The Taming of a Vixen Ch. 15-16

"Alyssa, my love. If you can hear me...please love, come back to me. Come back to me and give me the chance to make amends, to woo you back and give you reason to trust me again. Please God, Alyssa, even if you never want to see me again, please come back." Jason didn't bother to brush away the tear that ran down his cheek, not caring as he begged God with everything in him to let her come back.

* * *

Lord Edward heard the news and was out the door instantly, making the ride to Jason's townhouse in haste. He was barely off his horse when the door opened and the butler waved him in, showing him up the stairs to where his daughter lay, her husband seated on a chair beside her, his eyes upon her face.

He glanced up when Edward walked in, hearing the older man's gasp at the sight of the bruise upon her face and the way her arm was bandaged.

"What happened?" Edward demanded, going to his daughter's side and staring down at the man supposed to take care of her. "Why the devil did my daughter fall down the stairs?"

"We'd had a fight," Jason said dully, barely glancing at the man as he spoke. "She was angry with me and she fell down the stairs."

"What did the doctor say?" Edward asked, leaning over to carefully kiss her forehead .

"Bumps and bruises except for her arm. That was dislocated. Her head injury is another thing though. He says he won't know more until she wakes up."

Jason got up allowing Edward to sit next to Alyssa while he paced the floor again. "It is my fault," he said suddenly, turning to stare at her. "If she'd only listened, if she'd only calmed down enough to hear me out, then maybe I could have explained."

"My daughter has a very quick temper, Jason, as you have probably seen. But she is also very forgiving, like her mother. Give her time and she'll forgive you, whatever it is that you have done." Edward held Alyssa's hand, stroking it gently. "But in the meantime, man, you have to be strong for her."

"We are making you a grandfather." Jason smiled wryly as Edward's head shot up and he stared at Jason with a cocked brow. "Yes, already. Before we argued, she said she felt the baby move today."

"The fall didn't...?"

"Not so far."

They fell silent, each to their own thoughts. Edward rose after a while, coming around to his son-in-law. "She'll need you to be strong, Jason, to take care of yourself as well as her."

"If you'd like to stay, Edward, I can have the maids open one of the guest bedrooms."

"I shall talk to your housekeeper. You stay with her, talk to her, Jason. Let her know you are here."

Jason took back his seat, picked up the cloth and rinsed it out, cooling it with the water he kept in a basin. Laying it across her brow, he rested his head next to hers. "I love you, Alyssa. Come back to me."

* * *

The covers felt too heavy, almost as if they were weighing her down. She lifted her hand slowly, finding soft hair under her fingers as she went to move the covers. Alyssa opened her eyes, moaning as the light seemed to streak through her pupils and flash directly into her brain, making her head thump even more.

The hair moved under her fingers and then her hand was taken and held. A man's voice came to her from that brilliant light. "Alyssa?"

"Jason?" she moaned huskily. "It's so bright."

He leaned over and quickly extinguished the candle someone had brought in, leaving the room bathed in darkness except for the small amount that came from the fire smoldering in the grate. "Is that better, love?"

"Y...yes. What happed to me? Have I been sick?" Her eyes turned, finding him in the dim light.

He looked awful. His hair was a wild mess, as if he'd been pulling on it, his eyes rimmed with shadows. He looked gaunt and tired, and his face was dark with whiskers. His clothes were rumpled, the sleeves of his shirt rolled above his muscular forearms and he wasn't wearing a coat.

"You don't remember, darling?"

She closed her eyes, fighting the headache to think back. "I remember that the baby moved and I was so excited." Suddenly her eyes grew wide and her hand moved to her stomach, cradling the small bulge. "The baby is okay, isn't he? I didn't hurt my baby did I?"

"The baby is fine, love," he said, stroking his hand over her cheek. "Are you thirsty? The doctor said that when you woke, we should get fluids into you. I have some broth here being kept warm by the fire and some water."

"Water," she said.

Jason lifted her carefully, feeling her flinch with pain at even the slightest movement. He held the cup to her lips, letting her take several small sips of water before taking the cup away again. "You had me so worried, love. I didn't think you'd ever wake."

