SWEETER THAN EVER
~ The Sullivans Honeymoon Novella ~
Smith and Valentina Sullivan
Bella Andre
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
About the Book
A note from Bella
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Bella Andre Booklist
About the Author
SWEETER THAN EVER
~ The Sullivans Honeymoon Novella ~
Smith and Valentina Sullivan
(c) 2017 Bella Andre
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Millions of readers around the world have fallen in love with the Sullivans--especially Smith Sullivan, the movie star with the heart of gold. Get ready to join Smith and his new wife, Valentina, as they embark on their life together with the sweetest, sexiest, most surprising honeymoon ever. Just-wedded bliss that will sizzle, make you laugh out loud...and tug on your heartstrings. After all, true love--and family--are what the Sullivans do best!
A note from Bella
I had so much fun writing the double wedding in Every Beat of My Heart--and so many wonderful readers wrote to tell me how much you enjoyed catching up with your favorite Sullivans--that I knew I wanted to write many more Sullivan novellas in the future!
I've always had a soft spot for Smith Sullivan, the hero of Come A Little Bit Closer, the seventh book set in San Francisco. Not only is Smith a sexy and brilliantly talented man, he is also devoted to his family. Getting to spend more time with one of my favorite couples on their romantic, funny, and very sexy honeymoon was such a gift. I hope you enjoy catching up with them as much as I have!
If this is your first time reading about the Sullivans, you can easily read each book as a stand-alone--and there is a Sullivan family tree available on my website (bellaandre.com/sullivan-family-tree) so you can see how the books connect together!
Happy reading,
Bella Andre
P.S. Many more Sullivan love stories are coming soon! Please be sure to sign up for my newsletter (bellaandre.com/newsletter) so that you don't miss out on any announcements.
And I can't wait for you to learn more about their friends, Calvin Vaughn and Christie Hayden, from Summer Lake! Calvin's very emotional and sexy second chance love story--The Best Is Yet To Come--will be released May 2017. And Christie's breathtaking romance with the one man she never expected to fall in love with--Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You--will be released July 2017.
CHAPTER ONE
Smith Sullivan was the luckiest guy in the world.
Just hours earlier, he'd pledged his forever love to Valentina Landon in front of their family and friends in an intimate wedding ceremony at Summer Lake. She'd given him her heart, all of it--the light, the dark, the whole, the broken, the sweet, the edgy--and he would never stop being amazed by his wife.
Wife.
No word had ever been sweeter.
Smith had waited thirty-six years for her, and hadn't actually thought a woman existed who wouldn't want him only for his fame, his success, his money. But Valentina had blown away every worry, every fear.
The moment he'd met her, back when she was still managing her sister Tatiana's acting career, he'd known. Valentina was special.
From the first look, the first word she'd spoken, the first time she'd touched him, kissed him--she'd gotten beneath his skin. Down to the real Smith Sullivan that he rarely let anyone but his family see.
She hadn't wanted him to woo her, hadn't wanted anything to do with an actor, had been horrified at the thought of ending up in the spotlight. But he hadn't been able to let her go. There was no fight he wouldn't fight for her. No lengths he wouldn't go to prove his love to her. He wanted her with a passion that ran so deep, so true, it rocked his world every time they made love.
Miracle of miracles, she felt exactly the same way about him.
"There it is." He pointed through the trees to the cabin in the woods where they were going to spend their honeymoon.
"It's perfect." She squeezed his hand, and the smile she gave him lit him up from the inside out. "I love you."
"I love you too." And he was dying to be alone with her.
Completely alone for once.
Between the time they spent with their families--they had nearly enough relatives around the world to fill a stadium with a family reunion--and the casts and crews of the films they wrote, produced, and directed, they were constantly surrounded by people. People they liked a great deal, fortunately, but it still meant that the two of them didn't get nearly enough time alone.
One week together in the Maine woods felt like the greatest gift possible. And he wanted to make the most of every single second.
Smith worked to tamp down his impatience by reminding himself that the flight on his private jet from the Adirondack Mountains of New York into the Bangor, Maine, airport had been smooth and fast. Traffic on the road heading toward the cabin had been lighter than usual, as if the other drivers knew not to mess with the newlyweds tonight. The cabin's windows and porch light glowed in the darkness, making the cabin look as though it belonged in a fairy tale.
Everything was perfect so far. But it was going to be so much better once he had Valentina inside the cabin. Once he could strip away her clothes and show her with his body what he'd said with his wedding vows. Yes, he knew they were going to have a lifetime together, but he'd still been wanting her, needing her more and more with every second that had passed since the ceremony.
He pulled their rental car up beside the cottage, turned off the ignition, then jumped out and quickly moved to the passenger side to yank open the door and scoop Valentina into his arms.
She looked slightly dazed by how fast he'd reached her when she'd barely undone her seat belt. "On our first night together," she said in a soft voice as she wound her arms around his neck, "you did the same thing after we returned from Alcatraz."
