My Lady Vixen

by Connie Mason

  4

  Cornwall 1778

  Alexa stared moodily out the tall window of the lovely room assigned to her. A high, canopied bed accessible only by climbing three steps onto its surface dominated the room decorated in varying shades of blue. A wardrobe, chest of drawers, delicate French desk and several satin-covered chairs complimented the attractive decor. It was obviously a woman’s room. A fire was blazing in the fireplace to ward off the chill that permeated the stone walls despite the fact that it was summer and they were adorned with thick tapestries. Alexa had been at Penwell Castle for two days and it seemed to her that in all that time the wind blew constantly.

  It was obvious to Alexa that the castle was ancient, built by one of Adam’s ancestors. He had finally confided to her that they were in a remote section of Cornwall and the castle and lands were part of his inheritance. Alexa knew there must be a village nearby for the servants who served the castle had to come from somewhere in the vicinity.

  But, Hilda, the elderly woman assigned to see to her needs, might well have been deaf and dumb for all she communicated. It was evident that the servants were intensely loyal to the master of Penwell and though they treated her with respect they obeyed only Adam. Alexa had the run of the house but was not allowed outdoors to walk the wild moors as she longed to do. With the well-stocked library she realized there was no chance of her becoming bored, but she missed her father and all her friends.

  Still, she was eternally grateful that Adam had not yet carried out his threat to make her his mistress. During the day she was left much on her own and at night his only demand was her presence at supper.

  Most times he remained cool and courteous, but at other times the hate and contempt he felt for her father was transmitted to her, his icy blue eyes conveying his feelings adequately.

  What proved most distressing to Alexa was the fact that she had no suitable clothing. The sailor garb was taken from her when she first arrived and she found nothing in the wardrobe or dresser but filmy night-clothes, most unfit to be seen in. When she complained bitterly to Adam he only smiled blandly and said, “You have nothing to hide from me, milady.”

  Alexa could read nothing in his stony expression so chose not to pursue the meaning behind his cryptic words. The less they spoke about his reason for bringing her to this windswept land the better she liked it. So in the end she had worn the gowns and robes, grateful at least for something with which to cover her nakedness.

  From her vantage point high above the cliffs and the sea. Alexa could not see the small cove where The Gray Ghost had put her and Adam ashore, for her room was situated in a corner where the cove was not visible. She had since learned from Adam that the cave and passageway into the castle were used at one pont in time by an ancestor involved in smuggling, which made her think of Fox. She supposed that by now he was back harassing the British navy. She sighed wistfully as she thought of that last night aboard his ship when he had made love to her.

  So deep was her reminiscence that she did not hear Adam enter the room or see him pause in the doorway to study her enchanting face and slim figure. Her great, black-fringed eyes were set aslant like a pair of sparkling amethysts against the porcelain texture of her skin. Her small straight nose and rosy lips were made expressly for kissing, and framing it all, coal-black hair shiny and sleek, nearly touching the curve of her hips and held back by a thin ribbon.

  Beneath the satin robe every luscious curve was clearly outlined and defined. The high upthrust breasts with impudently protruding nipples, slim waist that had no need of a corset, hips and thighs gently curving and shapely. For two days Adam had refrained from taking her, preferring to wait until she became accustomed to her surroundings. But he could wait no longer. His eyes turned smoky, thinking that revenge would be more pleasurable than he had imagined. Lady Alexa Ashley was a tempting morsel and he had much to teach her. There was nothing she wouldn’t know about the art of love by the time he returned her to her father.

  “Dare I hope you’re thinking of me, milady?” Adam asked softly.

  Alexa whirled, surprised to find Adam in her room. “Hardly,” she answered haughtily.

  “Surely Charles isn’t the recipient of those wistful sighs. He hardly strikes me as the type to evoke romantic fantasies,” he taunted.

  “You’ve only seen Charles once when he was drunk. He isn’t like that all the time,” Alexa defended. Adam walked further into the room, shutting the door firmly behind him. “I didn’t hear you knock!”

  “No, you didn’t.”

  Alexa deliberately turned her back to him to stare out the window, noticing as she did that the sun was slowly disappearing below the horizon. It was a magnificent sight.

