Redemption (Red Dragon Book 1) (12 page)

“Oh of course.” Eilidh smiled at Cat. “I’m sure we can meet up later.”

With that Cat and her small entourage disappeared down the hallway to where he assumed her room was, and he couldn’t help himself watching her walk away his eyes riveted to the swing of her hips. “So how did that happen?” When Cat had finally disappeared from view Valto turned back to look at Eilidh.

“How did what happen?” Valto let her take his arm as she walked him towards a small staircase at the other end of the foyer. She all but dragged him up it and Valto found himself on a landing with four doors on it, the whole thing was painted cream with the usual terrible floor coverings that was often found in the British Isles.

“You and Caitlin.” She walked down the landing away from him before pulling a key from her jeans pocket and unlocking one of the doors. “Are you coming?”

Though he really wanted to spend some time with his friend, he knew that he should really go and spend some time with Cat before they went to dinner. He wasn’t entirely sure what they were going to be doing in their few days here, and really needed to get a proper rundown. “Me and Cat?”

“Yeah how did you two get back together after all this time?” She waved him in through the door until he finally followed. “We were together for two years and you despised her the entire time. I nearly fell over when mother told me that you were marrying her.”

“I was an idiot.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I was young and stupid. I thought she’d slept with Johann and I was so wrong.”

Eilidh was stood on the other side of the room, her arms folded across her chest as she stared at him for several long seconds. “Have you slept with her?”

Her voice was tight and Valto could understand why. She had very much desired to take their relationship to a more physical level but he had been incredibly resistant to her advances. It had been one of the things that had ultimately led to them breaking up that final time just before he had gone to Iraq. The breakup had hit his family rather hard as he knew that they had been hoping for a wedding, in fact he wasn’t entirely sure that his family even approved of Cat but were just going along with the whole thing to humor him. “Don’t do this Eddie.”

He saw her calm at the sound of his nickname for her, and he hoped that she wouldn’t take offense to how his relationship was progressing. Valto was aware that it was probably insensitive to discuss his sex life with the woman that had ultimately broken up with him because he hadn’t wanted to sleep with her. However the way that she was looking at him, an expression that he was all too familiar with, Valto knew that she was going to be pulling out the big guns. “Valto just tell me.”

“Yes I’m sleeping with Cat.”

“Color me surprised, I thought you were asexual,” said Eilidh.

That was something that she had started throwing around amongst their friends towards the end of their relationship, and it had been something that had concerned his father enough for him to be lectured about his ‘duty’ to the family. It had taken him weeks to convince his parents that he wasn’t asexual but was in fact just waiting for the right person to give himself to, which was something that had his father scoffing. “I never said that.”

“You might as well have been.” Edliah’s hands gravitated to her hips and her eyes narrowed. “You were never interested in doing anything with me.”

“I wasn’t ready then” he answered.

Something that could only be described as pain crossed her delicate features, and Valto immediately felt a hit of guilt right in his gut. Though they had broken up after a rather rocky last six months, they had managed to keep in touch during his time in Iraq and he had hoped they could continue that friendship now that he was reasonably close to London. Well closer than Helsinki anyway.

Not that he would ever do anything to hurt Cat or compromise their relationship. He knew that she was uneasy towards Eilidh, and rightly so. Valto was fully aware that he should never have used Eilidh to get back at Cat, all he wanted was to make her jealous and have her come crawling back to him begging for forgiveness. This was something he had never told Eilidh, that though they had spent two years together and he had cared for her but not enough to push his thoughts of Cat aside. But now, as they stood in this hotel room, Valto was beginning to suspect that she had known all along.

“Was it worth it?” A smile had appeared back on Eilidh’s face. “Waiting I mean?”

The memories of the times that he had spent intimately with Cat filled his mind, and he knew that he was probably grinning like a fool. “Yes it was worth waiting for.”

***

Valto couldn’t help but feel both flattered and uncomfortable with the way that Eilidh was looking at him. They had been together off and on for just under two years, and though he hadn’t truly loved her of course he had felt a certain degree of affection towards her. There was something about the hunger in her gaze as she stared at him across the feasting hall that made his blood sing; after all he hadn’t really experienced this sort of thing very much in his life. Not that he was going to do anything about her obvious interest; though he certainly found Eilidh attractive she was nothing compared to the gorgeous woman sitting by side.