"All I wanted was to make you mine." He kissed her, stealing one tempting taste that wasn't nearly enough to make a dent in his desire. "Now you are. Finally."
"I've always been yours. From the first moment we met, you've had my heart."
As he took her mouth again, he was tempted, so damned tempted to lay her down on the bed of pine needles beneath the tall trees and make love to her. With only the night sky and the smell of the nearby ocean around them.
Only, he knew better. Knew that for someone in his profession, with his level of fame, there might be a drone watching, filming, intruding, no matter the safeguards he'd put in place. He didn't believe in wasting his life moaning about the difficulties of living in the spotlight, and neither did Valentina, but right about now, he damn well wasn't happy about them either.
Kicking the car door shut, he took long strides toward the cabin's entrance. Toward the utter and total privacy that they would have once they were inside. He already knew they wouldn't make it to the bedroom, that they'd be ripping off each other's clothes as soon as he locked the door behind them.
God, he couldn't wait. Even the thirty seconds remaining between putting the key into the lock and shoving the door open felt like an interminably long time.
Smith didn't so much as glance at the interior of the cabin before closing the door, turning the lock, and lowering his mouth back to Valentina's. The way her tongu
e slipped and slid against his--and the little sounds of pleasure she was making--told him that she was just as eager for these seven precious days and nights with just the two of them to begin.
He swore time slowed as he slid her down the length of his body and pressed her back against the door. Her hazel eyes had gone a dark green with desire. Her golden skin was infused with a rosy glow of passion. And her breath was coming as fast as his.
She was beautiful in a navy striped top and jeans, the clothes she'd changed into after their wedding reception for their trip to Maine. He made a mental note to replace them after their honeymoon as he took a fistful of cotton in each hand and prepared to tear her shirt off.
"Smith?" The voice--a very unexpected one--came from behind them. The woman cleared her throat. "Valentina?"
Smith barely bit back the curse about to fly from his lips. Valentina, though also clearly frustrated by having the lovemaking they'd both been dying for interrupted, put her hand on his cheek and gave him one more soft kiss, before stepping out from behind him with a smile on her face.
"Cassie." She headed toward the kitchen, her arms outstretched as she met Smith's cousin for a hug. "Thank you so much for offering to let us stay in your cabin for our honeymoon."
"It's my pleasure," Cassie said, looking sincerely apologetic and more than a little embarrassed. "And can I just say how stupendously sorry I am that I didn't get out of here before you arrived? I shouldn't have parked my car around back. At least then you would have known I was still here."
Smith needed a couple of seconds to deal with his frustration, before finally turning around and going over to give his cousin a bear hug.
Over her shoulder, he finally noticed what a great job she'd done setting up the cabin for them. There was an enormous vase of lilies of the valley on the dining room table, a flower that held deep meaning for them, along with a chilling bottle of champagne and several other bottles of wine, a huge bowl of fresh fruit, and countless other touches meant to make the newlyweds feel completely at home.
"You didn't need to go to all this trouble, Cassie." That was when it hit him. "You must have left the wedding early to come back to do this for us."
"I wanted everything to be perfect for you. Which should have included," she said with a wry grin, "your cousin not being here to kill the mood. So on that note--" She headed back into the kitchen to pick up her bag. "--I'll say congratulations one more time, and wish you both a very happy honeymoon."
"Don't go yet," Valentina said. "We don't see nearly enough of you. Stay awhile longer. Please."
Cassie looked at Smith, her silent question clear: Are you sure you can handle some more family time right now?
But that was the thing: Smith hadn't just fallen for Valentina because of her exotic beauty. He hadn't just gone head over heels for her because of her incredible intelligence and talent. Nor was it simply that she was hotter and wilder than anything he'd ever dreamed when they were making love.
He'd completely lost his heart to her because family meant as much to her as it did to him.
"Valentina's right--we haven't been able to catch up with you in far too long. Why don't we open a bottle of the wine you so thoughtfully brought, and then you can bring us up to date on everything." He was already working the corkscrew in as he asked, "How are things going with your candy business?"
"Good," she said as she went to get three wine glasses from the cupboard. "Busy."
"I'm really glad to hear that," Valentina said as they headed into the living room, where Cassie had lit a fire for them. "You're so talented. I show everyone the pictures of the treasure chest you made for our last film, and no one can believe you spun it out of sugar."
As they sat on the couch, Valentina curled beneath his arm, warm and sweet smelling. Pushing back his impatience to be alone with her, he asked Cassie, "And what about that guy you were seeing?" He tried for the name, but came up blank.
"Trust me," his cousin said in a wry tone, "I've happily forgotten his name too. I'd much rather spend the night with a bunch of sugar than with him."
Smith was as protective of his cousins as he was of his sisters. "If he hurt you in any way--"
"No," she said with a shake of her head. "It was nothing." She frowned, taking a long drink from her glass, as if for sustenance. "We were just a bad fit. But my lackluster love life is most certainly not what you need to be talking about on your honeymoon. Especially after I just interrupted you two..." Her cheeks went pink. "You know, doing what newlyweds should be doing."