  “What do you want?” she asked, studiously avoiding his eyes as she concentrated on the cliffs and the sea below.

  “Turn around, Alexa, look at me,” Adam commanded sternly.

  Alexa turned slowly, waiting until the last possible moment before lifting her eyes to meet his gaze. She gasped audibly. His eyes, smoldering gray, pierced her very soul. He was so handsome he took her breath away. If only they had met under different circumstances, she mused. Even his eyebrows were beautiful and thick with a sardonic arch, and very expressive in conveying moods without words. There was something about the man that ignited her interest. Something mysterious about his aloof, superior manner. Only he wasn’t aloof now. His probing gaze conveyed his desire more adequately than words.

  “No!” whispered Alexa, backing away in an effort to combat the devastating magnetism that threatened to destroy her willpower.

  “My revenge, Alexa. I must have my revenge. I will not rest until I have thoroughly demoralized your father.”

  “And me, Adam. It’s me you will be hurting.”

  “I’m sorry it has to be this way.” For a fraction of a second his face softened, but just as quickly resumed his facade of cool indifference. “Don’t fight me, milady, and you won’t be hurt.”

  It was true. Adam had no desire to hurt Alexa physically, but neither did he mean for their coupling to be construed as anything other than what he intended. He was determined to take her with cold detachment. He would leave her romantic yearnings for Charles to assuage when he returned her to be married to her young fiancé. It never occurred to Adam that he might be the one to form attachments, for love had no place in his heart.

  One day he would marry, to be sure, but for political and financial advancement only. He even had a wife picked out at home in Savannah who would serve his purposes admirably. There was no room in his life for a violet-eyed girl who had the power to turn his life upside-down given half a chance. Without remorse or recrimination he would take her, enjoy her fully, and return her to her father only slightly used. Or so he thought. Such was the extent of his hate that not only did it include Sir John Ashley but his innocent daughter, Lady Alexa.

  Alexa watched the play of emotion upon Adam’s face, hardly daring to breathe. His expression told her he was determined to have her and she was just as determined to resist.

  “Take off your clothes, Alexa, and get into bed,” Adam ordered brusquely, unbuttoning his shirt as he spoke.

  “I think not,” retorted Alexa, deliberately turning her back. “You will not use me as an instrument of revenge.”

  “You think not?” Adam smiled thinly. “I’m perfectly capable of undressing you should you refuse. In fact. I might even enjoy it. Which will it be?”

  Alexa glared murderously, refusing to budge. Perhaps if she displayed courage he would go away and leave her alone, she thought futilely. But she was mistaken. Adam would not be put off.

  It took but two strides to reach Alexa’s side and too late she turned to run. Not that it would have mattered, for she had no place to run to. His body rigid with desire, Adam easily captured Alexa’s struggling form in his arms, turning her until she was crushed against his chest. Bending her over his arm he took her lips savagely, his tongue stabbing with hot insistence into the
moist recesses of her mouth.

  Her protests died as he kissed her and were replaced by a shuddering sigh. Adam paused, momentarily dismayed by her sweet response. But his next act dispelled any softening of his resolve he may have felt. Grasping the neckline of her fragile nightgown and robe, he tore viciously, ripping it from her trembling body.

  Adam stared … and stared. Clad in nothing but a luxurious cloak of long black hair, Alexa was breathtaking. She could feel the intensity of his smoky gray eyes upon her and she shivered beneath his bold regard as he measured and assessed her. Sweet magnolia-blossom flesh the color of rich cream except for coral-tipped nipples filled his gaze. He marveled at the perfect symmetry of her.

  “You are beautiful.” The words sprang spontaneously from his lips despite his reluctance to say them.

  He reached out to caress her and a shiver of arousal gripped her as he played with the ripe swells of her breasts. “No!” Alexa cried out, struggling to retain her dignity as well as her willpower. To be taken against her will was reprehensible.

  “Aye, milady,” Adam countered, dragging her closer. His lips were insistent as he ravaged her with his hands and tongue.

  With every ounce of will left to her she resisted being used, battled against being conquered like an enemy, fought the ravisher of her flesh, but it was useless … useless. A drugging sweetness enfolded them as they swayed in passion.

