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Chapter Sixteen
Valentina had barely gotten home, stripped off last night's clothes, and thrown on leggings and a sweater, when she heard the front door open.
Knowing she was most definitely not the actress in the family, even though there was absolutely no reason for her sister to think anything had happened between her and Smith beyond a friendly visit to Alcatraz, she still found herself plastering a stiff smile on her face as Tatiana popped her head in the door.
"Sorry, Val, my plane was delayed. I called the spa and told them we'd be a few minutes late."
Valentina's lips pulled even wider across the front of her teeth. "Great, I can't wait!"
As her sister ducked into her bedroom to put away her carry-on bag, Valentina felt like she had a neon sign around her neck flashing LIAR. Because even though she hadn't actually outright lied to her sister, she couldn't help but feel that omission was nearly as bad.
A few minutes later, when they were en route to the spa in Tatiana's cute little Mini Cooper, Valentina asked, "How was the event in L.A.?"
"Good." Her sister smiled. "I honestly had no idea how much working with Smith would change things, though. Everyone kept telling me what a big deal it is that Smith personally chose me for Gravity. You know, because he wrote it and is also producing and directing. None of them have even seen the movie yet, and they kept talking about Oscars."
"It is a big deal," Valentina agreed. "And since he's told me again and again how much he's enjoying working with you, I know he's really happy with his choice."
Her sister smiled. "The thing is, considering the way everyone clearly worships him, even though I personally know how easy he is to work with, I almost started getting nervous. Although maybe that was just because everyone also kept saying - "
Tatiana shot Valentina a quick look before suddenly clamping her lips shut.
Valentina worked to keep her voice light and easy as she asked, "What else were they saying?"
"Stupid stuff." Tatiana rolled her eyes. "You know how Hollywood is about thinking co-stars are all jumping into bed with each other. But I swore to them all that he and I are just friends."
Valentina's hands clenched on her lap as she said, "I'm sorry you have to deal with that, T, especially when you're putting in such long hours on set."
"We both knew from the start that co-star-romance rumors come with the territory," her sister said in a soft voice. "I can deal with it, because I know the truth. The thing is, if Smith is seeing anyone, I'd hate for her to think that he's not being completely faithful to her, when he definitely is."
Valentina wished they could talk about something else. Anything else. But she could tell that her sister was waiting for her to say something.
God, she wanted so desperately to confide in Tatiana. But what could she possibly say? I slept with Smith last night. And then when I started freaking out this morning and tried to run, he half-attacked me to keep me in his bed...and I loved it.
No. She couldn't say that. Couldn't say anything at all to Tatiana about being with Smith. It would be too great a risk on all sides of the equation. And really, what was there to say? It had only been one, beautiful, perfect, sinful night, hadn't it?
One that she would never, ever let happen again.
Finally, she replied, "I suppose any woman who decided to date an actor like Smith would have to decide to trust him no matter what...otherwise, she'd end up going crazy." That is, if the media hounding her didn't send her to the loony bin first.
"Hey," her sister suddenly said, "I almost forgot. How was Alcatraz?"
"Fabulous!" Valentina replied in a voice that was just a little too bright. And then, before her sister could so much as ask one question about her companion for the evening, she began to recite the Alcatraz history she'd learned from their guide Sam.
* * *
"Tatiana, thank you so much for inviting us!"
Valentina was just signing her name on the spa register when she turned and saw Vicki Bennett, who had supplied the sculptures for the movie and was engaged to one of Smith's brothers, walk in with two women who looked remarkably alike, except for the fact that one was very pregnant. Not only that, but the twins also happened to bear a striking resemblance to -
"Hi, I'm Lori Sullivan." Valentina's hand was shaken by the un-pregnant twin who moved so gracefully and was obviously the dancer in the family. "This is my sister, Sophie."
Valentina worked to keep her panic at bay. It was bad enough that she'd had to keep what had happened last night from her own sister. But now both of Smith's sisters were at the spa, along with his soon-to-be sister-in-law, Vicki.
"It's so nice to meet you both, and to see you again, Vicki." They hadn't spent much time together, beyond Valentina admiring the other woman's absolutely beautiful sculptures on the day they were first introduced.
Just twenty-four hours ago, Valentina would have really loved this chance to meet more of Smith's family. Unfortunately, now she was going to be worried about saying the wrong thing the whole time and accidentally giving away that she and Smith had gotten closer than anyone could possibly imagine.
"Come on," Lori said, "let's go soak in the mineral baths first. Soph, you can just dip your feet in so you don't boil the babies."
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.
"You really don't," Lori said, grinning at her while wiping the water from her face and brushing her damp hair back from her forehead. "Because I can already see from the look on your face that sex with the guy you're 'not encouraging' is awesome." Sophie was clearly about to drench Lori with more water when her twin held up her hands in mock surrender. "Okay, I'll stop. I promise."
But her promise came too late, because a water fight was soon going in earnest, with Vicki and Sophie ganging up on Lori until Valentina had to join Lori's team to keep the battle even. When Tatiana found the four of them after her facial, they were all completely drenched and laughing together like old friends. Tatiana easily slipped into the water with them and joined in on the fun without missing a beat.
