Chapter 22
Protection
Sakura Princeton was more than a little humiliated at the circumstance she found herself in and blushed a becoming pink. She stole a peek at her adopted brother Sebastian Princeton to see if he was pissed because he had to carry her or if he was repulsed by her state of disarray and wetness, which she thought would really bother him because she was messing up his clothing.
Sebastian, aware of her eyeing him, glanced at her and gave her a sympathetic smile.
Sakura didn’t like the compassionate look he was giving her one bit. She knew he felt sorry for her after what had happened. Her being maliciously shoved into the deep pool by Alaina in an intention to cause harm. Instantly, she was pissed with the whole situation. She didn’t want Sebastian—or any of the brothers for that matter—to feel sorry for her. She wasn’t weak. She was a strong woman. Well, at least she thought so anyway. For sure, she wasn’t a child who needed strong men to support her. Nor did she need a man like Sebastian Princeton to carry her.
She cleared her throat and said softly, “You can put me down, Sebastian. I can walk.”
Sebastian gave her a quick glance. Noting her dishevel, exhausted appearance, he decided she wasn’t fit enough to carry herself up the stairs to her own bedroom. Without giving any answer to her request, he headed straight up to the second floor.
“Sebastian?” Sakura tried again, thinking he didn’t hear her the first time. “I can walk. You can put me down now.”
When he still didn’t response, she sighed. “Sebastian!” she said again, tugging at the collar of his shirt to get his attention.
Sebastian finally turned his attention to her again, his eyes dark and his face impassive.
“Put me down,” she begged. “Please. I can walk fine.”
“No,” he replied simply. “Not here.”
Sakura blinked. “Why not?”
“Because you’re still in shock, and your dress is too big and long,” he said.
Sakura blinked again. “I beg your pardon?”
Her dress was too big and long? What did that have to do with anything?
“You’ll trip,” he explained as if to a child.
She frowned. Of course she wouldn’t trip. She wasn’t a toddler who had just begun to learn how to walk, for God’s sake.
The youngest of the Princeton brothers Conrad, who was walking beside them with the pup Toby in his arms, offered happily, “I can carry you if you don’t want Sebastian to.”
“She’s fine where she is,” Sebastian said, heading straight to Sakura’s bedroom door.
Seeing that it’d be difficult for Sebastian to open the door with Sakura in his arms, Conrad rushed up first to do it for his brother. Once inside, Sebastian gently put Sakura down, in which case Sakura murmured a “Thank you” to him.
Toby dashed up and barked happily to get Sakura’s attention. In response, Sakura gave her dog a smile and patted his head in affection. Then she pulled the oversized dress around to properly cover herself.
“Thanks for bringing me back,” she said, her eyes on the carpet where her soaked dress dampened it.
“Go get changed,” Sebastian instructed. “You’ll catch a cold if you don’t get that dress off.”
The moment he said dress, she looked down at herself, the bridesmaid’s gown clinging to her. She was a sorry sight all right.
“I’ll find you something to change into,” Conrad offered, marching up to her wardrobe.
“No!” she shouted. “It’s okay. I’ll do it myself.” But it was too late. Conrad had the wardrobe door wide open and was searching through it.
“Go on,” Sebastian said, nudging her toward the bathroom. When she didn’t move, he wrapped his hand about her arm and led her into the bathroom himself. Once there, he turned on the shower.
“What are you doing?” she asked, confused.
“Helping you,” he said. He gently twisted her around so her back was to him. Then, without warning, he unzipped her dress all the way down her back.
Sakura wasn’t prepared for that. In fact, she wasn’t prepared for the dress to fall from her person either. She screamed in fright, then caught it in the nick of time, at her waist.
Sebastian wasn’t prepared, either, to see her half-naked in front of him. He couldn’t help but notice the smoothness of her slender back all the way down to the curve of her backside. As she caught the dress at her waist, he had a good view of her breasts, and, by Jove, they made him want to weep with joy. They were the most amazing breasts he had ever seen: porcelain white, full, round, and perked at just the right angle. Perfect in a man’s hand.