He turned to look at Cat who was stabbing ferociously at the peas on her plate with a fork. There was something about the frown on her face that made him think that she had also noticed Eilidh. Caught between finding the whole thing a bit of an ego boost and not wanting to upset Cat any more than she already was, he quickly leaned down and pressed a kiss to her temple.

“I don’t trust her.” Cat’s words were whispered. “She’s up to something.”

“No she’s not,” he said. “Don’t be jealous.”

“I’m not jealous.” Cat stabbed at her peas again, as a sly smile came over Eilidh’s lips.

Chapter Fifteen

.

“So you won.”

Cat looked up from where she had been watching an enormously strong man throwing a shot-put across the field, to see Eilidh standing next to her. Despite wanting nothing more than to get the other woman into a headlock Cat was aware that she was in public, and this was not the kind of publicity that Lowri would approve of.

“Won?” She let a smile grace her lips. “I’m sorry but I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Eilidh rolled her eyes before settling herself on the empty seat next to Cat. The moment she did so there was the sound of the three security staff who were almost always at her side, moving forwards. She held her hand up to let them know that she was completely safe, and they slowly moved back into their positions in either corner of the marquee in which she had been relaxing. It had been kind of nice to have some time alone, Valto was out somewhere with Teuvo and Olani, and the only thing Cat hoped was that he wouldn’t come home with the desire to go ice fishing or something.

“Valto of course.” Eilidh crossed one leg over the other and throwing Cat a dark look. “You managed to get him to actually want anything to do with sex.”

Oh of course. The only thing that Eilidh cared about when it came to any man was their dicks, it was like she was a female version of Johann and that thought alone made a wave of anger flow through her. “My relationship with Valto has more depth to it than sex.”

“Well it’s not like you’re in love with him or anything.” Eilidh let out a laugh. “You separated five years ago, and everyone knows that Hans was all but prepared to abdicate for you. What happened there anyway?”

“That’s none of your business,” said Cat, folding her arms across her chest.

“No of course not.” Eilidh’s voice was surprisingly soft, and Cat hoped that she had for once realized that she had crossed a line. “So why Valto?”

“Also none of your business.”

Eilidh scowled. “I want him back.”

Cat’s heart stuttered in her chest at that. She had never thought that she would have any competition for Valto’s affections, and that even though he was well loved amongst royalty and nobility alike she hadn’t known anyone to be wanting to date him. “I’m engaged to him.”

“Cat you’re nothing more than a plain little girl wrapped up in thousands of pounds of makeup and clothing.” Those pale eyes gave her a once over. “You’re no real competition.” She gave her a smile that looked more like a smirk. “Goodbye Cat, and good luck.”

With that she stood up, and with a flick of her hair she stalked out of the marquee leaving Cat in her wake with a hollow sensation in her chest.

***

A cold autumn wind was coming down from the Highlands, causing Cat to wrap her thick faux fur coat around herself against the chill. She had always enjoyed the festivals, finding them a lot more colorful and exciting than the ones that her father had used to hold in Wales. Once she was Queen she was determined to change things in her homeland, bring back the vibrant heritage of Wales.

Ahead of her Valto was striding across the field, almost having to run to keep up with the pace of Olani. The afternoon was just starting to wrap up and there we weren't that many people hanging around the fields, and Cat found she quite liked the sudden tranquillity. That was until she saw Eilidh, and after their previous conversation Cat felt her blood pressure rise at the sight of the woman. Cat was trying very hard not to get annoyed; after all it wasn't up to her who Valto was friends with.   However it was rather grating when the friend in question was also the woman he had all but left Cat for in the first place. She was hardly a jealous person, Hans had other lovers during their relationship and she had just requested that he make time for her when she was available, but this woman was trying her patience.

"Did you want me to shoot her?" The voice of the Royal guard, Rose, who had been assigned as her personal protection officer infiltrated Cat's thoughts. "I can make it look like an accident."

With a soft laugh Cat looked up at the other woman. She was tall and slender, with shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes. For the past forty eight hours Cat had found her highly amusing and quirky, something highly unusual for her protection. In fact she liked Rose so much she was planning on requesting her as her permanent protection officer.

