Redemption (Red Dragon Book 1) (6 page)

"Valto." Her voice was nothing more than a breathy moan, and she found herself pulling his head closer to her flesh as she tipped her head back wantonly.

He made a desperate noise against her throat, and then all but lifted her from the ground and into his arms as his kisses started ravaging her mouth once more.

"I thought you two were being chaperoned?"

Cat pulled away from Valto quickly, ignoring his protesting whimper as she did so, and stared at the entrance to the garden through wide eyes. The image that greeted her was not one that she had expected, and certainly not one often seen in Caerdydd these days.

"Tristyn!" She wiggled out of Valto's arms and all but threw herself at her older brother, feeling close to tears that he had come home. "What are you doing here?"

"What, I'm not allowed to see my sister before she gets married?" said Tristyn, and Cat pulled away from him to throw him a wide grin.

"You didn't come to Myf's graduation." She hit him on the arm. "She was really upset."

His face fell at that and he kissed her on the forehead. "I know and I'm so sorry. I couldn't just leave mid-way through the season."

Tristyn's Formula 1 career had come before his family since he had been a teenager, and now that he had find made it to the big time it was like he didn't even remember they existed sometimes. Cat had always understood, he had had needed to run away and put his past behind him more than any of them. For years and years he had been the sole focus of their father's attention, and he had gained many beatings and much abuse for that. He had tried to protect her and Myf from their father's attention, and when the old man had died Tristyn had simply abdicated and disappeared. Cat was surprised that he ever bothered to contact them at all. Myf however wasn't of the same opinion; she wanted a normal family, with normal siblings and whenever Tristyn glossed over important events in their life for something else it hurt her greatly.

"Valto," said Tristyn, nodding in the direction of the other man.

Turning around she saw Valto return the gesture and smile, before he walked over to them.

"I'll see you at dinner?" he said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder and she nodded in response.

"Of course." She smiled up at him, and he returned her smile.

"It's good to see you Tristyn."

"You too Valto," said Tristyn.

"How have you been?" Cat linked her arm with his and guided him from the garden, taking the path that led away from the castle. "I don't remember the last time I spoke to you."

"Good." He squeezed her arm happily. "Things have been going really well lately, and I have missed you all."

"I know Tristyn," she said. "The memories are hard for all of us."

They wandered along the winding paths in silence for several minutes, taking in the scenery and just enjoying each other’s presence.

"Look at you though, getting married and becoming Queen," he said. "And to Valto of all people. I thought that was well and truly over."

She nodded slowly. "So did I."

He came to a halt, pulling her in front of him so that he could look at her properly. "So what happened?”

She didn't know whether to feed Tristyn the same lie that they had told basically everyone that he had come back from Iraq and contacted her and they had rekindled their love. Or to tell him the truth, that she had simply asked Lowri to find her a suitable spouse.

"You know how Valto and I were always close?" she said.

"Close?" Tristyn let out a chuckle at that. "It was practically love at first sight. You two were inseparable from the first time you clamped eyes on each other."

"Well, when I was fifteen and you abdicated, parliament wanted something a little more secure. There was the fear that I would fall in love and marry someone unsuitable." She folded her arms across her chest. "With Myf already engaged to Johannes and expected to give up her place in succession there was a need for me to have a suitable spouse, and to provide suitable heirs."

"Lowri had a contract drawn up," said Tristyn, his voice barely a whisper.

"We had to be married before I was coronated." She shrugged her shoulders."Valto called it off. Though with the days before me taking the throne running out, parliament started putting the pressure on for me to get married, I asked Lowri to find me a suitable husband."

"Do you want out of the engagement?" She could see the gears turning in his head, as he tried to think of a way to halt the proceedings.

"Part of me does yes. I don't want to be hurt again," she said. "But Valto is a good choice, he will do well as Prince Consort and our children will have good breeding and a close family for support."

"That's not what I mean.” Tristyn scowled. "Do you love him?"

"I never really stopped loving him." Cat glanced around quickly to make sure that nobody could overhear them. "But loving him and letting myself be in love with him are different things. He crushed me.”

"I know." He took her arm and continued leading her down the path. "I heard you were dating someone anyway."

She rolled her eyes at him. "I haven't been dating anyone. I was sleeping with Alex and Hans."

