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She licked her dry lips and stammered, “No… nothing. I… I was just looking for Toby.”
Tristan cocked his head to one side, not believing her one tiny bit. “You’re blushing, Sakura. Why? Has one of my brothers harassed you?”
“I… I said it was nothing,” she muttered, her cheeks flaming hot. Then, before he could ask her any more questions, she hastily moved to the side, away from him, and rushed off with Toby in her arms.
Tristan watched her go, grinning knowingly. He cocked his head to one side, wondering which one of his brothers was responsible for his adopted sister’s weird reaction.
Ah! She was blushing. A pretty blush, he thought. And her eyes, the deep-brown color, were exceptionally bright this evening. Not to mention the lips. They were full and very red as though they were ready to be kissed.
Tristan opened the library’s door then and came to witness a most interesting scene. Conrad, who was standing, was shouting aggressively at Sebastian, who was lying down on the floor.
“I told you to get off her!” he muttered.
Sebastian wasn’t listening to his brother, though. He was dealing with his own wee problem. He had to dampen his hot, burning desire within him that had just been awakened by his adopted sister, who, he had no doubt, hadn’t a clue what she’d done.
“Shut up!” Sebastian said. “My head is aching.” No! he thought. That was a complete lie. His head wasn’t aching. His body was.
Nicolas was chuckling away enthusiastically, and when his eyes met Tristan’s, he gave his brother a wink.
Oh, God! Tristan thought. It was Sebastian who was responsible. That bastard!
Tristan stalked in and demanded, “Did you harass Sakura?”
Sebastian took one look at his brother and moaned under his breath, “Not you, too.”
Sakura, who was heading back up the stairs, gritted her teeth in annoyance. God! She just couldn’t get away from them, could she? But how could she when there were seven of them and they were all living under the same roof.
Once she was sure she’d calmed down, she let Toby go. The dog landed on his feet on the stairs. He cocked his head to one side as he stared up at her, wondering what was bothering his master.
Sakura sighed. “Why are you playing with them, Toby?” she asked. “I told you before, they’re not our friends. I’ll let it go this time but not again, you hear?”
Toby stuck out his tongue and jumped about in his spot excitedly.
“You’re a bit weird since they’ve arrived, you know. What’s wrong with you?”
But then again, she too was being a bit weird. Well, at least her body was doing weird stuff anyway. Her heart seemed to race a lot lately. It was the brothers’ fault, of course, since it had started happening that first day they’d met on the road.
“Good,” Conrad said from the distance. “Tristan will teach him a lesson. I told him to get off her, but he wouldn’t.”
Sakura froze in her spot. Good God! She didn’t want to see them again so soon. She was still too embarrassed from the incident in the library and hadn’t mentally prepared herself yet.
She heard Nicolas chuckling. “I’m more worried that Sebastian will bash Tristan’s face in.”
“Oh, yeah. Me, too,” Conrad muttered. “But he wouldn’t. They’re brothers after all.”
“Yes,” Nicolas replied.
Still on the stairs, Sakura knew she had to get away. They were just around the corner now and were getting closer. Thus she had no choice but to run up the remaining steps and then turn the corner. She was in such a rush that she didn’t watch where she was going and literally ran into someone—smashing her slight body against a firm, masculine one.
She gasped and felt herself falling backward. Suddenly a pair of strong, powerful arms wrapped themselves around the small of her waist to prevent her from falling. She hastily responded by wrapping her arms around the person’s neck. This was followed by their bodies twisting around together as if they were dancing, and then she felt herself falling backward again in another direction… and then thud.
The pain was most unbearable this time, as the heavy body was on top of her. She tried to breathe, but it was difficult, as she felt as though she were being squeezed like a pancake. She had to admit, however, that even though the huge body on top of her was hard and heavy, the feeling wasn’t at all unpleasant and was rather warm.
She opened her eyes to see mauve-gray eyes watching her. She caught her breath at the back of her throat as Darcy whispered, “You walked into me.”