Alyssa heard a note in his voice and turned her head on the pillow. His hands were fisted in front of him and he had a look of such misery upon his face that it startled her. "Jason, no, don't think that." She reached out unsteadily, her hand finding his and pulling him toward her. "Don't, Jason," she murmured against his hair, letting his head rest against her breast.

He heard the sound of her heart in his ear, felt her hand moving with soothing strokes against his hair and didn't know what to think. How could she not remember what had happened? How could she hold him like this when her accident was his fault? Was this God's punishment, to have her so close, so loving and then suddenly rip it away again?

"You look so tired, Jason. How long have I been in bed?"

"Four days," he sighed. Four days of hell, where he didn't know if she would live or die. Four days of wondering if she were going to be made to pay for his sins.

"Did I fall from Vixen's Boy? I don't remember going riding." She shook her head, angry at the dense black wall that seemed to be keeping the memory from her. Then a moan of pain, the result of the shaking on her present.

"You fell down the stairs, Alyssa. You don't remember any of it?" He pulled back, pushing his hands through his hair. "I thought you were dead. God, I never want to go through hell like that again."

She reached out for his hand, taking his fingers and feeling them warm and strong around her own. "I...I can't remember. The baby kicked and I was thinking about..." she paused, her eyes growing darker as her headache grew.

"Telling me that you loved me," he finished for her, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing each of her fingers. "You made me the happiest man in the world, Alyssa, when you told me that."

She closed her eyes and sighed. "I don't remember telling you. Maybe I just need more rest," she murmured, her voice groggy.

"Perhaps you do, love. Rest, I'll sit here with you."

She blinked, opening her eyes sleepily. "You could climb into bed with me instead," she coaxed. "That way we could both get some sleep." She saw he was about to argue with her and added quickly, "Please?"

Jason rose, going to the fire and adding another log before coming back to her. He pulled off his shirt and his breeches, going to the other side of the bed and slipping in next to her. Carefully, trying not to jostle her or hurt her, he lifted her head onto his shoulder, sliding his arm under her, hearing her sigh as she snuggled down next to him.

"That's better," she murmured quietly.

He heard her breathing deepen and knew she slept, though this time a healing sleep, one that didn't worry him. And even though his body longed for the deep rest of sleep, his mind was too active, trying to figure out what he would do next.

What if she never remembered? Would he be compounding his sin if he didn't tell her? But how could he tell her, knowing that she'd leave him?

It was a long time before sleep claimed him.

* * *

Alyssa recovered slowly, sitting up the next day and receiving visitors, including her father and Teddy and Cat. She grouched about being made to stay in bed, only content when Jason was with her. He left her rarely, afraid he would leave and then come home to find that she had remembered while he was gone and left him.

The doctor removed the bandages binding her arm with a warning that it would be stiff and sore. When she could use it, she should; to regain its strength. Her swelling went down though the bruises stuck around for a while, black at first then turning that sickly green yellow shade.

When asked about her memory, the doctor shook his head. "It's never easy to know what will happen with a bump on the head. One moment she won't remember, the next it could all come flooding back. My advice though, Your Grace, is not to push it, for that will just cause both your heads to ache. Let it come when it will, if it will."

Jason sided with the doctor on everything, urging her to rest and to leave the worrying to him. It was almost eight days from her accident and, though he slept at her side each night, Alyssa had been unable to get Jason to touch her; to really touch her, not just hold her through the night. She was growing frustrated, both with the enforced inactivity and the too gentlemanly reaction of her husband.

She wanted passion, she wanted desire and pleasure and all that had been in their bed before her accident. She didn't want this sweet man who kissed her forehead and then pushed her head down on his chest and held her.

She sat in front of the hearth, her hands on the growing bulge of her stomach as she thought. Her hair was wet from a bath and she had spread it around her to dry in the heat of the fire. Jason had gone to visit Teddy, to tease him a little, for his and Cat's wedding day was approaching fast.

Seduction was the answer, Alyssa knew. But could she do it? If it would bring back the man she married, then bloody hell yes, she'd do it. She rang the bell for her maid and paced while she waited for her to answer, planning what she would need.

* * *

Jason arrived home, handing the butler his hat and cane. He was still smiling, remember Teddy's slightly green complexion as they'd talked of marriage and the "shackles" that came with it.