Sakura pulled the dress back up to cover herself, barely. As in the nature of any woman, she only covered her breasts, so her back was still totally exposed to him.
“Sebastian, please get out,” she said quietly, her cheeks blushing. “And bring me a towel.”
Sebastian was used to seeing half-naked women. It was just kind of normal since Alaina, Tara, and their friends were always in their bikinis during the summers. Then sometimes the urge came and he’d brought home those occasional women for the night, but even when they were naked in front of him, he needed to be worked on in order to get going. But not this time. Not with this one. This one was a bit different. This one made his heart race and his palms sweat. This one made him hard on sight. And she didn’t even do anything. In fact, she was telling him to leave.
He took a step back, trying to control himself, trying to calm down, trying very hard to suppress his desire for the girl before him.
“I got the dress,” Conrad called out.
Sebastian heard his brother coming toward the bathroom, and before Conrad had the chance to peek inside, he grabbed the dress, said, “Towel!” and slammed the door shut again.
Sakura relaxed, thinking Sebastian had left. She gathered her long hair, bunched it up, and let it rest over one shoulder. Then she proceeded to turn to the running shower.
Sebastian was hoping his desire would die down, but it was getting worse. His hand tightened on the dress. Shit, he thought. He had to get out of here.
“Where’s the towel?” Conrad called out from the other side.
Sakura was testing the water with her fingers and reluctantly turned to answer Conrad. She gasped in fright when she saw that Sebastian was still in the bathroom with her.
“Sebastian!” she shrieked, her voice husky. “What are you still doing in here?”
Sebastian tried to sound as normal as he could and managed a cool reply. “Waiting for the towel.”
Sakura tightened her grip on the dress at her chest and frowned at him. He couldn’t blame her for that. He was rather thankful she couldn’t see him going hard with desire for her.
He passed her the dress, and after turning the doorknob, left the room in a hurry. A moment later, he opened the door again and threw her the towel.
Once the door was latched again, Sebastian turned to look at Conrad, who was now sitting on the carpet with Toby on his lap.
Sebastian came to sit beside his brother, his back resting against the bed. He turned his attention to Sakura’s bedroom and was instantly surprised at what he saw. He thought her bedroom would be plain with just a normal-sized double bed, a wardrobe for her clothes, and perhaps a study desk. But this was far from it. Her room was designed and decorated tastefully, with a soft, earthy palette. There was a featured wall where the head of the queen-size bed rested—lovely pink cherry blossoms and golden leaves. There was a French-Georgian style recliner, sofa, and study desk and chair. He noted the laptop, camera, and sketchbook and pencils neatly arranged on the antique desk. He especially loved the flower arrangement sitting to the side, magnolia and cherry blossoms. What a beautiful combination.
“I hope she’s all right,” Conrad said.
Sebastian glanced at Toby, who was having a nice, relaxing time on Conrad’s lap.
“Me, too,” he replied.
At that moment the door
burst opened and Darcy Princeton, the sixth Princeton brother, walked in.
“Where is she?” he asked, his voice dark with concern.
Sebastian nodded to the bathroom, indicated that their adopted sister was in there.
“Is she all right?” Darcy couldn’t help himself asking.
The brothers didn’t answer. Truth be told, they didn’t know. Darcy understood and came to sit on the other side of Conrad, folding his arms across his chest. The three waited in silence, dreading to find out if their victim would be all right after the attempted murder. A few minutes later, Sakura opened the door, and they all hastily stood.
Sakura was so shocked to see three men in her bedroom waiting for her that she couldn’t do anything but stare, momentarily forgetting why she was in such a rush to get out of the bathroom with her wet hair in a wild mess and her skin not yet dried properly.
