A Secret Proposal

by Alexia Praks

  "What are you doing?" he asked his brother.

  "I need a drink," Darcy replied. "Going down to swim?"

  "Yeah." Sebastian nodded. "See you there?"

  Darcy opened himself a bottle of cool water and nodded. "In a minute," he said.

  "Race?" Sebastian suggested. Since they'd moved here a year ago, this was their way of bonding. A good race in the pool. Sometimes their other brothers would join them. Mostly, however, it was between the two. Sebastian admitted Darcy was getter stronger and faster now, and it was getting harder to win as well. As of last week, they were about neck to neck, which was a good challenge, Sebastian thought, pleased.

  After taking a big gulp of his water, Darcy said, "Sure."

  Sebastian nodded and then left. He took the stairs down to the third floor, knowing he'd get the pool to himself for at least a couple minutes until Darcy turned up.

  He was wrong, however. As he slipped in through the door, he heard splashing. Sosuke? No. It couldn't be, because Sosuke never came down this early. He usually came down around six, when Nicolas came down as well. Who could it be?

  He strode along the length of the corridor and then around the corner before coming into the pool area. At the entryway, he saw a slim body just sliding into the water. He couldn't pull his gaze away as he watched that exquisite figure gliding through the water so perfectly. She was a beautiful creature; that was for sure. As he came farther and stood right at the edge of the pool, he continued to watch her. He was amazed she didn't even come up to take a breath of air. She continued to stay underwater, gliding her way across the long length of the pool.

  What the hell am I doing? he asked himself and shook his head. No woman had ever been able to capture his attention so completely, except of course for Sakura.

  The thought of her brought forward a lump in his throat. God! When would he be able to see her again? When would she be able to accept them into her lives once again?

  In anguish, he took a deep breath and powerfully dived into the water.

  On the other side of the pool, Sakura's head popped out off the water as Sebastian dived in. Slowly, she walked up the steps that would lead her out of the pool. At the top, she gathered her hair to one side of her shoulders and squeezed out the excess water.

  She turned to look over her shoulder. There, she saw a powerful body swimming like a fish underwater. He was strong and beautiful to watch, she thought in awe. And dammit. She'd thought she would have the place to herself for at least an hour. No longer wanting to be there, she turned back and continued to dry her hair.

  Sebastian came up to the surface at that moment. Again, he eyed the beauty on the other side, marveling over her slim, long legs as she bent to pick up a small towel on the floor. He could clearly see her rear end, and it was sexually arousing. He admitted she was exquisite, and he wanted to pull her into his arms and make love to her.

  That was a stupid notion, of course. His heart was for Sakura, and no other woman would do. Determined to extinguish the burning heat suddenly prominent within his being, he dipped his head underwater again to shut the strange beauty from his mind.

  With the small towel in her hands, busy patting herself dry, Sakura once again turned to look at that wonderfully powerful body in the water. A quivering sigh escaped her lips, and before she thought further she rushed from her spot. As she paced along the length of the room, however, her eyes were still on that amazing body gliding through water, never once coming up for breath. It was too bad, though, she had reached the exit by the time he popped his head out.

  She turned and was gone from the place as Sebastian turned his head to take another look at her, missing her by mere milliseconds.

  *

  Darcy took another big gulp of water before heading out the door of the kitchen. As he was passing the living area, Beth said, "Ah, morning, Master Darcy. Going out for a swim, are we?"

  Darcy nodded and was about to leave when Beth said, "I phoned Ned yesterday after Master Conrad complained to me he couldn't get in contact with that brother of mine."

  Darcy raised his brows. "And?"

  "Well, I phoned him, you see. Apparently, he's in L.A. at the moment. Business trip."

  Darcy released a depressed sigh. "So us meeting Sakura isn't going to be anytime soon."

  Beth pulled a guilty face. "I'm afraid so."

  "All right," he said. "I'll tell my brothers. We'll come up with a plan."

  Darcy was just at the door when Beth commented, "Better come up with a plan soon, because I heard you boys are doing that photoshoot thing in Hawaii and Sakura is one of the female models, isn't she? She'd be shocked seeing you boys there, if you know what I mean."