"I think I would prefer watching her crash and burn on her own." Cat knew that she was grinning in a way that Myf would have described as evil; she just couldn't find it in herself to care.

"I like your attitude," said Rose. "Confidence is the key."

With a nod of her head, Cat looked back at towards where Eilidh had caught up to Valto and Olani and was talking to them in an animated fashion. For a moment she let herself truly see the other woman without her own bitterness in the way. Eilidh was, without a doubt, an attractive woman.

Taller than Cat by quite a few inches, she was slender but in an athletic way rather than just the genes that Cat had inherited from her father's side. With strawberry blonde hair that fell to just below her shoulders, she had a windswept look about her. Eilidh looked just like the clean cut girl next door; beside her Cat was nothing more than a porcelain doll.

"I think maybe we should go inside.” Cat suddenly felt something icy grip her heart, and she had a feeling that maybe she had let down her walls a bit soon. "I need to get ready for dinner."

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Rose scowl, but both of them knew that it was better to ignore rather than face Cat's obvious distress. "Alright ma'am we'll just catch up to them."

At those words Cat can't came to a halt and held up her hand for the small entourage of security and footmen that had taken to following her around would stop. "No I don't want to bother them. Lionel?"

A young footman wearing the green and white uniform of her house, golden curls a riot on top of his head, steeped forwards and bowed. "Yes your highness?"

“Can you please relay a message to my fiancé that I will be returning to the hotel to prepare for this evening?”

“Yes ma’am.” Lionel bowed again before hurrying away.

Without another word to any of her staff, Cat turned and headed back towards the hotel in silence.

Chapter Sixteen.

Cat didn’t know whether it was because their relationship had got to a point where she felt comfortable enough, or whether it was in fact the forwardness of Eilidh that had her wanting to stake her claim. But Cat knew that she was ready to spend the night with Valto, felt like she was finally ready to hold him close until the morning. It was quite a liberating feeling, and Cat couldn’t help the silly grin that she knew was on her face as she made her way down the corridor towards Valto’s room. However what she hadn’t expected to find the moment that she opened the door was a very naked Eilidh standing at the side of the bed.

Now Cat wasn’t the type of woman to ever feel self-conscious. She had come through rehab with a healthy amount of confidence and pride in herself, knowing that she was a reasonably attractive woman and that she could seduce any man that she had wanted. However now standing in the doorway to Valto’s room, unable to tear her eyes away from the image of Eilidh standing there beside the bed completely naked. It appeared that the other woman was as shocked as Cat was if her wide grey eyes and horrified expression was anything to go by. Then again Cat couldn’t blame her, there really was no other reaction to have when caught by your lovers fiancé post-coital. Well she assumed they were post-coital since Valto was nowhere to be found, and Eilidh’s hair was a muss atop her head.

Oh it hurt. Almost as much as watching Valto walk away all those years ago not really understanding why. Eilidh had been that reason, and the reason why she would probably be watching him walk away again.  A sound that was very close to a sob rose up from her aching chest, and Cat placed a hand over her mouth to try and stifle the sound, not wanting Valto to hear her and come out to witness her humiliation. With a deep breath that caught in her throat, Cat stepped backwards and then quietly shut the door, turning around blindly and walking aimlessly down the hotel landing.

She had no idea where she was going or really what she planned to do once she got there, though she was secretly grateful when she saw which door she had ended up in front of. Thankfully Astrid answered after only knock, a silk dressing gown that was at least three sizes too large for her wrapped around the woman’s slim frame like a sari. Her blonde hair was a mess and there was sleep in her eyes but she gave a soft smile and waved Cat in.

“Quiet.” Her voice was hushed as Cat stepped inside. “We’ll go into the study.”

It didn’t take Cat long to figure out why Astrid was whispering. The layout of these rooms had the door opening into the main bedroom, and it wasn’t hard to miss the two enormous men on the gigantic bed. They were curled around each other in the middle with the sheet low on what was apparently bare hips, the sheer amount of muscle and tattoos on show was enough to make her heart beat faster despite her pain. “I’m sorry.” Cat’s words were whispered as she started to follow Astrid into the adjoining room. “You must have been asleep.”