Yes, once she had gotten hold of herself from the fear of her drowning, showered thoroughly, and gotten out, she realized Conrad hadn’t given her any underwear. And why would he? He hadn’t a clue as to where they were and probably didn’t think she needed any too. And here she was, standing there with only the dress on, her skin still wet and her hair still wild, looking at the three uninvited men in her room.
Sebastian had a good, thorough look at his very pretty adopted sister. That white dress was rather fetching on her, showing off her very slender figure. The top bit, however, was designed in such a way as to hug the breasts. The neckline was rather low and showing porcelain-white skin that begged for a caress. Not to mention there were buttons in the front starting from about her diaphragm to the top. Gosh! Did she not think to button up properly? He could bloody see her skin beneath. And yes, that damn cotton material was rather thin, and since her soft, smooth skin was still bloody wet from the shower, it was showing the shape of her breasts and nipples very clearly.
Yes, she was enchanting. She would tease any man’s senses. Oh, bloody hell! She was practically begging for a man to ravish her.
Sebastian felt his whole body shuddering in pleasure. Shit! He had to get control of himself. He moved closer to her, blocking his brothers from taking in her enticing sight. Sakura glanced up at him, wondering what his problem was since he was now scowling at her again. She wasn’t in the mood for his nastiness and took a step to one side.
He blocked her by taking a step as well.
“What are you doing?” she asked tiredly.
He noted her weary expression and the weakness in her voice. Damn! Why was he being so unreasonable? She had just had a near-death experience, and here he was, scowling at her because she was wearing what Conrad had found for her. He didn’t even have the sense to give her underwear. And apparently, neither did he.
He softened his face and gave her a smile instead.
“Go back in,” he said, gently nudging her around and back into the bathroom. “I’ll find underwear for you.”
Sakura twisted around so fast her head spun. “No!” she said. “I mean, I’ll do it myself. Why don’t you guys go down? I’ll be there soon.”
Darcy wasn’t having any of it. He folded his arms across his chest and told her with his stern expression that he wasn’t going anywhere.
Conrad nodded. “Can I sit on your bed, Sakura?”
Sakura sighed. “Look, I’ll be fine.”
“They might come back,” Darcy said. “I won’t allow them to—” He broke off, glancing away. His heart wrenched with pain at the thought that she might have just died if he hadn’t happened to be there at the pool. That just meant Alaina would be a murderer too. His face became even grimmer at the thought.
“Go back in. Sebastian will find your underwear. You don’t look presentable enough to come down for dinner,” he said.
Sakura sighed. “Okay.”
“Can I sit on your bed?” Conrad asked again. “I like your bed.”
Sakura couldn’t help herself. Despite being so tired, she smiled at Conrad and said, “Yeah,” before turning back into the bathroom.
Once she closed the door, Conrad happily made himself comfortable on the bed, Toby with him. Darcy sat on the chair by the study desk while Sebastian went through her wardrobe, searching for her bra and panties. Once he found some in a small drawer, he lightly knocked on the door.
Sakura poked her head out and quickly grabbed the underwear, her face flaming red from embarrassment. Then she hastily closed the door again.
Sebastian noticed the blushing but kept his face straight as he knew she was very sensitive. That, of course, made him wonder if she was still a virgin. She surely did act like one. That made him smile. He didn’t know why, but he liked the fact that she was still a virgin.
Darcy picked up Sakura’s photo album sitting on the desk and flicked through. He was impressed, noting the many beautiful pictures of nature she had captured. The latest one was of a cherry tree in the woods. It looked very professional, and he liked it. As he gazed at it, something triggered within his mind. Then the images flashed before his eyes.
The summer breeze. The dark hair dancing in the wind. The warm smile. The small, gentle hand stroking his hair. The warm lips on his cheek. The tree! It was the same tree he and she—
Sakura opened the door and came out. Darcy put the photo album back in place and stood up, his whole being tense.
“Do I look much more presentable for dinner now?” she asked.