The look he directed at her was harsh and disapproving. "You and your older men. Last time I saw you mooning over anyone it was Ukonsaari's King."

"Alex is only twenty-two years older than me," she said. "And he was exactly what I needed at the time. Plus Hans is my age and he’s been wonderful"

"And pray tell dear sister." said Tristyn. "What was it that you needed?"

"A damn good screw with someone who knew what they were doing and weren't using me for my title." She couldn't help but smile when she heard his choking noises at her words. "I wasn't going to be a virgin forever, and Valto certainly wasn't ever interested."

"You lost your virginity to Alex?" His voice sounded hoarse with shock.

Myf had basically said the same thing when she had found out, and Cat had to admit that she knew what they meant. Alex wasn't exactly a small man, by any definition of the word.

"Yes well if Valto had of been interested when we were younger I wouldn't have needed Alex's help," she said.

"Well he certainly seemed interested just now." Tristyn nudged her with his elbow. "What I walked in on didn't seem particularly chaste."

Cat felt herself flush at the implication of his words, even more so because during that incredible kiss in the vegetable garden Valto's arousal had been clear. Pressed against her belly he had been hard and hot, obviously as eager for her touch as she had always been for his. Then again since their night together he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off of her, and Cat had to admit that she found it beyond flattering. "He’s a virgin, or so he tells me.”

Tristyn laughed at that. “And here I thought Myf was the most prudish person I knew.”

“I have a lot to teach him.” Cat smirked at the horrified look on her brother’s face. “And he seems a very good student.”

Chapter Eight.

July 1
st

It had been a long time since Valto had been to Pembrokeshire, and even longer since he had spent time in Belltree House in the coastal town of Tenby. This tiny seaside community had once been the ancestral home of the Lloyd family, and it was well known that the Welsh Royal family still holidayed there on a regular basis.

Sitting in the back of the town car that was taking them between Caerdydd and Tenby, he found himself staring out of the window daydreaming. It seemed like a lifetime ago that he had gazed out at the cornflower blue expanse of the Celtic Sea, and it was almost bittersweet to be doing so again.

"You're a million miles away." Cat's voice cut through his musings, and he turned to look at where she was tapping away contentedly on a tablet. "What are you thinking about?"

She glanced up at him then, a small smile on her face which he couldn't help but return. "Just thinking that it's been a long time since I've been to Tenby," he said, unable to help himself from reaching over and taking her hand.

For a long moment there was silence, and then Cat turned her hand so as to lace their fingers together. Valto could feel his heart beating madly at the feel of her skin against his again. She must have been in a similar state, as he could see her pulse fluttering rapidly beneath the fragile looking skin of her slender wrist. "Well if you hadn't been avoiding Wales like the plague for the past five years, you would have had the pleasure." Her eyes were averted from him, but he could hear the pain in her voice.

"And the pleasure of your company?" She looked up at him then and rolled her eyes, the smile forming on her lips again.

"You're being intolerable," she said, squeezing his hand before sliding her own from beneath it and returning to her tablet. "As always."

He let out a laugh at that, unable to tear his eyes away from her profile, his fingers itching to push a strand of her dark hair away from where it had fallen into her eyes. "You never used to think I was intolerable." He gave into his desire and leaned forwards and brushed the hair aside, his fingers lingering against the soft skin of her temple.

"I did." There was a blush crawling up her neck, and he couldn't help but slide his fingers softly over her cheek and to her throat to feel the heated skin. "I was just too in love to care."

Those words took his breath away. She had never really ever verbalized her love for him, even when it had been obvious. To hear her say it, even in the past tense, had a dangerous effect on him. "You don't often say things like that.”

"Yes, well I never thought my feelings were in question." Her face suddenly fell. "I had obviously been wrong."

The memory of that night when he had overheard Heikki on the phone talking about how Johann had been bragging about scoring with Cat came flooding back to him. The way he had felt had been raw and agonizing, yet what she must have gone through at his hateful words must have been worse. Valto couldn't believe how completely he had managed to screw everything up, over a fit of childish jealousy. "Cat ..."

She shook her head quickly and looked back up at him. "I've learnt my lesson Valto."

Something in those words chilled him to the bone, and he knew the shock must have showed on his face because she raised her eyebrows at him. "What does that mean?" He reached out for her again, wrapping his fingers around her wrist.