Astrid gave a small snort of laughter as she quietly closed the door between the bedroom and the study. “Only just.” She gave Cat a wink. “Men really hit their stride in their fifties.”

It took a moment for Cat to work out what that meant but as soon as she did her face flushed hotly. It seemed like Eilidh wasn’t the only one rolling around between the sheets this evening. Though that did answer a question that she had always been dying to know the answer to. “So do you? … With both of them?”

Astrid’s laugh was a lot louder now the door was closed. “When I’m able.” She settled herself in the desk chair and crossed one shapely leg over the other. “Though Olani loves me, his dick only really has one master.” She laughed again. “Now what brings you here?”

With a deep sigh that ended in another sob, Cat seated herself on the small love seat on the other side of the room and placed her hands between her knees. Her head fell forwards and thick chestnut hair fell over her face as Cat found that she couldn’t look at the other woman. “I went to see Valto tonight because …” She felt herself flush again at just what she had wanted to see him for, but then again Valto was her fiancé and it wasn’t strange to be seeking him out in the night.

“It’s alright.” Astrid held up a hand and gave her a soft smile. “I think I get the point.”

Cat nodded her head slowly. “Eilidh was there.” She took a deep breath but was horrified when it came out as more of a sob than anything. “She was naked and her hair was a mess and …”

She didn’t really need to say anything more because Astrid’s face was as dark as thunder, and before Cat could react the other woman had got to her feet and threw open the door into the bedroom with a bang. There was the sound of Teuvo and Astrid immediately conversing in Finnish and though Cat was familiar with the language, they were keeping their voices low enough that she couldn’t really make out what they were saying. Part of her wanted to get up and join in the conversation, after all it was surely about her, but then again she didn’t know if she could ever look any of them in the eye again if she walked in on Astrid’s husband completely nude.

“I thought better of Valto.” She jumped at the deep candour of Teuvo’s voice as it filled the study, and she looked up to see him wearing a wrinkled pair of khaki pants and struggling into a shirt. Behind him in the other room there was the sound of the shower running, and Cat let out a deep breath of relief that not everyone was going to crowd around her. “I mean sleeping with another woman on his engagement tour of all things.”

“I suppose it was only to be expected,” said Cat, blinking back tears. “Valto did leave me for Eilidh in the first place.”

There was a heavy silence that filled the room before Astrid spoke. “What are you talking about?”

“Well he was dating her within nine days of leaving me.” Cat shrugged her shoulders. “Why else would he do that if he loved me?”

Astrid’s laugh made her look up quickly, to find the other woman gazing warmly at her husband. “How long did it take you to sleep with someone else after my father banished you?”

“About three days,” he answered.

“And to pursue a relationship with someone you were actually interested in?” Astrid raised a hand and pressed it against his bearded cheek. “It took you what? Three months to seduce Olani?”

“I was eighteen.” Teuvo folded his arms across his chest. “I wasn’t exactly thinking with my head. Plus Olani showed up and started throwing me around the training yard both of us shirtless. What was I supposed to do?”

“Men are different creatures.” Astrid sat beside her on the loveseat and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “But that doesn’t excuse his actions tonight.”

Before Cat really knew what was happening she was being dragged back down the hallway, until she was standing beside Teuvo as he knocked loudly on Valto’s door. When Valto answered the door there was a look of annoyance on his face, and his mouth was half open as though to yell at somebody. However the moment he caught sight of Teuvo standing in front of him he quickly closed his mouth and stepped back, gaze flicking from the older man to Astrid and finally resting on Cat. There was a moment in which shock and confusion crossed his face, and he took a step towards her and then stopped as Cat almost tripped over her own feet to back away.

“Cat?” His voice sounded confused and upset. “What’s happened?”

Teuvo took Valto’s arm in a strong grip and led him back into his room “Come on, I think you two need to talk.”

The last thing that Cat wanted to do right now was go onto that hotel room. That was a lie. The last thing she wanted to do was talk to Valto. Knowing that he had gone and done the exact same thing that he had accused her of all those years ago hurt horrendously, for him to be so callous was something that she hadn’t expected from Valto of all people. “I don’t …” She wasn’t even able to finish her sentence before Astrid had placed a hand between her shoulder blades and was pushing her into the room.