  Darcy frowned darkly over this dilemma. He knew Beth was perfectly correct in that regard. Sakura hadn't yet known he and his brothers were the male models for Mr. Tachibana. Perhaps the sooner she found out, the better. After all, they didn't want her to run from them again, and of course, working together when there was tension and misunderstanding beneath wasn't a good way to get the job done.

  "Yes, of course," he said and then left.

  He took the stairs down to the third floor, taking two steps at a time. He was deep in thought when through his peripheral vision, a girl walked around the corner. He stopped, turned, and just stared.

  In the distance and in the dimly lit corridor, he saw a slim female figure. She seemed oddly familiar, and he found himself drawn to her.

  I'm going mad! I'm bloody going mad! he thought to himself. Nonetheless, he rushed after her. God! I'm going mad. But for God's sake! I want to be sure.

  He paced as his heart beat loud and fast in his chest. He wanted to be sure he wasn't just hallucinating like Conrad had with Toby.

  He came around the corner and stopped. She was gone, just like that. Where did she go?

  "You're going crazy, Darcy," he said to himself and turned on his heel.

  He came into the pool area a minute later. He climbed up to the diving platform, and a moment later, he dived, did a perfect flip in midair, and then slid into the water cleanly, without a splash of water anywhere.

  When he came up again, he noted Sebastian was watching him.

  "Beth told me Ned is in L.A. at the moment," was his greeting.

  "Bloody hell," Sebastian replied.

  "Still want to race?" Darcy asked.

  Sebastian's answer was him slipping back into the water. The brothers had a good race, and by the time they finished, both were puffing with exertion. Of course, Sebastian won, by a mere half second. It was then Nicolas and Sosuke walked in, and the men did their laps across the pool. The four did another race. This time, Darcy won, followed by Sebastian in second place, Nicolas in third, and Sosuke last.

  By quarter to seven, they left the pool, as more people were coming for their morning swim.

  Back at the penthouse, Beth was just finishing preparing the brothers' breakfast. After their showers and dressing in their expensive, powerful suits, Nicolas, Sebastian, and Darcy joined their other brothers.

  "It's a lovely spring morning, boys," Beth said. Breakfast outside, how about that?"

  "Perfect, Beth," Sebastian said, heading out the door with his brothers.

  Tristan, Logan, Hayden, and Conrad were already there, enjoying their breakfast of bacon and eggs, hot toast, fresh fruits, and cereal.

  "Reminds me of St. Joseph Island," Conrad said.

  "Yeah," Tristan agreed. "I miss home." Of course, not that New York City wasn't home, but St. Joseph Island to them was home, a place where all the goods and the bads happened.

  The brothers enjoyed their meal in quietness when the smell of beautiful ground coffee reached them. Conrad was the first to react. He frowned and then rushed off his seat to hang his head over the balcony.

  "What the hell are you doing?" Hayden shouted at his brother.

  "For Christ's sake!" Tristan muttered loudly. "Get your head back in before you fall, Conrad."

  Conrad turned back to
his brothers. "Can't you smell it?"

  "What the hell is he on about now?" Logan asked. "First, it's Toby and now it's a smell?"

  "The coffee!" Conrad shouted. "It smells like Sakura's.

  The brothers just shook their heads, and Tristan stood. He stalked over to Conrad, pulled the brother by the shoulder, and hauled him back. He was about to scold him when the scent caressed his nostrils and he blinked.

  "Shit! That smells delicious," he said.

  Conrad glared at him. "See?"

  At this point, Logan was there as well and sniffed the air. "Wow! That smells a lot like Sakura's coffee."

  "Maybe a new cafe has just opened across the street," Tristan suggested logically. "Yeah, should check it out."

  "Are you telling me my coffee isn't drinkable?" Beth demanded at the door, hands on hips.

  Tristan managed to look guilty. "No, of course not, Beth." He rushed back to his seat and took a sip of Beth's bland coffee. He managed not to pull a face and even did a mmm sound.

  Beth looked heavenward and came over with a plate of extra bacons and eggs. The brothers continued their breakfast, and by seven thirty, they were done and on the elevator. On the second floor, the door dinged and Sosuke joined them.