She blushed and said, “You’re squishing me.”
Darcy didn’t move, just stayed on top of her and gazed down at her. His heart was beating so fast that his chest was aching—aching with familiar angst and familiar delight because she was in his arms. She smelled beautiful too, of lavender, and it caused his senses to float with wonder.
She was warm and soft under him, begging him to do more than just lie still on top of her. He wanted to kiss her, like he’d always wanted to kiss her and take her into his arms when they were children, even after he’d started to believe the lies Alaina and Tara told him about her. Even after that awful incident at the tree house when he thought Sakura had wanted to kill Alaina and he hated her so much and treated her so badly, he had still wanted her. He hated himself for that. Hated himself for falling in love with the girl who’d wanted to kill his twin sister.
“Why aren’t you getting up?” she asked. “I’m going to be a pancake soon if you don’t move.”
He couldn’t help himself and smiled at her. Yes, it was both painful and pleasurable to be with her. The feelings that had tormented him a long time ago were now returning with a vengeance.
Darcy’s smile was so beautiful that Sakura’s heart skipped three times and then began to race hard. She blinked and licked her lips, wondering why he was smiling at her. She knew he still had a grudge against her since that awful incident years ago at the tree house. That was why he’d never talked to her again and had treated her so coldly. She’d never blamed him for that, of course, know
ing very well that he was just being very protective of his sister.
“Your arms,” he said logically, not at all displeased that her soft arms were wrapping around him like a lover’s.
Sakura widened her eyes in shock when she realized she was hugging him tight. She hastily removed her arms and looked away, her cheeks even redder now.
Darcy didn’t want to move. In fact, he liked being in that position on top of her. He could feel her soft body beneath his, and it was making his being respond with desire. Her face, fresh and beautiful, was only inches from his, and he knew he could kiss her if wanted to. But he knew he couldn’t. Wouldn’t. Because it was wrong. Very wrong.
Slowly—reluctantly—he moved back.
Sakura breathed in relief, and before she could bring herself to stand up properly, she felt Darcy’s arm around the small of her waist, pulling her to him. Their bodies were so close to each other that they might fuse as they stood up together.
Standing there with Sakura in his arms, Darcy was hurting himself. He knew he was leading himself down a dangerous path that he shouldn’t take, but it was just too damn tempting. He wanted to kiss her. No! He not only wanted to kiss her, but he wanted her to forgive him for doubting her innocence. He wanted her to forgive him of his horrible treatment toward her when they’d been children. He wanted her and her forgiveness so bad that it hurt inside.
“Darcy, what are you doing?” Conrad asked from the distance.
Sakura hastily moved away from Darcy, blushing profusely.
Darcy gritted his teeth and shut his eyes for a moment to regain control of his emotions. Yes, he needed to appear cool and in control in front of his brothers. He didn’t want to show his brothers just how fragile he was emotionally, especially where this young woman was concerned. After all, he’d never shown his brothers anything other than the cool, collected, and arrogant Darcy who didn’t give a shit what everyone else thought of him.
Once he’d gained control of himself, he turned calmly to Conrad and Nicolas, who were watching him, waiting for his answers.
“She fell,” he said. Then before they could ask him any more questions, which he knew they wouldn’t anyway, he reluctantly removed his arm from Sakura’s waist and then walked away toward the stairs.
Sakura watched Darcy go. She was relieved that he didn’t growl at her for running into him. She was also relieved that, for the first time, he had smiled at her. Perhaps, just perhaps, he’d forgiven her.
“You fell again?” Conrad asked Sakura. “You should be careful.”
“I’m a bit clumsy today,” she said. “I think we should go to dinner.” With that, she walked past them toward the stairs as well, Toby trotting after her happily.
“Wait for me.” Conrad chuckled, rushing after her.
Nicolas cocked his head to one side as he watched them go. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, his eyes narrowed. “Darcy,” he said. “You’re letting down your guard, brother.”
