A Secret Kiss (Falling for Sakura 1)

“Confirm the bouquets for me, the bride-to-be, the maid of honor, Katherine, and of course, the very lovely bridesmaid Sakura.”

“You’re going to be a bridesmaid?” Darcy asked. His tone of voice indicated that he was none too pleased.

Sakura was taken aback. “She’s one of my best friends. Of course I’m going to be her bridesmaid.”

The brothers nodded. But of course they didn’t know the girls were best friends nor that Sakura was going to be a bridesmaid. Hence, they wondered who the groomsmen were and wondered if the bridesmaids and groomsmen had to dance together.

“Who are the groomsmen?” Nicolas asked, as if sensing what all his brothers were thinking.

“My brother Richard, and of course Peter’s best friend Jack,” Mary said.

The brothers seemed to sigh with relief. They knew Jack Donaldson was already married, and therefore, Sakura wasn’t in danger there. And of course, Richard was Mary’s older brother and was a family member, whi

ch meant no danger there either.

“Why are you all so tense?” Mary asked. Then she thought to add, “I didn’t know any of you wanted to be Peter’s groomsmen.”

This was followed by guilty looks and an uncomfortable cough from Tristan.

“Aha!” Mary slammed her palm on the tabletop, causing all eyes to turn on her. “You feel guilty, don’t you?” she said. “You’re all guilty you haven’t helped out. With my wedding, I mean.”

Conrad laughed uneasily. “Kind of,” he said. “We haven’t really done anything, have we?”

“Of course not,” Mary said, folding her arms across her chest. “It’s a bit too late now.”

“So,” Logan said. “What’s the flavor of your cake?”

Mary cocked her head to one side. “Ah, that.” It was her turn to laugh uncomfortably. “I haven’t chosen it yet.”

“What?” Conrad and Logan shouted out in unison.

“You left it until this late?” Nicolas asked.

“Well, not that late. I just need to choose the flavor. Can’t decide. That’s why Sakura is coming with me today to help choose. Mrs. Waterhouse is baking us some to try.”

“I’ll be too happy to help you choose,” Tristan said from across the table.

All his brothers eyed him with suspicion.

“I’ll help, too,” Conrad said. “I love cake. Nothing better than free cakes.”

“Hum,” Logan said, “maybe I should help, too.”

“Count me in,” Nicolas said. “Chocolate is my favorite.”

Sakura wasn’t pleased with the way things were going. She glanced from one brother to the others, wondering why they wanted to help out, and tasting cake of all things.

“Hold on,” Sakura said. “There isn’t enough room in my car.”

“I’ll drive.” Sebastian offered.

“Huh?” Sakura blinked several times.

“Hold on! Wait a minute!” Mary intervened, half-standing. She looked from one brother to the others and said, “You all want to help me taste and choose my wedding cake?”

The brothers nodded in unison.

Sakura could only stare at them. Say no! Please say no! Mary, please!

Mary laughed. “That’s great! Let’s all go to The Dessert Room and eat cakes!”

Sakura’s shoulders slumped. This was going to be a long day.

Not long after that, she found herself in the driver’s seat with Conrad’s long leg pushing behind her seat and his face close behind her neck. Mary was next to her, going through the cake list in the brochure she had earlier, and Logan was sitting next to Conrad on the back seat.

“Chocolate,” Mary said. “I like chocolate, but I’m not sure if everyone else will like it.”

“What else is there?” Logan asked from behind.

“Hmm, strawberry, raspberry, blueberry,” she said. “All the berries you could think of.”

“Vanilla?” Conrad asked. “I like vanilla.”

Mary put the pamphlet down and turned to look at Conrad behind her. “Okay, Conrad. What’s the gossip?”

Conrad raised his brows in confusion. “What gossip?”

“Oh, come on. Tell us about your brothers. I can’t believe none of them are bringing their girlfriends to my wedding. There’s something fishy about that.”

Conrad laughed. “Nothing fishy,” he said. “Tristan, Hayden, and Darcy all got dumped by their respective girlfriends.”

Logan laughed. “Serves them right.”

“And Nicolas, Sebastian, Logan, and I,” he emphasized, “are still single. No strings attached.” As he said this, he looked at Sakura, who was too busy looking at the road ahead.

“That is so bizarre,” Mary commented. “You’re all still single. Seven hot men in one house, all single.” She turned to look at the scenery, wondering. “I wonder if they’re gay.”

Conrad heard her and shouted, “I’m not gay!”

Logan nodded. “FYI, Mary, we like our freedom.”

Conrad nodded too. “But unlike my brothers,” he said, again looking at Sakura, “I’ll only be too happy to settle down the moment I meet the right girl.”

Logan noted the meaning in Conrad’s words and frowned at his brother severely. “Take it slow, puppy boy. What have you got to offer this girl you’re interested in? You’re still in college. Where’s your plan for the future?”

Conrad scratched his head. “I’ll work on one.”

Mary turned to look at Logan and Conrad behind her again. “Are you sure you’re not gay?” She teased.

Conrad folded his arms across his chest. “I’m positive.”

It was Logan’s turn to speak. “Sakura, my sweet sister.”

This welcomed a surprised, weird stare from Mary, and she laughed. She said, “Sweet sister? I think Sakura is anything but sweet.”

Sakura tightened her hands on the steering wheel. It wasn’t what Mary had just said that bothered her. It was because Logan had called her my sweet sister.

“Are you bringing that… what’s his name?” Logan cocked his head to one side, pretending to search his brain for Mark Chatsworth’s name. “That doctor at the lab.”

“Mark?” Mary volunteered excitedly.

“Yes,” Logan said. “Are you bringing him to the wedding?”

“Naturally,” Mary said. “Of course.”

Conrad couldn’t help himself and asked, “What? So are you guys like dating or something?”

Mary laughed. “I wish. I’ve been working on it for so long and so damn hard. I know in my guts that Mark likes Sakura, but she won’t budge—the beam pool.”

Sakura said, “I’m not ready for a relationship, Mary. I told you already. I’ve got other plans. And I’m not a freakin’ beam pool.”

“Yeah. Yeah.” Mary waved. “We know you’ve got super-hot breasts, Sakura. But you know romance doesn’t come your way every day, and besides, finding the perfect man in your life isn’t that easy either.” She turned to Logan and Conrad. “How about we work together?”

Conrad was momentarily daydreaming about Sakura’s super-hot breasts. He wondered what they looked like and—

“Conrad?” Mary shouted.

He jolted back to reality. “What?”

“To get this friend of mine and Mark together?”

Logan frowned darkly, and Conrad said, “No!”

Mary harrumphed. “Fine. I’ll work on it myself, then.”