  "Ohayo, everyone," he greeted with a bright smile.

  Tristan was suspicious. "You look awfully chummy this morning, Sosuke-kun," he said.

  Sosuke laughed. "I had a very good day yesterday and a lovely morning today."

  Logan cocked his head to one side and teased. "Did you finally find yourself a girlfriend?"

  Nicolas sighed. "Leave Sosuke alone, won't you?"

  Sosuke laughed again. "It's all right, Nicolas-kun, I might have found myself one."

  At this, the brothers all looked at him in surprise. This was of course joined by a loud cheer from Tristan, Logan, and Hayden.

  "Is she hot?" Tristan asked.

  "She's pretty," Sosuke said. "And she's living with us."

  "Wow!" Logan laughed. "That fast?"

  Conrad sniffed and said, "You smell of coffee."

  At this, the brothers leaned closer. They all suddenly realized Sosuke did smell like coffee. Not just any coffee, but their Sakura's coffee.

  "Did this girlfriend of yours make you coffee this morning?" Sebastian asked with interest.

  Sosuke nodded. "Well, she's not my girlfriend yet. But I plan to--" He stopped himself short, suddenly wondering, if the brothers knew the woman he was referring to was Sakura, their adoptive sister, would they be okay with him dating her? Suddenly, he had doubts. He sensed these brothers were very protective of her, as he was with Akira. It was then Sosuke didn't want to share Sakura with them. Yes, he was greedy in that regard he'd admit.

  "Did she happen to be swimming this morning?" Darcy asked out of the blue.

  Sebastian frowned. "I think I saw her this morning at the pool."

  Sosuke panicked. Shit! Had they seen Sakura, then?

  "No, I don't think so," he said truthfully, since he didn't know whether she'd gone for a swim or not. He hadn't seen anyone awake when he was up, and once he'd returned from the swim, Sakura had been in the kitchen with the housekeeper, helping the woman prepare breakfast. And then, of course, that beautiful coffee.

  Once again, he smiled and thought he couldn't wait to return home for dinner and that wonderful coffee.

  The door dinged open and the brothers and Sosuke stepped out. The brothers headed to the garage out back and into their respective cars, heading to their respective destinations. Nicolas and Conrad to the Princeton Hotel, Hayden and Darcy to their gaming company, HD Game Cooperation, Tristan and Logan to their office in Manhattan, and Sebastian to do a deal in Queens.

  *

  CHAPTER 19

  Entrapment

  For the next few weeks, Sakura worked hard to learn Haruka's business inside and out so she could be of more help to the woman. Haruka herself made sure Sakura was being taught everything there was to know about the billion-dollar company, since Sakura would be the one who'd inherit the empire. Of course, that was if Sakura wanted it after they'd confirmed their relationship with DNA testing. As of now, Haruka was just enjoying her time with her biological daughter, both during work at the office and leisure at the apartment.

  Sakura herself found she enjoyed learning from and working with Haruka. The woman was like a mentor to her, and Sakura learned many aspects of the business world she hadn't known before. When she wasn't busy with the multibillion-dollar empire, she learned Japanese cuisine with the housekeeper, helping the woman preparing meals for the family. Then at night, she'd catch up on her own business, updating the Tanaka Gallery websites with new photos she'd taken from previous weeks and doing promotion to get more people interested in her work.

  Because she couldn't paint in the apartment, she'd rushed over to the gallery to catch up doing that too, after she'd finished her work with Haruka and had meals with the family. Of course Sosuke, Akira, and Toby usually accompanied her. The first time Akira had seen the place, she fell in love with it and offered to play sales assistant for Sakura during the day, which Sakura was very grateful for and took the offer without hesitation.

  So it happened that Ned had to stay in L.A. for another couple weeks, and Sakura couldn't close the gallery any longer because she needed money for the bills. Furthermore, Melissa had decided to quit, which put more pressure on Sakura. Luckily, Megan, her previous sales assistant, returned to the city, and Sakura got in contact with the lovely, jolly woman right away. And of course, Akira helped out and worked with Megan until Sakura could find another assistant.