Teddy didn't understand; as long as he had Alyssa, he'd take any shackles, ball and chains, torture; whatever was necessary, as long as she remained his. He couldn't sleep at night without her in his arms. Food tasted like sawdust if she wasn't sitting across from him, life lost its sparkle without the fire of Alyssa to brighten it for him. He was caught, good and proper and wasn't afraid of the net.

He was afraid of losing her. Every time he touched her, he remembered that horrid moment, his hand trembling as he reached out to see if she still lived.

There'd been so much blood puddled around her on the floor, blood from the head wound, he hadn't been able to believe she still breathed. But his fingers had found that slight thrum of her pulse under the skin of her throat and he'd shouted for help, carefully lifting her and carrying her back up those long stairs and into their bedroom.

She'd been in the bed, lying there as still as death, her chest barely moving when he'd spotted the mask. The God-damned mask that had been the cause of the fight. He didn't even know why he'd kept the damn thing, or why he'd left it there, in his desk, where she could stumble upon it. He picked it up now, glaring with hatred at the small square of cloth, turning and flinging it into the fire. It burned slowly, finally going up in flames.

Jason shook off those thoughts. "Where's my wife?" he asked the butler.

"Her Grace is in your chamber, Your Grace," the butler said. He'd been privy to some of the Duchess's plans for this evening and knew that His Grace was in for quite the night.

"Thank you, Michael."

Taking the steps two at a time, he hurried towards their door, opening it quickly and slipping through. He froze there, surprise on his face.

"What's this?" he asked, slowly walking to where his wife stood dressed in a slinky sheath of pale gray that looked almost silver in this light. It clung to her, even outlining the curve of her stomach. A table had been prepared, silver trays holding food, an etched glass carafe of wine waiting to be poured. The scent of fresh flowers wafted in the air to mix with the tantalizing aroma of the food and the scent of his wife. The bed was turned down behind her, the sheets invitingly pulled back.

"I've missed my husband," Alyssa stated, rising on tip toes to slide her arms around his neck and draw his lips down to hers. "I've decided since he doesn't seem to take hints to make sure this one knocks him right over the head," she whispered against his lips.

For a moment, Jason let his passions free. He wrapped his arms around her, his hands slipping over the slick material of her gown, his lips devouring hers. And then the image of her splayed on the floor at the foot of the stairs superimposed itself over his desires and he pulled away. "You aren't ready for this yet," he growled, his voice husky as he desperately tried to cool the embers of his need.

"Bloody hell I'm not!" she exclaimed, surprised and upset as he set her away from him and walked to the table she'd had set up in the room.

"Alyssa, you almost died a few days ago. You should rest. You and the baby both need rest."

"Do you no longer love me?" she asked him suddenly. "Do you find me offensive? Is it the baby? Is it the fact that I grow fat and round with child that disgusts you? Tell me, please, why won't you touch me?"

He turned, shocked by her words. "How could you think any of that? I think I loved you from the first moment you almost ran me down. I knew I loved you after you bit me and then looked up at me as if it were my own damned fault."

"Then it is my shape, it displeases you?"

"Alyssa if you pleased me any further, I'd be dead," he groaned, his hands fisted next to his thighs to keep from touching her. "You grow more beautiful every day."

"Then why won't you love me?" She stepped forward, not waiting for his answer. With trembling fingers she went to work on the knot of his cravat, sliding the material from around his throat. "If I am still desirable to you, then why do you turn from me every night?" She pulled loose his collar, dropping the stiffened material at her feet.

Jason felt her fingers on his buttons, slipping the small disks free of their holes. His tongue felt as if it wouldn't move, swollen and frozen in place. He could do nothing but stand there and let his beautiful wife seduce him.

Alyssa mewled her satisfaction as the last button came undone on his shirt. Sliding her hands onto his stomach, she ran her palms up the length of his leanly muscled frame, pushing coat and shirt from his shoulders. They slid off, his jacket hitting the ground, his shirt, still partially tucked in, hanging from the waistband of his pants, leaving him naked to the waist.

She stepped closer, closing her eyes to breathe in his scent. It was an intoxicating aroma; cigars, brandy, a little sweat and that wonderfully male smell that was Jason's own. Her breasts brushed against his naked skin, her nipples hardening as the warmth of him permeated the silk covering her.

