Falling For Sakura (Falling For Sakura Trilogy, #1) (39 page)

A N
ew Beginning

It was morning and the bright orange sun was
just beginning to rise over the horizon. Sakura raised her face and breathed in the fresh air. When she opened her eyes again, she saw the Statue of Liberty and in the distance New York City.

Behind her, Ned fold
ed his arms across his chest as he watched her, a smile on his face.

Toby, who was in
Sakura’s arms, licked her chin. She turned her attention to him then and smiled. “Look, Toby, our new home,” she said, pointing to the city beyond. The dog barked happily, and she laughed.

Yes, she was heading
to her new home and her new future. At that moment, the sun rose just above her, shining down on her, which gave her an orange picturesque beauty that if anyone cared to look would have taken their breath away.

Sakura felt at peace as her serene face gaz
ed off into the distance. Now, she was no longer Sakura Princeton. From this day forward and beyond, she was Sakura Tanaka, and she so looked forward to her new future.

“Sebastian,” she whispered
softly under her breath. “Darcy, please forget Sakura Princeton because she no longer exists.”

S
akura knew that eventually the two men would forget about her, forget about Sakura Princeton like they’d forgotten about her before. Soon their memories of her would fade and then completely disappear from their minds. Then one day, they would meet the wonderful women who surely deserved them. Sakura Princeton, however, was not that person. Sakura Princeton never was and never would be.

“I love you both,” she whispered
softly.

Sakura Tanaka smiled as she stroked her long hair back, her eyes
gazing off to the horizon. “I’m looking forward to next spring. It will be so interesting,” she said to herself.

* * *

NEW YORK CITY

One
Year Later, Spring

Luke Hamilton waited nervously a
s he stared at the painting of some cherry trees that was placed proudly in the middle of the large gallery. He couldn’t understand why his boss wanted this type of painting so badly. It was just a picture of cherry trees with some green land in the distance and beyond that, the pristine blue ocean and the azure sky above. It wasn’t that interesting, yet Sebastian Princeton had wanted it. Well, not that Luke was complaining about coming here, of course. Even though he had no interest whatsoever in the paintings, he did have an interest in the painter herself. And now he stood waiting for her to materialize.

And
materialize she did.

“Mr
. Hamilton,” she called out softly, which caused Luke’s heart to flutter within his chest.
Speaking of the angel,
he thought and eagerly turned.

Oh
, God!
She really did take his breath away.

She stood before him now
like a queen with her very refined figure. Actually, he should be referring to her as
my lady
because he thought this title suited her rather well. Especially when she was dressed like this, wearing her very elegant long skirt and a white blouse that covered up to her neck, which was of course lovingly and fashionably designed. God, she looked like a Victorian lady, so elegant and, bloody hell, like a very precious ornament that he couldn’t afford to touch.

Today she had her long, ash brown
curls loosely braided and resting over one shoulder. As he came closer, he noticed that today her eyes were two different colors again. Her left eye was an azure-blue color, bright and shinning just like the clear blue sky above New York City on this very fine spring day. Her right eye, on the other hand, was the color of the moon on a stormy night, a mauve-gray color that he’d never seen before on any person. No, he was lying there. He had actually seen that very same odd color on one particular person. He was the young, famous game creator Darcy Princeton, who every woman desired and wanted.

“Would you like to have a seat?” she asked, cocking her beautiful head to one side as she looked at him.

“Um,” Luke began, lost because she was smiling at him. Why was she was so beautiful when she smiled?
Shit!
What was he here for again? Oh yes, the art exhibition. Yes, that’s right, and the paintings.

“Yes, please, Ms
. Tanaka,” Luke said, nodding furiously.

She chuckled softly
, and Luke wanted to melt with joy. “Please, you can call me Sakura. After all, you’ve been my client for six months now, and calling me Ms. Tanaka just doesn’t seem right.”

Luke swallowed
. “Well, I’m working for my boss. But then again, it’s the same thing, isn’t it?”

“Luke?” Sakura asked
. “About that Japanese fashion show that is due to take place in a few months?”

“Yes?” Luke asked.

“Your sister is working for the Japanese designer Mr. Techibana, yes?”

Luke nodded his head.

“I was wondering if I might ask for a favor.”

Luke was only too happy to help. “Of course,” he said, trying very hard to hide his eagerness.

“I was wondering about the fashion industry. Will your sister be able to help me with that?” she asked, her eyes on him, the two different colors fascinating him even more.