"I gave my heart away once before and it got stomped on." She shook her head. "I won't be doing it again, not for you or for anyone."

There was something so incredibly sad about that, how one failed romance had made her close up her heart forever. He had been damaged from their break-up, but he had at least allowed himself to feel affection for Eilidh. In fact if it hadn't been for his own bond with Cat he could have quite easily found love with Eilidh. That in itself sat bitter on his tongue, but he knew better than to blame Cat for that particular situation.

"Don't you think that would make for a very lonely life?" He released her wrist then.

She shook her head again. "I'm marrying you aren't I?"

"But you won't love me," he said.

"There are plenty of arranged marriages out there without love Valto." She smiled at him, though it didn't reach her eyes. "It doesn't mean we can't be friends."

He could see his whole life stretched out before him then, hovering around in Cat's shadow with nothing more than a lukewarm affection whilst he literally burned for her presence.

"And children?" he said. "Surely you're expected to have an heir."

She looked up at him quickly then, her eyes narrowing. "I won't be having a sexless marriage Valto, no matter how much you detest me. You seemed to be just fine the other night, and I hope that in time we will be able to fall into something of a routine. And if you have need for someone else, well …"

That hit him like an electrical shock, left him reeling as she turned away from him then to look back out of the window He had never considered the idea that she would think that he would think she wasn’t enough, maybe even thinking that he didn’t love her. Unfortunately he had no idea how to voice any of this, say the words that he had fallen for her all over again in the short three weeks that he had basked in her again. “I wouldn’t …” She glanced over at his words. “… I would never do that Cat.”

She shrugged her shoulders then and looked away. “Either way my country will have its heir and there’s nothing we can do to stop that happening.”

***

It was late afternoon by the time they made it to Pembrokeshire. The sun was still relatively high in the sky, however there was a coolness to the air which marked it as close to tea time. There was the smell of salt in the air when he stepped out of the car, and he took a deep breath off it, letting his eyes close as he felt the stress of years roll away from him.

“Caitlin.” The voice was softly feminine, with the thick lilting quality that the natives of this county tended to have. “You’ve grown even more beautiful than last time I saw you.”

He opened his eyes then and turned to watch as an attractive middle-aged woman hurried down the steps of Belltree House. Elizabeth Lloyd was in fact the cousin of Cat’s long departed father, and she looked exactly how he imagined Cat herself would look in thirty years’ time. Shoulder length dark hair, petite figure, and an energetic but refined air about her.

“Aunt Beth.” Cat smiled brightly, moving to meet the other woman half way and they embraced tightly. “I’m so happy to be here.”

“Needed to get away from the city did you?” Beth smiled happily at her cousin, before kissing her on the cheek.

“You have no idea,” said Cat.

At that Beth’s green gaze slid over to him and a grimace came to her lovely face. “And I see you’ve brought your beau with you.”

“Miss. Elizabeth.” He stepped forwards then wincing when her hands came up to grip his face tightly and drag him down to her height. “It’s a pleasure seeing you.”

“Valdemer,” said Beth. “For some reason this woman has given you a second chance. Do anything to jeopardize it and they’ll never find your body.”

“Beth.” Cat’s voice had a hint of humor to it. “Leave him alone.”

“Do we understand each other, boy?” Beth’s hands tightened on his cheeks and her eyes narrowed.

“Perfectly ma’am,” he said, rubbing his sore face with the tips of his fingers when he was released.

“Good man.” With that he received a hard clap on the back. “Now come inside. Tea is just about to be served.”

Valto had always forgotten what a force of nature Cat’s relatives could be. He had spent too much time recently around Myf and Lowri and had forgotten about this unusual branch of the Lloyds. Feeling like he had just been caught in a tornado, he leaned against the side of the car, staring in shock at Cat who was clearly trying to smoother her laughter beneath her palm.

“I always liked your Aunt Beth.” The words almost got stuck in his throat as he said them, and Cat dissolved into a peal of laughter at the sound of them. “Oh you think that’s funny?”

With a laugh he strode forwards and wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her in towards him so that he could tickle the spot low down on her back that he had remembered from her youth. Another fit of giggles escaped her and she wound one arm around his neck for stability as she leaned her weight against him. It didn’t take long for his mind to catch up with what his body was feeling, and in an instant he realized that not only was she pressed against him, but he was half hard in response.