His groan was like a gift from the heavens, bathing her insides with fire and heat, knowing that she still aroused him. Her hands slid around his waist, slipping up his back, rubbing and kneading at the taut skin and hard muscle.

"You've barely kissed me, Jason. And when you do, it's a swift brush across my forehead or a peck upon my lips. That's not the way a man should kiss his wife. But then, maybe you've gotten out of practice."

She tipped her head to the side, sidling just a bit closer until she could feel the rock hard bulge of his cock under his breeches. "Perhaps I should give you some instructions?" she mused, rubbing herself against him.

"Alyssa..." Jason groaned, fighting to keep his hands off of her. "Please love, I don't want to hurt you. You're still recovering from..."

"Fuck that," she said heatedly, enjoying the shocked look on his face from her use of the vulgarity. "Just fuck that," she repeated. "I'm fine, I'm in love with my husband and I want my wifely rights. Now," she stepped back and away from him. "Get in that bed, husband."

A slow smile crept over his lips as she stomped her foot, her breasts jiggling enticingly under the thin silk. Her arm rose, pointing towards the bed and she gave him an arched look that promised retribution if he didn't comply.

Meekly, he slouched to the side of the bed, taking upon the mien of hard pressed, over-worked husband and sat on the edge of the bed.

Alyssa pushed him, watching as he pulled himself back on the bed until only the heels of his boots remained off it. She climbed after him, pulling the sheath of her gown up until he could see the sleek pale columns of her thighs and just a hint of fiery red curls.

"Now do I have to tie you down or will you be good?" she asked him.

He barely controlled the quirk of his lips, wanting to smile at the idea of her tying him to his own bed. Instead, he lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry, dear. I'll be good and try to give you what you need," he muttered meekly.

"Good, because I've missed you." She sat across his lap, lifting the gown from the hem, slowly exposing her sleek body to his gaze. When it was over her head, she let an end of it drop down onto his chest, the silky warm fabric gliding across his nipples before she dropped it off the side of the bed. Then she bent low over him, murmuring against his lips, "I've missed you so much, Jason. Please, please, I want to make love with you. I need you. I ache."

She took his hand, bringing it to her lips to kiss his fingers before sucking one into her mouth, suckling on it enticingly.

Then she took his hand taking it down her body, curling her fingers over his and pressing them to the sleek red curls that hid her pink slit from his eyes. "I ache right here," she said, sliding his finger through the wetness of her cunt.

Jason could feel his own passion rising. He didn't know how much longer he could stay passive, but her game was addicting and he wanted to know how far she would go. When she slid her naked body down his legs, her hands turning into claws and lightly scoring his chest, he couldn't control the shiver of his flesh or the jump his cock made in his breeches as it strained for release.

Her hands on his waistband made him moan. When her fingers slipped inside and stroked the soft flesh under his navel, he sucked in his breath at the hot contact of skin against skin. Her teeth grabbed the buttoned placket of his breeches and she pulled carefully, letting him feel the warm rush of her breath over each newly exposed inch of flesh.

Her hands reached for the waist band, grabbing it on either side of his hips and pulling until he lifted his hips to help her. She tore them down until they tangled on his boot heels and he watched as she presented her bottom to him, pulling his boots away and then ripping his pants off his feet. His stockings followed and he was naked.

Alyssa stared at the big, male body in front of her, her eyes roaming over each square inch of succulently-made flesh. Her heart pounded as she realized that he was hers; not just right now, but for the rest of their lives. As she stared at him, he lifted his arms, crossing them under his head.

"Is this all you wish of me wife?" he asked, his voice slightly whiny. "Do you just want to stare at my poor male form?"

Alyssa smiled, wetting her lips with her tongue and watching his eyes follow

the motion. He did his best to seem disinterested, but a long, hard part of his anatomy was denying the look upon his face, standing tall and throbbing. "It is no concern of yours what I wish," she stated, her voice firm. "You're here for my pleasure."

Jason's blood pumped like fire through his veins. His cock hurt, it was so hard. And the sound of her voice and the words she chose were making it worse. He'd play her games, for they were his games too.