“What’s going on?” Valto pulled his arm out of Teuvo’s grasp and looked around at them.

“I saw her.” Cat wasn’t able to keep silent any longer, though she was impressed with herself that she was able to keep her voice down. “I came to see you and that … that … tart was in here.”

Valto’s face went pale at the sound of his words and she saw his eyes widen in horror, all of which made his guilt clear enough. “Cat …”

“She’s was naked.” Another sob rose up from her chest. “And in your bed.”

“No.” Valto quickly shook his head. “It’s not what it looks like.”

Off to one side Teuvo grunted before walking out of the room, Cat watched him going before turning back to Valto. “Not what it looks like? How can you say that to me?” She angrily wiped tears away from her face. “I’m not an idiot, Valto!”

She really didn’t want to do this here, not in front of Astrid, and with possibly half the hotel listening in but it was difficult to hold her tongue when he was standing there so blatantly lying to her.

“I know you’re not an idiot Cat.” Valto’s voice was starting to rise now as well as he was clearly frustrated that she wasn’t falling for his lies. “I never said that you were.” He placed his hands on his hips in a way that she knew was a defensive posture. “But I haven’t done anything with Eilidh … I would never.”

Cat had been about to answer him then when Teuvo reappeared in the room with a grumbling and disgruntled looking Eilidh trailing after him. She looked tired, though her hair had been brushed and she was thankfully now wearing a thick dressing gown over what appeared to be a modest pair of silk pajamas. Though Cat had no doubt that Teuvo would have dragged her here in the nude if he had to. “You would never what?” she demanded the moment she walked through the doorway.

Valto’s grey eyes narrowed in her direction. “Sleep with you!”

Eilidh rolled her own eyes in response and then flicked her strawberry blonde hair over her shoulder. “Well I thought that would have been obvious by now.” She paused before taking in the scene that she had walked in on. “You thought I’d fucked him!” Immediately Eilidh burst into a fit of laughter and shook her head. “Oh Cat trust me if he’d have taken me up on the offer we’d still be in that bed.”

“Oh thank the gods.” Teuvo ran his fingers through his long hair. “I’m far too old for this shit, I’m going back to bed.” With that he patted Valto on the shoulder and left the room.

“Good luck dear.” Astrid kissed her on the cheek and then followed her husband.

“Can I go back to bed as well?” Edliah stifled a yawn behind her hand. “I’m just going to leave you two to it.”

With that she turned and left without even bothering apologize for trying to sleep with Cat’s fiancé. The moment she was gone Valto walked quickly across the room and shut the door behind her with a snap. As soon as they were alone Cat felt like the atmosphere was weighing down on her beneath Valto’s heavy gaze. She refused however to back down beneath it, and instead she folded her arms across her chest and met his gaze full on. Her reaction to this situation had been far more restrained than his own six years ago. “Valto.”

He advanced on her then and though she wanted to step backwards, Cat was not the kind of person to simply back down before someone who was trying to intimidate her with their size, though she couldn’t help the frission of fear that went through her when she found herself looking up at him and the almost blank look on his face. Valto’s hand shot out the moment he came to stand in front of her. Cat felt herself flinch, yet instead of the slap or push that she had been expecting her simply gripped the back of her neck in his huge palm and dragged her forwards to press an almost vicious kiss against her mouth. She instinctively opened her mouth beneath his, arms winding around his neck as she did so.

They pulled apart, but before Cat was able to question what was happening he had pushed the straps of her dress down her arms with her bra quickly following. He wrapped a single arm around her waist and lifted her from the ground and pressed her against his chest. “I can’t believe that you would think I would fuck Eilidh.” He strode across the room still holding her, before depositing her onto the desk, pulling off her panties as he did so. “When I have this.”

Something inside of Cat bristled at the idea that Valto would think that he owned her, yet she couldn’t stop herself from dragging him close and spreading her thighs so that he could step between them. Wrapping his arm tightly around her waist again, Valto pulled her against him. “At least take your clothes off this time.” Her words were lost as he kissed her roughly again and she felt him fumbling with his own zip quite desperately before pushing both his trousers and underwear down to his knees.