Loud snores woke Alice, reminiscent of another time and place. She blinked her eyes and looked at the clock, certain she was hearing things. Those snores sounded a lot like ... Rex.

She lifted her sensitive nose and inhaled, drawing the scent of male lion in his prime and ... rhino? Rex and Chuck were here?

Alice got up quickly and quietly, being careful not to wake Carly as she donned one of the thick resort robes over her sleeping shorts and tank.

When she made it out to the living area, she had to stop and blink several times to convince herself that her eyes, ears, and nose weren’t playing tricks on her.

They weren’t. Rex really was sprawled out on the couch, sound asleep and snoring loudly. As always, the sight of him did funny things to her insides.

She drank him in like a starving woman suddenly gifted with a feast. Long, muscular legs encased in form-fitting, well-worn denim. Massive arms crossed over a broad, hard chest. Long, golden rock star hair splayed over the arm of the sofa, framing a sculpted male face relaxed in deep slumber. Just like that, her body heated and her heart ached.

The sound of a throat clearing drew her gaze over to the small kitchen area, where Johnny and Chuck were working through one of the three—three?—fully laden room service carts. Chuck offered a silent, friendly nod. Johnny looked concerned.

Alice quickly reined in her rampant female hormones and pulled herself together.

Johnny got up and poured her a cup of coffee, thoughtful friend that he was. She shuffled over and sat down, gratefully accepting the mug. She took one long, fortifying drink before asking the obvious.

“Will someone please tell me what’s going on?” She kept her voice low, timing her words between the loud, rumbling snores, even though she knew from experience that nothing short of a bomb blast would wake Rex from a deep sleep.

Chuck gave her a quick recap of what had happened after she had left Rex’s hotel suite. She remained silent, sipping her coffee and feeling Johnny’s concerned eyes on her as she processed the situation. She didn’t know which surprised her more—that Rex had somehow figured out where they were or that he had flown out personally. Both required a level of effort and interest that Rex usually reserved for himself or his music.

Dare she hope that Rex was finally coming around? That Carly’s disappearance had been a much-needed wake-up call? Other possible explanations for his sudden personal appearance tried to slip in for consideration, but as they were more hopeful than practical, Alice ignored them.

She shared a glance with Johnny, who was probably asking the same questions. Their thoughts often ran in a similar vein. Unfortunately, the answers could only come from Rex himself.

“What’s my dad doing here?” Carly emerged from the bedroom, casting confused, wary glances over to where her father continued to snore on the couch. “Why did you call him?”

“We didn’t,” Alice assured her.

Carly looked to Johnny, who nodded in confirmation, and then Chuck, who gave her a rare smile.

Her eyes widened as she, too, made the connection. “He came on his own? Why?”

“That, we won’t know until your dad wakes up.” Another loud, rumbling snore shook the walls. “That could be a while.”

“I could wake him up,” Johnny offered. The devilish twinkle in his eye as he popped a sharp claw suggested he might enjoy the task a little too much.

“Probably not the best idea,” Alice told him, then turned to Carly. “Go on and get ready. I’ll stay here and try to find out what’s going on.”

“I’ll stay, too,” Johnny piped up immediately.

“Don’t worry about me. I can handle Rex.” While Alice appreciated the support, it was probably better if Johnny wasn’t nearby when Rex woke up.

“Things have changed, Alice.”

She knew he was referring to the fact that Rex now knew she was a lioness, and yes, that was a concern, but she could – and would – handle it.

“I got this.”

Johnny looked like he wanted to protest, but eventually nodded. “All right, if that’s what you want.”

“It is.”

Alice wasn’t looking forward to having that conversation with Rex, but it had to be done. The truth was out. Hiding behind her human half was no longer possible, and she had to deal with that. Exactly why she had kept her true nature from him, however, was a secret she planned on taking to her grave.

“Call me if you need me,” Johnny commanded quietly as he and Carly were about to leave.

“I will, thanks. Have fun.”

Chuck apparently decided he would rather be somewhere else, too, leaving Alice alone in the suite with Rex.

She had spent untold hours with the lion over the years, but this felt different. Awkward. Tense. Things had changed. Alice didn’t work for him anymore, and he knew the truth about what she was. This was new, uncharted territory, and she didn’t have a clue how to navigate her way through it. The only thing she could do was take it one step at a time and adjust course where necessary.

Unable to sit still and wanting to feel as prepared as possible, she used the time to shower, change, and steel herself for the inevitable confrontation.

When she returned to the living room, Rex was waiting for her. Coffee in hand, he looked gloriously sexy and rumpled as he leaned back against the counter. He stared at her, his eyes glowing, reminding her that a big, powerful male lion lurked just below the surface of that handsome human form.