  Over all of this, Sakura started getting tired and exhausted very easily. She knew her health wasn't great currently because of her hectic lifestyle. She wanted to cut back on the long hours, missing meals, and short sleeping time but couldn't find a way to do that. Then, of course, she noticed the rent for the gallery and loft was getting ridiculous, too. It had jumped up quite a lot since she'd started out last year. So much so that she decided to get in contact with her landlord herself instead of leaving it to Ned to deal with the unpleasant business.

  Once her email was sent, she got an instant reply. She was very surprised that her landlord was so on it, and even more so when he agreed he would lower the rent for her. She thanked him profusely, and it wasn't long before Sakura realized the man, who never revealed his name at the end of the email, started emailing her at least twice a day to ask how everything was.

  Usually, Sakura didn't reply to emails unless they were related to business or the person she was replying to was her friend, but for this one, she broke her own rule. She replied and found she enjoyed writing casual and sometimes hilarious emails to him. Eventually, they got into chatting online and did so quite often until very late, or rather early in the morning. He told her he was actually a fan of her work and had many of her paintings and photos in his house. She was very pleased and told him she'd send him some of her very recent ones that she wouldn't be putting up for sale.

  Now it was a Saturday. Two weeks had passed since she moved in with the Suzuki family. To be honest, Sakura was very tired and exhausted today, more so than usual. She blamed that landlord of hers, of course, the mysterious man who had finally decided to let her call him Seb. Just Seb.

  At first, she'd thought he was some middle-aged billionaire who wanted to hook up with her, but after chatting with him, he revealed to be something else. She assumed him to be quite young, since he loved to swim and had told her he'd won many national championships during his teens, which had only been about ten years ago. So she calculated he was around twenty-six or twenty-seven. He told her he loved coffee made by his sister and that she was his world.

  Unfortunately, he and his sister had a kind of misunderstanding and were currently not on speaking terms. Sakura thought it was so sad and decided to help him out by suggesting to him what he should do. By the time she finished that discussion, it was three in the morning.

  Sakura: I hav
e to go to bed. It's getting late.

  Seb: What's the rush? It's Saturday.

  Sakura: LOL! Don't be mean. I have work to do.

  Seb: Oh?

  Sakura: LOL! Don't you oh me, mister.

  Seb: Why not?

  Sakura: 'Cause!

  Seb: Because?

  Sakura: I can't tell you.

  Seb: Why not?

  Sakura: Good night, Seb.

  Seb: ...

  Sakura: Seb?

  Seb: ...

  Sakura: Seb? Good night, and I mean it.

  Seb: I want to kiss you.

  The moment that last sentence came out, Sakura felt her whole body shake with emotion. Why did Seb want to kiss her? They hadn't even met in person yet. And why this man always reminded her so much of Sebastian Princeton was beyond her.

  Determined to dismiss those words from her mind, Sakura tried to concentrate on Toby and Akira instead.

  "Are you sure you're going to be all right looking after Toby for me?" Sakura asked, her eyes on the other woman.

  The Japanese beauty waved her hands. "Of course I'll be all right." She turned to the doting pup. "Although, I must admit Toby doesn't look very active today."

  Sakura turned her attention to the dog in her arms. She gently stroked the canine, wondering what was wrong with him. Once again, she told herself she had to remember to take him to see the vet. It would have to be another Saturday though, since today was impossible. She had an appointment with Mr. Tachibana for the photoshoot fitting, and by the time she returned, she was sure it'd be too late.

  She handed Toby over to Akira. "I'll take him to see the vet when we come back from Hawaii. I need to make sure he's all right."

  "You know what?" Akira began. "You go with Oba-chan to see Tachibana-sensei, and I will take Toby to see the vet. How about that? Since waiting until we return from Hawaii is far too long."

  Sakura widened her eyes. "Are you sure?"

  "Yes." Akira nodded. "Now, don't you worry about this little cutie." She laughed, stroking the dog fondly.

  "Thanks," Sakura said, laughing. "You're awesome, Akira-chan."

  Half an hour later, Sakura found herself in Mr. Tachibana's office with Haruka, Ms. Ruka, and Jane. They were devising what clothing items should go with which jewelry for the photoshoot that was coming this Thursday.