Darcy felt his heart pumping a bit too fast for his liking. He gritted his teeth. Calm down, you old beast! Why was it so painful looking at her? But why did he feel pleasure, too? And why did he want to be with her so badly? Only moments before—when she came out wearing that dress without underwear, her porcelain skin glistening wet, and her long hair in a wild mess—he had felt surges of pleasure through his veins and his heart somersaulting. Yes, the pleasure and thrill mixed together was utterly intoxicating, exactly like when he was diving—his body flying and twisting and turning in midair before hitting the water in the pool. It was truly wonderful, and she made him feel wonderful. But at the same time, he felt so much pain.
He cleared his throat. “Yes,” he said and then walked out the door.
Sebastian turned to her. He touched her arm and said, “It would be better to lock your door from now on.”
Sakura wasn’t happy with that idea. “What? Suddenly I’m not safe in my own house anymore?”
“That’s not it,” Conrad said from the bed. “You are safe. But it’s them.”
“They’re your sisters, Conrad,” Sakura said. “As I am.”
Conrad didn’t know how to response to her remark. Yes, Alaina was his real sister. Tara was his adopted sister. But Sakura? The reality suddenly hit him. She was also his adopted sister, wasn’t she? But that wasn’t what he wanted.
His face was serious, and he hugged Toby tighter.
“Sakura,” Sebastian said, noting that Conrad had gone silent. It only meant either one of two things: he was thinking deeply and seriously, or he was hurt emotionally.
She turned to him, tears in her eyes. He wiped the wetness with his thumb, her skin soft against his touch. Sakura shoved away his hand, furious at the whole situation.
“Please be careful from now on. We can’t protect you—”
“No!” She cut him off. “I can look after myself. After all, I didn’t have you guys to look after me when I was younger. I’m sure I won’t die just yet. Now please leave because I’m tired and need to rest. And please tell Daddy James and Mom Brenda that I’m not feeling well. Good night.”
She took Toby from Conrad and walked to the window, staring out, tears in her eyes.
Sebastian was pissed because he hadn’t protected her when she was younger. He was pissed because she had been so used to being alone and dependent on herself that she didn’t want his or his brothers’ help. He was also pissed because she had called his parents Mom and Dad. Yes, technically they were her mom and dad, too. The truth was, however, he didn’t want them t
o be her mom and dad and neither did he want her to be his adopted sister. The reason? Because—
Shit! Could he really deny this to himself? Could he? Why didn’t he want her to be his adopted sister? Why didn’t he want her to call his parents Mom and Dad? Why did it hurt him when she said that she, too, was his sister?
His heart still burning with pain and his head still pounding with confusion, he headed out the door.
Conrad got off the bed. He desperately wanted to hug her. He wanted to take her into his arms and tell her that everything was going to be all right. Yes, Conrad didn’t care that he had to be her adopted brother. All he knew was that he wanted to protect her. So he came up behind her and hugged her, his arms wrapping around her form.
“It’s okay, Sakura,” he whispered into her ear. “You can cry. It’s only me here.”
Sakura didn’t need any more encouragement. Tears poured from her eyes, and her whole body trembled once again. Conrad stood there hugging her while she hugged Toby in her arms. When she had finally used up all her tears, she turned to him and gave him a weak smile.
“You’re so nice to me, Conrad, even when you were very small. Your brothers ignored me, pretended I didn’t exist. But you were different. You knew I was here. You secretly played with me when they weren’t around, and I thank you for that.”
Conrad gave her a smile. “Well,” he began, his eyes twinkling, “I don’t actually remember much of that.”
She managed to laugh, and he liked that. Yes, he made her smile and that was enough for him. For now at least.
“It was because you were very small, so you wouldn’t remember.”
He wiped her tears from her cheeks and chuckled. “Like Darcy said, you need to look presentable for dinner.”
“Do I have to go down?” she asked weakly.
“Are you afraid?”
Sakura automatically lifted her chin a notch higher. “No, I’m not afraid.”
Conrad smiled. “Good. Then let’s go.” That said, he grabbed her hand and led her out the door.