oh, God! She couldn’t believe she’d just stood up to Tara. She knew she was no longer afraid of people, of what they thought of her, or of her displeasing them. But to see Tara again right in the face and fighting with words with her was truly an experience.
She touched her chest, feeling the hard thumping of her beating heart. Toby barked to get her attention. She sat up and leaned to face him up close. “So,” she said, “you don’t like her much, do you?”
“Woof,” was Toby’s reply.
“Hum, thought so,” she said, nodding. Then she cocked her head to one side. “Tara!”
Toby barked aggressively and growled.
“Alaina!”
Again, Toby barked aggressively and growled.
Sakura had to laugh. “Good boy.” And then to test the little dog even further, she said, “Nicolas!”
Toby gave her a friendly bark and then stuck his tongue out.
“Huh?” She cocked her head to the other side, confused. “Sebastian!”
Woof! Woof! Followed by tongue stuck out, and he licked her cheek.
“Conrad!”
Woof! Woof! Followed by a roll over and little legs wiggling in midair.
“Darcy.”
Toby rolled over, sat up straight, and gave her the wettest lick on her cheek ever.
“Ew!” Sakura laughed and rubbed his tummy. “You’re weird today.” When she noted that the dog had enough tickling, she got up and said, “Right, I’m going to change out of this stupid dress. And you, mister…” She patted his head. “Stay out of trouble and stay away from Tara and Alaina. Understand?”
Toby gave her an understanding bark.
“Good,” she said as she got off the bed and headed toward the bathroom.
Woof! Toby gave her another bark to get her attention. She turned to him and saw he was gazing at the door.
“All right,” she said, unlocking the door and leaving it slightly ajar. “I’ll leave the door open for you, but make sure you don’t go and annoy Tara and Alaina, okay? You know they don’t like you.”
The dog barked again.
“All right,” she said.
The dog ran over to his basket and made himself comfortable, afterward closing his eyes. Sakura headed into the bathroom, filled the tub with warm water, and poured in some lavender essential oil to help calm her nerves and relax her tense muscles. Then, after stripping herself naked, she hopped into the tub and thoroughly enjoyed her long bath, nearly dozing off at times. It was a while later when she realized she had to get out because it was getting dark and dinner was just around the corner. She didn’t want to be late for dinner, and Daddy James might think she was avoiding her adopted brothers once again.
She put on a pair of black skinny jeans and a simple white T-shirt. After moisturizing her face with night cream and blow-drying her hair, she headed out, wondering where Toby could have gone off to since he wasn’t in his basket. She was pretty sure he hadn’t gone far because she could hear him barking quite clearly within the house.
She headed down the stairs to the first floor, noting that the barking was getting louder. As she was crossing the long corridor, she realized it was coming from within the library—hers and Toby’s favorite place in the house, especially in winter when she read to him out loud. Toby seemed to enjoy her soothing voice as she read to him near the fireplace and him snuggling cozily on her lap. This time, however, she surely hoped he wasn’t munching on books since she wasn’t with him.
“Toby?” she called out softly as she opened the door.
No reply.
She moved in a little farther, narrowing her eyes against the bright glaring evening light that entered the enormous room via the floor-to-ceiling window from the west side of the house. She blinked a couple of times to get used to the lighting, and that was when she saw Toby with Conrad. The dog was lying on the floor, and Conrad was rubbing his tummy. They were having a good time, all right, and oddly enough, Sakura found that quite pleasing. Toby must really like Conrad to allow the brother to touch him. Normally, he wouldn’t let just anyone touch him unless he knew he was safe with that person.
“Toby?” she called out again. The dog heard her immediately, his ears pricking up. He rolled himself up to his feet and barked her a happy greeting.
Sakura took another step forward, pleased to see he wasn’t munching on books. Because she wasn’t paying any attention to her surroundings and only had eyes on her dog, she tripped on a pair of feet and fell forward, free-styling toward the floor. Luckily, she didn’t land on the hard floor and turn herself into a young corpse. Instead, she landed on a large, long, lean body.
Puff!
Sakura was breathless and sprawling on top of a rather comfortable, warm, masculine being below her.
“Oh shit!” Conrad shouted, rushing over to her.
