Read Online Redemption (Red Dragon Book 1) by H.J. Bradley - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: H.J. Bradley
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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
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
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