“Of course,” he said.
“The one that’s taking place at Princeton Hotel here in Manhattan?”

Sakura paused for a moment, for the name Princeton caused her heart to jolt within her chest. “Yes,
” she confirmed. “That one.”

Luke chuckled. “Of course. Mind you, ma
ny people are going to show up since the famous Princeton brothers are going to be there, or so I’ve heard.” Luke moved forward, curiosity eating at him. “You’re not asking just because you’re interested in them, are you?”

Sakura felt her hand
s shake. She couldn’t believe it. After almost a year, the brothers were still affecting her, both mentally and emotionally. Slowly she shook her head. “I have my own reasons, Luke.”

It was her mother, Haruka Tanaka
, who she wanted to meet. She knew for a fact Haruka would be there, and she couldn’t possibly pass up the chance now, could she? Even if she had to play hide-and-seek with the brothers.
Of course,
she reasoned with herself,
they wouldn’t know I’d be there.
Besides, they’d probably all forgotten about her by now, so she had nothing to fear.

Finally
Sakura smiled brilliantly. “Thank you,” she said to Luke. “Thank you so much. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

T
HE END

* * *

FALLING FOR SAKURA TRILOGY

One young woman.

Seven brothers.

When she falls in love with two,

which brother will she choose?

In Japan
,
Sakura is the beautiful cherry blossom that blooms vibrantly in spring and symbolizes the insightful Buddhist phrase
mono no aware,
which means
the pathos of things
, a metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life. FALLING FOR SAKURA is the story of Caucasian-Japanese Sakura, her journey to finding herself, and her torn love for two very different brothers, Sebastian and Darcy Princeton.

Orphan Sakura, with no last name, is accustomed to being rejected, hated, bullied, and unloved. When she is adopted by the wealthy Princeton family, her seven brothers refuse to accept her, and her two sisters constantly bully her. Instead of admitting defeat, she gladly takes on her new life with a brave face, working hard to earn her new siblings’ trust and love. Her endeavor, however, ultimately leads to a series of unfortunate incidents.

Now years later, the twenty-three-year-old beauty dreads the moment she once again has to meet the drop-dead gorgeous brothers, due to arrive for their cousin’s wedding. Dodging their very presence is next to impossible since the brothers, who have forgotten who she is entirely, are attracted to her like moths to a flame and thwart her escapes at every turn. This, of course, leads to ungodly, tempting situations, awakens forbidden feelings, and ignites old flames that have been suppressed and laid dormant for many years. When she finds them competing for her—
NOT for her sisterly affection, which she still deeply craves, but for her love as a woman
—she is torn between Sebastian Princeton, the brother who loves her and watches over her from a distance, and Darcy Princeton, the brother who was once her best friend and now secretly yearns for her forgiveness and her love once again.

Sign up for e-mail alert to find out when
book 2 and 3 of Falling For Sakura comes out by following the link:
http://eepurl.com/N1_7n

Be The First To Find Out When My Next Book Comes Out.

Be the first to find out when my next book comes out and when I do a book discount or give away free ebook. I’m always working on the next great romance novel. Get my publication alert by signing up here:
http://eepurl.com/N1_7n

About Me

My dear reader,

This is Alexia, and I would like to thank you very much for purchasing this book.
If you like Falling For Sakura, then I encourage you to write a review. Better yet, rate this book and post your thoughts on Facebook and Twitter. This book is self-published, and I did my very best to polish the manuscript. However, if you do happen to come across grammar, punctuation, or spelling mistake please contact me via
[email protected]
. I would ever be so grateful.

Here are some things about me. I live with my family in historic, students-infested Dunedin, Aotearoa (land of the long white cloud), aka New Zealand.  My bad habits? I love eating, daydreaming, watching anime, and of course, writing and reading—
in that particular order
.

Visit me at
www.alexiapraks.com
for more information about my books.

Follow me on
www.wattpad.com/user/AlexiaPraks
where I post my latest work.

COMING SOON

FALLING FOR SAKURA TRILOGY

A Secret Proposal

(Falling For Sakura Book 2)

A Secret Affair

(Falling For Sakura Book 3)
MY OTHER BOOKS

His Hired Girlfriend
(Kiwi Bride Series: Book 1)

Highland Kiss
(Kiwi Bride Series Book 2)

The Earl’s Desire
(The Rogue Series Book 1)

The Duke’s Revenge
(The Rogue Series Book 2)