Nicolas got up and hastily looked at what damage his long legs had done.
“Get off her, Sebastian!” Conrad shouted.
Sakura opened her eyes and looked up to see a pair of blue eyes watching her. Her heart missed a beat and started up again—very fast. Oh, God! She could feel his warm, hard body beneath her. She wanted to die.
“Get off her,” Conrad shouted again, standing before them.
Sebastian, still a bit dazed that a soft female body suddenly landed on him, wondered how he could get himself off Sakura when it was she who was on top of him. But then again, she felt just right where she was, as though she belonged there. He didn’t feel the need to remove her from her current position. Not to mention the fact that her face was only inches from his. They were nose to nose and lips to lips; they could be kissing.
God, he thought, she has beautiful skin. She looked so fresh and innocent without any makeup on, and it stirred something deep within his being. Something that made him want to protect her, like he’d wanted to do all those years ago but had been too afraid to do so.
“Sakura,” Nicolas said. “I’m sorry my feet got in the way. Now, maybe you should get off Sebastian.”
Sakura blinked and then hastily pushed herself up, her cheeks red. However, she didn’t have time to remove herself completely from Sebastian when Toby jumped into her arms and started barking happily, as if inviting her to play with them.
Sakura sat there on Sebastian’s rock-hard belly, saddling him like a horse as Toby continued to hyperactively bark in her arms. God, she could feel the firmness of his six-pack abs beneath her woman’s place, and suddenly her insides were heating up and turning into mush. Her whole body was quivering with reactions.
Sebastian too could feel the heat that was radiating from her body to his and hastily moved up slightly so as to ease her from him. It was, after all, getting rather too comfortable for his liking, and he knew he was stepping on dangerous ground. He certainly didn’t want to be turned on by his adopted sister—and in the presence of his brothers too.
His action, however, backfired. The movement caused Sakura’s little bottom to slide down his tummy and land right on his crotch.
“Shit!” Sebastian swore under his breath, almost breathless at the contact.
“Ah!” Conrad pulled at his hair as if he were going crazy at seeing them in such an uncalled-for position. “Toby! What the hell are you doing! Sebastian! Get off Sakura right now!”
Sebastian could only close his eyes and rub his fingers and thumb against his forehead as he tried very hard to control himself from the massive buildup of desire coursing through his body.
“Shut up, Conrad. You’re giving me a headache with your shouting,” he snapped lowly.
Shit! Shit! Shit! If she were to move herself up and down him, or even worse, wiggle her cute bottom while she was on top of him, he was sure he wouldn’t be able to control himself any lon
ger, and his pride and joy would surely make its appearance.
Nicolas laughed. He couldn’t help himself. Then to help ease the situation, he scooped Sakura into his strong arms and gently lifted her up and away from Sebastian.
Once Sakura landed on her feet on the soft carpet, she finally managed to calm Toby down. She gave Nicolas an appreciative smile before noting the dark scowl Sebastian wore on his face. She knew he was upset she’d landed on him. She also knew he really disliked her, and this encounter must have really pissed him off.
“Sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to fall on you. It was an accident.”
Sebastian watched her standing there above him, his heart pumping irrationally. He really wanted to pull her back down and perhaps even roll her over so she’d be beneath him. Then he’d kiss her hard on her luscious lips and take that cute T-shirt off her so he could witness her beautiful naked body. Then he’d kiss those amazing breasts of hers and then—
Then she rushed away and out the door, leaving Sebastian lying there, wanting and craving what he was forbidden to have.
“Oh, God!” Sakura whispered under her breath the moment she’d gotten out of the library. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the door, wondering in mortification if her adopted brothers thought she was some sort of stupid ninny.
What was wrong with her? Why didn’t she get up the moment she’d landed on top of Sebastian? And furthermore, she’d even sat on top of him. On top of him! On top of his firm, six-pack that she could so feel beneath her.
Just thinking about it now made her blush with embarrassment, and she hugged Toby tighter against her chest.
“What’s the matter, sweet Sakura?”
Sakura flashed her eyes open to see Tristan smiling at her—that flirty smile of his that any girl found most irresistible. His face was also only inches from hers. She could feel his warm breath on her skin.