“Start talking, Alice.”

“Well, good morning to you, too, Rex.”

She avoided the kitchenette, choosing instead to place herself as far away from him as the space would allow, hoping to lessen the effect of his nearness.

Rex was like a powerful magnet, always exerting his pull, drawing her toward him. Resisting the temptation required constant effort.

“Carly is fine. She’s downstairs with Johnny.”

He growled when she mentioned Johnny’s name. “What’s that fucking panther doing with my cub?”

“Being there for her,” Alice shot back. “Something her father should be doing.”

Rex ground his teeth together. “I’ll deal with him later. Let’s talk about you.”

She stood up as tall as she could and lifted her chin. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

He stalked across the room, each stride a graceful, predatory step. Alice backed up until she had nowhere else to go, trapped as Rex boldly entered her personal space, placing his hands on the wall on either side of her head and effectively caging her in.

“I disagree,” he growled deep in his throat. “Why didn’t you tell me that you’re a lioness?” Rex lowered his head, closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply.

“Because.” Alice ducked and slipped out from under his arm, placing herself on the other side of the room once again. And once again, Rex turned and pursued her with lazy, feline grace. They both knew she could not escape, not unless he allowed it.

“Because why, Alice?”

She scooted to the left. “Because it doesn’t matter!”

“The fuck it doesn’t!”

One powerful leap and he was there in her space again, so close his body heat became hers. His scent wrapped around her, the pheromones urging her to stop fighting and submit.

“It doesn’t.”

He lowered his head and brushed his lips across hers.

“No ... please.” She had whispered the desperate plea, but it was too late. Rex was already moving forward to deepen the kiss, pulling her body against his.

The effect was powerful and instant. Her mind went blank, and her body began to prepare itself for him in a dozen different ways. Her blood heated, her nerves tingled, her nipples hardened, and her sex grew slick. Deep in her core, her womb ached for what only he could provide.

He was heat. He was strength. He was virility. He was everything.

And then, just when she thought she couldn’t hold out a moment more, he just ... stopped.

When the room ceased spinning and Alice opened her eyes again, Rex was the one on the other side of the room, eyes wild and looking at her as if he had never seen her before.

“What the fuck, Alice?”

It took several thundering heartbeats to register the look of pure horror on his face. No matter what he was feeling, however, it couldn’t compare to the pain of her heart shattering into a thousand pieces. Deep inside, her lioness wailed in torment.

Then Rex moved swiftly, storming across the room and out the door.

“That’s why,” she said softly.

Alice sank down to the floor before her shaking legs gave out. She took several deep breaths, but each one felt like another slice to her soul. The only positive was that no one else was there to witness it.

In her pocket, her cell phone vibrated. She looked down at the text from Johnny.

“You okay?”

What a loaded question that was.

“Yeah, fine,” she replied.

The response was immediate. “Liar.”

Despite herself, she smiled and accepted the incoming call. “Seriously, it’s all good.”

“Rex?”

“Not here.”

“He left?”

“The room, not the resort.” Alice glanced over to the massive overnight bag Rex always traveled with. He never went anywhere without it, which meant he would be back.

“What happened?” Johnny asked softly.

Silence stretched over the connection while Johnny waited for more information, but she wasn’t about to give it to him. Not yet anyway, and certainly not over the phone. That kind of sharing required fleecy pajamas, a box of lotion-infused tissues, and a gallon of chocolate chocolate chip.

She cleared her throat and tried not to sound like she was one lip quiver away from a good cry. “Listen, since Rex showed up, I think I’m going to head out with you tonight.”

“All right,” Johnny responded slowly. “What about Carly?”

“I’ll explain it to her. She’ll understand.” At least, Alice hoped she would. Carly had been empathetic in the past and was all too familiar with the kind of mental havoc Rex could wreak.

“Besides, this is a good opportunity for her and Rex to connect without all the extra baggage of the tour, you know?”

“All right, babe. I’ll let Carly know. I’ll grab us a quiet table in the gardens. Meet us there when you’re ready.”

“Thanks, Johnny.”

“Anything for you, Alice. You know that.”

She did, and she was grateful for it. These last few months would have been so much harder without Johnny to lean on.

It didn’t take long for Alice to gather her few things together. Johnny’s stuff was ready to go. He must have prepped earlier that morning, knowing he would be flying out later that day.

While she waited for someone to come for the bags, she wrote several short, heartfelt notes for Carly and left them in places where she would eventually find them. Things like: “You’ve got this!”, “Keep me posted,” and simply “Love you!” It was silly, perhaps, but Alice wanted Carly to know that, even if she wasn’t there physically, she was with her in spirit.