Come a Little Bit Closer: The Sullivans (2 page)

Everything that surrounded the two of them fell away as she searched the businessman’s face for a reaction, but he was impossible to read—and on a sound of disgust, she pushed away from him and started to move back down the sidewalk.

But before she could get lost in the crowd, a large, strong hand wrapped around her upper arm and stopped her from getting away. She whipped around to shake him off. “Get the he—”

“I’m sorry.”

His voice resonated with genuine regret—deeper, truer, than anyone who worked with him might have thought he was capable of feeling. Even, perhaps, the man himself.

Bravado had been all that held the young woman together. And in that moment, as a man who had never apologized to anyone for anything in his life actually did, she lost hold of the strength she’d been clinging to by her fingernails.

Her first tear had barely begun to fall when she finally pulled herself free and started running through the crowds, intent on getting away from the man whose apology had touched her despite herself.

The man’s deep voice called out to the girl with the pink streaks in her hair as he pushed through the crowd, but she was small and fast and lost him at the busy Union Square intersection.

As the rest of the world rushed around him, most people either talking or texting on their phones, their attention on anything but the people around them, the man stood perfectly still.

And utterly alone.

Valentina Landon held her breath until “Cut!” rang out. Moments later, applause and cheering came from the crew who had been held spellbound by the scene.

Somehow, she got her hands to work, to come together in a basic approximation of clapping, but she was too moved by what she’d seen to put anything behind it. It was the first scene on the first day of filming
Gravity
, but the story had immediately grabbed for her gut and twisted it. Hard enough that she was practically wincing even as she waited to find out what happened next. Smith Sullivan had not only written the screenplay, but he was also directing, producing, and starring in the film.

Tatiana Landon, Valentina’s younger sister, was an incredibly talented actress with ten years of experience behind her. She’d been hired for dozens of TV episodes, had shot a couple of sitcom pilots over the years, and most recently, had important supporting roles in two feature films. But
Gravity
was her first lead in a major motion picture.

Valentina had always been proud of her sister, but what they’d all just witnessed from Tatiana had been so stunningly good that Valentina was still having trouble catching her breath. And she knew why.

Smith Sullivan had brought out every last ounce of magic her sister possessed.

Just then, Tatiana moved back down the sidewalk toward Smith. Valentina could read her sister like an open book and though she was smiling at the applause from the rest of the cast and crew, it was clear that the person she was really waiting for a verdict from was Smith.

So much like the character he was playing, for a moment it was hard to read his face until he reached out to put his hands on either side of Tatiana’s shoulders and said loudly enough for everyone to hear, “You. Are. Perfect.” He was grinning widely as he planted a kiss on her forehead.

Tatiana blinked up at Smith, pleasure and pride mixing with the stars in her sister’s eyes a moment before her own blinding smile came.

In the span of one terrible heartbeat, the ground fell away from Valentina’s feet as she watched the interaction between her sister and the movie star...and every one of her fears for her sister’s welfare pushed to the forefront.

She couldn’t forget the way he’d flirted and charmed the female fans who had been waiting for a glimpse of him just outside the set earlier that morning, the cliché of the movie star come to life. The women had fawned all over him and she had no doubt that he’d loved every second of the attention, not to mention the dozen phone numbers he’d held in his hand. Valentina had no trouble imagining just how giddy with anticipation the women were over whom he would pick to warm his bed tonight.

Like hell if it was going to be her own sister.

So when Smith went to watch playback,
Valentina didn’t think, didn’t stop to assess whether her actions were wise as she pushed through the crew to get to him.

“We need to talk. In private. Now.”

She kept her voice pitched low and even, though she knew everyone would likely be gossiping about her nerve within seconds of their leaving the set, wondering what possible beef she could have with the great Smith Sullivan.

Valentina headed toward Smith’s trailer, which had been moved to the Union Square site for the first day of filming, and even though she hadn’t waited for his reply, she could feel his larger-than-life presence behind her every step of the way.

Chapter Two

Gravity
was the story Smith had been waiting his entire career to tell. It wasn’t a big-budget, smash ’em up blockbuster. Nor was it a period film with impeccably researched costumes and accents. Instead, it was a pure, honest story about love and family and what really mattered.

And he was staking his entire reputation on the deceptively simple story.

If ever there was a time for focus, for pure and total concentration, it was now and through the next eight weeks of filming. He couldn’t afford to let anything—or anyone—distract him from making the best movie he had in him.

Only, as he followed Valentina to his trailer, her waist, hips, and legs gorgeous in her form-fitting pencil skirt, he already knew holding that intense focus wasn’t going to be easy.

Valentina Landon had attracted him from the start with her exotic looks which she downplayed into cool, businesslike reserve. He couldn’t miss the slightly seductive tone to her voice, or the fact that her scent was pure, rich sensuality. If she thought she was putting anyone off with her suits, soft golden hair pulled back into a simple ponytail, and the thick-framed glasses she slid on when she was poring over contracts, she was way off base.

Didn’t she know that all those carefully constructed conservative elements made a guy like him want to find out just how deep her passions ran? Especially when she was so intent on hiding them. Not, of course, that she’d even come close to letting him find out the answer to that question.

During rehearsals, she was always either with her sister or making her way out of a room the second he walked into it. He’d been impressed with her business acumen during the past weeks with regard to Tatiana’s career, as well as how well she took care of her sister on a personal level. Valentina didn’t hover, but at the same time, she was there whenever Tatiana needed her.

As the second-oldest brother in a family of eight siblings, Smith knew just how hard it was to watch over his brothers and sisters while also letting them spread their wings and live their lives without his constant interference. Family meant the world to him, but he craved his independence, and his work, too. It was a constant balancing act, but one he wouldn’t have given up for all the peace and quiet and spare time in the world.

