Come A Little Bit Closer (The Sullivans #7)(45)

Sophie rolled her eyes in Valentina’s direction. “Charming, isn’t she?”

Valentina smiled, clearly able to see just how close the sisters were. No wonder Smith loved his family so much. No doubt they had their sharp edges and disagreements like every family, but surrounding all of it was such obvious love.

They’d just changed into their suits and were getting settled into the warm water when one of the aestheticians came to take Tatiana in for a facial, leaving Valentina alone with the Sullivan crew. They all seemed really nice, but she still couldn’t keep her nerves totally calm. Of course, they had no reason to ask her about Smith, no possible way they could suspect she’d left his bed just hours before.

Just thinking about what he’d done to her in that bed—and what she’d done to him—had her feeling even warmer than the water warranted.

Valentina was glad she’d asked Smith to tell her about his siblings the night before, because now she could say, “Your brother said you’re an amazing choreographer and dancer, Lori. I’d love to see your work.” To Sophie, she said, “He also told me he couldn’t do half his research on characters in films without your help. I’ve been hoping to get to the local library, but work has been crazy lately. There’s nothing I love more than spending hours and hours with books.”

“I’ve just started maternity leave to try to get a few things ready before I give birth,” Sophie said in her gentle voice, both hands resting on her belly, “but I’d love to drop by with you just for fun one day soon, if you can take a little time away from work.”

How, Valentina suddenly found herself wondering, was she supposed to succeed at keeping her distance from Smith when his family was drawing her in so easily? She truly did want to see Lori dance and spend an afternoon with Sophie and her books.

“How have you been enjoying working on Smith’s movie?” Vicki asked.

Valentina tried to detect whether there was anything behind the other woman’s question, or if she could possibly have detected any sparks between her and Smith during the time she’d spent on set delivering her sculptures. But from what she could see on the other woman’s face, Valentina knew she was just being paranoid.

Not her finest trait, that was for sure.

“Both Tatiana and I have been loving it. Everyone is working really hard, but they all manage to be relaxed at the same time. That hasn’t always been the case on several of the films she’s worked on in the past few years.”

“Smith’s awesome,” Lori said, as if that explained it all.

Which, thought Valentina with a small sigh of resignation, it actually did.

Smith was so easy to talk to, so friendly, and yet so in control of the dozens of moving pieces, that he automatically inspired everyone’s loyalty. Not to mention the fact that he could act rings around other actors.

“He and I are the only single ones left,” Lori told her. “Everyone else in our family,” she nodded toward Vicki and Sophie, “is just so sickeningly happy.”

“Now, now,” Sophie teased her sister, “is that your bitter, spinsterly side showing?”

Lori splashed her twin before saying to Valentina, “Do you have any idea what it’s like to be surrounded by couples all the time? Especially when I feel like I’m singing that Taylor Swift song on repeat, you know the one about never, ever getting back together with the guy you’re dating.” She sighed. “And then doing it anyway.”

Sophie frowned. “Wait. I thought you were—”

Lori quickly cut her sister off at the pass by asking Valentina, “What about you? Is there anyone special in your life that you’re falling madly, deeply in love with until you can’t live without them like pretty much every Sullivan on the planet has been doing?”

Valentina felt as though everything had gone still, the water from the fountain against the wall slowing down until she could practically see each drop falling, one after the other, into the pool below.

Lie. She needed to figure out how to tell a convincing lie, damn it.

Only, what came out instead was, “Well, there’s sort of this guy who’s interested, but since I already know it’s not going to work out, I’ve been trying not to encourage him.”

She only realized what she’d said after her words came echoing back into her ears a few seconds later. Thank God Tatiana was off getting a facial, or she would surely have been peppering her with Twenty Questions. Like who the guy was...and why Valentina hadn’t so much as mentioned anyone during the past few weeks that they’d been in San Francisco.

Not to mention the fact that Valentina’s definition of “trying not to encourage him” clearly needed some work after the night—and morning—she’d spent making love over and over again with Smith.

“Oooh,” Lori said as she leaned forward in the water, her eyes flashing with curiosity. “Is the guy cute?”

Valentina couldn’t hold back her flush. Or the word, “Yes,” even though cute was entirely the wrong word for Smith’s dark eyes and chiseled male beauty.

More like devastatingly handsome.

“But—” Valentina began.

“—you’re totally sleeping with him, right?” Lori finished for her.

Valentina’s eyes widened at Lori’s blunt question even as Sophie kicked water over her sister. “You don’t have to answer that,” Sophie told Valentina.