  Scooping her up in his arms, he swung her onto the surface of the bed and flung himself down beside her. Immediately Alexa rolled to the opposite edge but Adam had only to reach out one long arm to sweep her back into his embrace.

  “Adam, don’t do this,” she pleaded softly. Her large violet eyes bright with unshed tears left him unmoved as he lowered his head to her breasts and tongued her swelling nipples until Alexa wanted to scream.

  Suddenly Adam grimaced as he realized what he was doing. He was making love to Alexa, tender love, when his original purpose was to take her without consideration for her feelings. He had meant to ravish her quickly, to satisfy his lust furiously, painfully, aware of the way she was affecting him and hating it. But somewhere along the way another urge had overtaken him—the inexplicable urge to fill those violet eyes with passion, to open those luscious red lips with cries of shuddering pleasure, even though his better judgment told him she was the spawn of a devil and a whore. Didn’t she deserve to be taken coldly and remorselessly? As long as he did her no harm wasn’t it right and just to seek vengeance in any way he saw fit? Aye, he decided, answering his own question, what Alexa felt or thought was unimportant. Vengeance must be served.

  Stiffening his resolve, Adam methodically removed his clothes, all the while holding Alexa firmly in place beneath him. Rising up he parted her thighs with his knees and touched his swollen manhood where his fingers had been only moments before, fully intending to thrust viciously and finish swiftly.

  At the first touch of his manhood, Alexa stiffened, raising her sooty lashes to gaze appealingly into Adam’s face. His mouth was chiseled, hard granite; his narrowed eyes were sculpted marble. A tear slid down each cheek as Alexa recalled the night she had lost her virginity to Fox. He was so tender, so gentle, nothing at all like what Adam intended now.

  “Go ahead,” her voice quivered dangerously. “I’m no match for you physically. Do your worst, I won’t beg or cry for mercy. You’re a cold-blooded bastard, Adam Foxworth!”

  Hearing her words and watching the play of emotion upon her face, Adam’s resolve collapsed like a house of cards. “Alexa, my sweet Alexa,” he groaned, his breath warm against her ear. “I can’t hurt you. I want to make love to you. I want to give you pleasure, not pain.”

  He kissed her eyes, her nose, the rapidly beating pulse at the base of her throat, and then her lips, tenderly, thoroughly, until she lay gasping for breath. At his first touch the satiny flesh of her breasts shivered away from his lips, then rose treacherously against his mouth as her body reached to his soft words.

  His touch was deliberate yet honey-smooth as his hands slid between her legs, and a moan left Alexa’s lips. His scent titillated her, a mixture of soap and the faint aroma of tobacco and a male musk that was uniquely his. When his lips nestled momentarily against the ebony fleece that shielded the treasure between her thighs her control was nearly shattered.

  He entered her slowly, savoring her, pausing only a moment when he encountered no obstruction. His lips worked their own magic while he thrust deep inside her, moving upon her sensuously, stroking vigorously. Fire grew in her loins, her blood was a pulsing river of lava that ran hottest at the joining of her thighs. Amid those all-consuming sensations, Alexa’s last prickling of conscience lay buried.

  A cry of joy burst forth unbidden from her parted lips. “Yes, yes …” Adam chanted in a husky voice, urging her on, coaxing her to revel in the glory of her response. And then his own cries of completion lent her courage as they soared together upon the wings of ecstasy.

  It was nearly dark when Alexa awoke, still cradled in Adam’s arms. She felt his gaze upon her and was startled to find his eyes kindled with a strange glow, searing her soul, plumbing the depths of her being.

  “You think you have defeated me, milady, but you have not,” he commented coolly. “Don’t think that because I find you desirable I have changed my mind, or that you have made a conquest of me. I am only a man, with a man’s desires. And you are a beautiful, passionate woman.”

  In the terrible moment of silence that followed, Alexa sought her voice but could not find it. Despite the fact that Adam had just made tender love to her his thirst for revenge remained unquenched. “I would expect no less from you,” she finally said.

  “Had I known you weren’t a virgin I might have reacted differently. I thought I was claiming virgin territory but found the ground already plowed.”