From the beginning of his career just after college, he’d started with whatever scraps he could get and built on from there. He knew people thought he’d been handed his acting career, that his looks had paved the road with gold bricks and Hollywood stars. In truth, those looks had made being taken seriously so difficult that after the first couple of years of countless auditions, he’d almost taken one of the dozens of underwear commercials he’d been offered. Until, finally, an older actor had given him his chance to prove that he was more than just a pretty face. Smith had grabbed that chance with both hands, and when the movie was a box office hit, other doors finally started to open.

It was one of the reasons he’d been so interested in casting Tatiana Landon. Yes, Valentina’s younger sister was beautiful. No question, she was going to be a star, one way or another. But when she worked, he saw several qualities in her that he recognized and admired. Determination. Concentration. And joy.

Yes,
he thought, as Valentina threw open his trailer door without waiting for him to let her inside,
there was much to admire about the Landon women.
Particularly the older sister he hadn’t been able to get out of his head since he’d met her in that initial casting meeting two months ago.

Talk about determination and concentration. Valentina had clearly taught her sister everything she knew. And when Valentina was with Tatiana, when they were laughing together the way sisters did when they were very close, her own joy rang out loud and clear.

Smith had just stepped inside and closed the door behind him when Valentina turned and faced him down.

“My sister is not going to become one of your little playthings.”

Momentarily taken aback, Smith simply echoed, “Playthings?”

Valentina didn’t have the obvious, more conventional beauty of her younger sister, but to Smith that made her face even more alluring. A man had to look under the surface with Valentina, but once he did, he was paid back richly with the contours of high cheekbones, incredibly long, unpainted lashes, eyes that tilted up slightly at the corners, and a cupid’s bow on full lips that couldn’t help but whisper of sex and heat no matter how tightly they were pursed.

Just the way they were right this second, in fact.

“Tatiana and I have been in this business for ten years,” she said in a frosty voice. “I know exactly how this world works, Mr. Sullivan.”

He had to cut her off, then, if only because he hated the way she used the
Mr.
as yet another way to keep distance between them. Not another damn person on his set called him Mr. Sullivan. He wouldn’t let her do it, either, whatever her reasons for wanting to keep her distance.

“Call me Smith. Please.”

Her mouth tightened even further, her eyes flashing yet again even as she nodded and said, in a very soft voice, “Smith.” Her long, slender fingers twisted in her grip as she stared back at him. “You’re older. You’re successful. You’re extremely good look—”

She stopped just short of the full word and it was all but impossible to keep himself from smirking just a little bit. And from saying, “Thank you, Valentina. I’m glad to know you think so.”

Her eyes widened at the way he spoke her name, with more than a little heat. Any woman looking for his attention would have noticed she had it weeks ago. Then again, she hadn’t been looking for his attention—had stopped just short of running from it, in fact.

Valentina was the opposite of every woman he knew in Hollywood. Instead of trying to draw attention to herself, she worked to keep it away. Smith had transformed himself into so many different characters over the course of his career that he knew all it would take were a few simple changes to her hair, clothes, makeup, and the way she held her body as she stood across from him, to shift her message from
back off
to
come closer.

She was an incredibly intelligent woman. Only, despite that, he didn’t think she realized just how much the mystery of her was drawing him in, making him want to discover who she really was. And why she was so intent on deflecting the male attention she deserved. Especially his.

Nor did she realize just how refreshing it was to finally meet a woman who wasn’t beyond eager and ready to throw herself at
Smith Sullivan
’s feet. Especially just when he’d been worried there wasn’t a woman alive who could see beyond his fame and all the shiny things that came with it.

Now, as he watched her work to bank her anger, it occurred to him what an excellent actress she would have been. Emotion simmered just beneath the surface of her eyes, her mouth, her skin, all covered with an outward calm that could fool even the closest observer. A shared family trait, though one Valentina had perfected for real life, whereas her sister merely played it out for the camera.

One sister so contained, the other so open.

Smith couldn’t help but wonder—had Valentina sacrificed her own openness so that her sister could have such freedom?

She gestured to the pile of phone numbers that littered his desk, her upper lip curling slightly. “You have plenty of women falling for you. More than enough for any man to enjoy making his way through.”

If he hadn’t been in a hurry earlier that morning, he would have thrown the numbers away instead of just dumping them on his desk. With anyone else, he likely would have explained just that. But he found he didn’t like having to defend himself to Valentina, especially when he hadn’t done anything wrong.

“I meant it when I told you I wanted you to come to me if anything was wrong,” he said in an even voice. “I’m glad you felt comfortable enough to pull me aside this morning, but I’m afraid I don’t yet understand what’s bothering you.”

“I’ll tell you exactly what’s bothering me: You and I both know the power you hold. We also both know that my sister is perfect in this film.”

He nodded in agreement. “You just heard me tell her that.”

“And it meant the world to her.” But instead of looking happy about it, a flash of deep-seated worry crossed Valentina’s face. “Tatiana looks up to you. She has never been so committed to a production. All she wants is to do her best for you, and I know she’s going to give a thousand percent to do just that.” Her gaze was direct, unblinking, as she said, “And in return, I want you to give me your word that you will not cross any professional lines with her.”

Damn it, he hadn’t signed Tatiana to star in his film with nefarious plans of seduction. He’d signed her because she was a great actress who was going to get better and better.

Were it not for two unfounded accusations in the span of minutes, he would have taken the time to answer Valentina more carefully. But as it stood, she’d been questioning his honor since the first second he’d met her sister. Silently, perhaps, but it had been there nonetheless.

His honor was everything to him, and now he felt like a bear poked one too many times by a long stick, coming out of his lair grumpy and with teeth bared in warning. Which was why he gave her an answer he knew was bound to aggravate more than soothe.