With that, she put her empty glass on the coffee table and stood. "I really do want to catch up, but tonight should be just for you. The whole week should. I've stocked the fridge, so you shouldn't need to go out for any meals or even to the grocery store if you don't want to."
Smith deeply appreciated that Cassie understood his life well enough to prepare them to go completely underground and off the radar for a full week.
His cousin gave Valentina a hug, then pressed a kiss to Smith's cheek. "Call me at the end of the week if you're up for a meal together. And if you're not," she added with a wink, "I won't be offended in the least."
When Valentina walked Cassie out to her car, Smith figured he might as well bring in their suitcases. That way there really wouldn't be any reason for them to leave the cabin again.
Smith Sullivan was a man with enough wealth and power to have anything he wanted. But seven days and seven nights of Valentina all to himself was priceless.
And he couldn't wait one more second to make Mrs. Valentina Sullivan his.
CHAPTER TWO
Valentina found Smith waiting for her inside--and her heart leaped in her chest just looking at him.
She could still hardly believe that he was hers--this incredible man, who had more love to give than anyone she'd ever known. It didn't hurt, of course, that he was also stupendously good looking. Tall, broad, chiseled. With a face so handsome, so sexy, it stopped hearts all over the world.
She licked her lips as he continued to stare at her from across the living room with that intensely sensual gaze that always melted her insides.
"Valentina."
As he moved toward her, she stood rooted in place. How could she possibly get her legs to work when it was taking everything she had just to think clearly? He was the only one who called her by her full name, rather than Val--and the way he said Valentina made every part of her heat up, head to toe.
"Finally," he said once he was standing before her, "we're alone."
She could hear the anticipation thrumming in his voice, just as she could feel it inside of her. Working on film sets where the hours often stretched from dawn until long after sundown meant that they had learned how to take advantage of any possible chance to be alone--even if it was just ten minutes stolen in an editing booth or a dressing room at a studio event. Seven days and nights alone together was the greatest wedding gift they could have given each other.
Finally, as his arms opened, she came unstuck. Putting her hands around his neck at the same time as he slid his around her waist, she looked up into his deep blue eyes and felt such joy that her grin beat out the kiss she'd been planning to give to her new husband.
Once upon a time, she'd been afraid to do this, to step into Smith's arms. The first time he'd asked her out, standing in her studio trailer on the Gravity film set in San Francisco, she'd so badly wanted to say yes. But all her baggage, her past hurts, had risen up inside of her, had filled her with panic. So she'd asked to just be friends. "We already are," was what he'd told her.
And it was true. Smith wasn't just her wickedly sensual lover, wasn't just her husband whom she couldn't wait to spend the rest of her life with.
He was also her best friend.
His grin mirrored hers, and then he lowered his mouth to her ear and said, in a deep voice that had thrill bumps running all across her skin, "Remember the first time we made love?"
"God, yes." Her response was barely more than a w
hisper of need.
How could she possibly forget the way he'd loved her after they'd returned from a fairy-tale trip to Alcatraz? All the dreams of love that she'd been too scared to let herself dream had begun to come true that night.
"Tonight," he promised, "is going to be even better. Even sweeter. Even hotter."
He pressed a kiss to her neck, just below her earlobe, and she shivered at the delicious sensation of his mouth on her skin. It was yet another thing she knew she'd never get used to--Smith's lips, his hands, his body on hers. Every time he kissed her, every time he touched her, it was special. Perfect.
And so hot that need sizzled through her veins like molten lava.
Though it was nearly impossible to force herself to move out of his arms, she made herself step back, far enough that the only points of contact that remained were his hands on her hips. God, she loved how big, how rough, and also how gentle his hands were.
"I'm ready for you to unwrap me now."
Heat leaped even higher in his eyes as he lifted his hands to the leather laces that held the front of her navy striped shirt closed. She'd bought the top for these laces, hoping they would drive Smith crazy, making him desperate to tear them away to reveal what lay beneath.
He had been playing with the laces since they'd left their wedding reception, winding the leather around his fingers, almost absently. Although she knew he never did anything absently. It was one of the reasons he was such a great actor and director--he was fully present in any moment. And when they were making love...
Oh yes, Smith's ability to be so fully in the moment was a truly beautiful thing.
Now, instead of rushing, instead of ripping her shirt open, he rubbed the leather straps between thumb and forefinger. It felt like he was touching her instead, as though he was playing over the sensitive skin of her breasts rather than the leather.
Slowly--so slowly that she was already on the verge of begging--he began to slide the laces apart, revealing first one inch of skin at the top of her chest, and then another, and another after that. With each patch of skin he uncovered, he paused to stroke one fingertip lightly over her, so lightly that if she hadn't been so attuned to his every touch, his every move, his every breath, she might not have felt it.