  “How dare you talk to me in such a disgusting manner!” Alexa ground out from between clenched teeth. “I’m glad! I’m glad you’re not the first!”

  “Who was it? Charles? When I interrupted your tryst in the summerhouse I thought I arrived in time, but evidently he managed to deflower you. Or had you given yourself to him before?”

  Like a match to a powder keg his words ignited her anger. “It’s none of your business!” Best to let him think what he will. Alexa decided, than to tell him it was Fox who had stolen her virginity.

  “What does it matter,” Adam shrugged carelessly, “as long as the proud John Ashley believes his daughter was dishonored by a Foxworth.” His eyes darkened with an emotion Alexa could not define.

  Soon afterwards Adam arose, donned his clothes and left, only to return a short time later followed by a servant carrying a heavily laden tray. While their supper was being laid out Adam stoked up the fire and lit a lamp, for while they had been pleasantly engaged in the canopied bed, full darkness had descended.

  “From now on we will take supper in your room,” Adam explained, glancing meaningfully toward the bed. “That way I won’t have so far to go to take my pleasure. A mistress should never be allowed out of bed. Especially when she is as exciting as you.” Chuckling at his own cleverness, Adam began to eat heartily, ignoring Alexa’s murderous looks in his direction.

  Alexa ate in silence, fuming with impotent rage at the indignity of her position. Once she was allowed to return home all of London would know she had been the mistress of Adam Foxworth, the Earl of Penwell. What would Charles think? Would he still want her? If he loved her as much as he said, it would make no difference to him, Alexa decided guardedly.

  After their supper was cleared away, Adam had thoughtfully arranged for a bath to be prepared for her. She balked when he settled himself in a chair, intending to watch her bathe, but in the end he had his way, his hooded gaze resting on her while she washed. He said nothing, barely moving a muscle until she reached for the towel and arose from the tub all rosy and glowing from the hot water. Then suddenly his muscles flexed as he lifted himself from the chair with the silent grace of a st
alking tiger.

  Taking the towel from her, he began to dry her dripping body, paying meticulous attention to those certain parts of her body that intrigued him the most. When he dropped the towel Alexa tried to grab her robe but Adam stayed her hand, lifting her in his arms instead and carrying her to the bed still rumpled from their earlier encounter.

  “I’ve not had my fill of you, milady,” he said, smiling sardonically. “I’ve not always been so fortunate to be serviced by so desirable a mistress. During the next weeks I intend to use you well and often. Charles will probably thank me when I return you to him.”

  “He’ll kill you!” spat Alexa, determined to fight against the spell he wove around her senses. “If he doesn’t, my father will!”

  “They’ll have to find me first,” laughed Adam, vastly amused. “By then I’ll be far from English shores.”

  “When, Adam?” Alexa asked, her eyes luminous with unshed tears. “When will you release me?”

  “When I’m ready, milady, when I’m good and ready,” came his terse reply as he moved with exaggerated slowness, pulling her lissome body against the length of his.

  “You don’t really want me, Adam,” Alexa contended bleakly. “Revenge is a powerful emotion. Is there room in your heart for no other emotion?”

  “Leave my heart out of it, Alexa,” Adam snapped. “I give it freely to no woman. But that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy you for as long as we’re together. My thirst for revenge has no adverse affect upon my ability to perform in bed, nor does consummation require the use of my heart, only my …”

  “Oh, you’re despicable,” Alexa cut him off angrily, blushing furiously.

  “Aye,” he concurred amiably. “But as long as you understand you are here for one purpose only we shall get along admirably. Now, milady, if you’d be so good as to be quiet I will show you just how capable I am without the use of my heart.”

  And in the end Alexa did just that as he proved to her once again that he was a consummate lover, inventive, irresistible. As he made love to her, confused images animated the corners of her mind. He became Fox, gentle, tender, burning away all her resistance with the subtle seduction of hands and lips. But when she opened her eyes she saw only Adam, tawny-maned, silver-eyed, his face hard and inflexible. When finally his hands parted her thighs she lay quiescent, her eyes closed, every nerve and fiber concentrating on the waves of feeling sweeping over her, wild and wonderful, waiting for him to fill her. She couldn’t think, she could only respond.