Oh he had known that she was a beautiful woman, and his love for her had always been complete and pure. Sure as a teenager he had spent many a night with his hand wrapped around himself, eyes closed and lost to thoughts of her skin and the sweet chaste kisses they had shared. His memory of her had faded until that day when he had seen her in the rose garden. However he had really never considered her sexuality in the flesh until recently, now with the way she was gazing up at him with flushed cheeks and a fire in her eyes he found he couldn’t think of her any other way.

The hand on the back of his neck tightened, and he found himself pulled down so that sweet soft lips brushed against his. It was then that a fire seemed to light up in his belly, and he couldn’t help himself taking her mouth in a deep kiss, her own lips parting perfectly beneath his. Their mouths slid together in a slow intimate dance that had him moaning softly, and her hand tightened in his hair as she tried to press herself even closer.

“Come on you two.” Beth’s voice broke them apart, and Valto knew that his cheeks were flushed and he must look completely wrecked. “You can do as much of that as you want when you go to bed.”

That thought didn’t do anything to ease his erection in the slightest, and the subtle roll of her hips had him almost swallowing his tongue.

“Coming Aunt Beth.” Cat stood on tip-toes then to press another kiss to his lips, before pulling out of his arms and walking slowly to where Beth was standing in the hallway.

There was a seductive swing to her hips, and he knew that his eyes must appear glued to the gentle curve of her arse beneath the tapered navy blue skirt she was wearing. It was only when he found his gaze caught by Beth who had her arms crossed over her bosom that he finally swallowed.

“Valto?” she said, gesturing for him to enter the house.

“Thank you Miss. Elizabeth.”   He climbed the stairs and entered the foyer. Belltree House was unlike most of the residences Valto had holidayed in; this was more homely and less ostentatious.  The front foyer was relatively small and cluttered with a hall stand, hat rack, and a shoe rack which held two pairs of wellingtons.  The floors were made of ancient wood which had become worn down and rough from all the years of people walking on it.

“Your shoes.” Beth pointed first at his shoes and then at the shoe rack, one eyebrow raised until, with a sigh, Valto removed his shoes and placed them in the rack. “You’re in the blue room you rogue.” She gave him a knowing look. “I’m supposed to be your chaperone for this journey but I’m honestly too busy. Plus I think those rules concerning courtship in this family are long outdated and archaic, just don’t keep me awake thumping against the wall.”

It took him a minute to work out what she meant by that, but when he did he felt the heat come back to his cheeks.

“Nothing like that will be happening I promise,” he said.

She raised her eyebrow again and shook her head. “Two such handsome young things like you, it would be a shame if you’re not taking liberties.”

The way the Welsh aristocracy talked had always made Valto laugh. Sounding like something out of a Jane Austen novel, they were the very definition of prim and proper. When Cat had first seemed to take an interest in him, he had found her accent and mannerisms simultaneously humorous and attractive. As the years had gone on they had just become a part of who she was.

“No ma’am we’re not.” He glanced up at the staircase that all but filled the hallway behind Beth, desperate to get upstairs and ready for tea.

“I heard that before your return young Caitlin was keeping company with that rapscallion from Germany. If his reputation has anything to go by she’s going to have need of your company soon,” she said.

The very idea of Cat being horny, more so being horny for the likes of him, was enough to make his dick give a wild twitch of interest. She had already come to him once and he had made a complete fool of himself, but he didn’t know what he would do if she gave him another chance. Well no that wasn’t entirely true since there was absolutely no way that he would be able to deny her anything, especially not that.

“Hans and Cat were spending a fair amount of time in each other’s company before we reconciled,” he said, folding his arms across his chest in a way he hoped wouldn’t be considered defensive. “I like to think I have something to offer my fiancé.”

Beth let out a low chuckle at that. “Oh I don’t doubt that for a second.” She gave him a wide grin then, one that made her seem far younger than her years. “Go on upstairs with you then. You’ve got fifteen minutes before I start without you.”

He returned her smile, before striding into the hall and then all but running up the stairs. The landing was much the same as the front foyer, cluttered with fake flowers in vases and nick-nacks, and he found it unbelievably comforting. The blue room was at the end of the landing, with a large Queen sized bed covered in soft white linen. Iface the enormous bay window which gave a beautiful view of the ocean.