Self-doubt was a bitch.

Alice had no idea if she was doing the right thing, but she had to do something. She was done waiting in the wings for Rex to figure things out for himself. Brilliant, talented musician he might be, but the male was clueless when it came to seeing what was right in front of his beautiful face. Namely, her.

It was the perfect time to assume control of the situation and do what she should have done a long time ago. Now that the truth was out there, there was no reason not to. Rex knew what she was, and he had to have felt that connection flare up between them, especially considering he had been affected enough to bolt. Though, whether that was a good or a bad thing remained to be seen.

Nearly twenty-four hours had passed since then, so hopefully, Rex had worked through his initial shock and was ready to discuss things rationally. All that remained was for her to put herself out there and see what happened. Either Rex would accept the truth, or he wouldn’t. Either way, this living in limbo ended today.

Alice tapped the armrest with impatient fingers, willing the plane to fly faster. Thunderstorms over the southeastern region of the US had delayed her departure from Atlanta several times, but she was finally on her way back to Phoenix. With luck and a bit of help from Mother Nature, she would be able to make it to the resort in time to see the science portion of the awards. Then she would deal with Rex.

She knew from Carly’s texts that Rex had decided to stick around for the ceremonies, which was a positive sign. The fact that he was willing to put his daughter first was a huge step in the right direction.

There had been a number of texts from Rex, too, which gave her hope that he might be open to making another big step. She hadn’t looked at or answered any of them, wanting to hear what he had to say face to face.

The flight encountered a lot of turbulence along the way. Alice hoped that wasn’t a bad omen. By the time they finally landed at PHX, the combination of nerves and nausea had dampened some of her spirit, yet she remained resolute.

A multi-vehicle accident on the interstate further complicated things, so it was late afternoon by the time the car pulled up to the resort.

She ran to the conference area, her heart falling when she saw the large space nearly empty. Only staff remained, clearing the last of the tables and taking down the STEM conference banners.

She was too late. She had missed it.

Tears welled in her eyes as she turned around and walked out. Her feet carried her toward the small arboretum where she could hide behind a large, leafy bush and have herself a good little cry without attracting attention.

Alice picked a lovely spot in the back corner and sank down onto a wrought iron bench. She had tried so hard to get back in time to make things right, and she had failed. The storms, the turbulence, the accident ... maybe the universe really was trying to tell her something.

She sat there for a while, embracing the sadness and sense of self-pity. A few people walked by on their way out to the garden pavilion, but thankfully, they were too preoccupied to notice her.

Maybe that was her lot in life, she thought miserably. To remain in the shadows, a quiet, supportive presence to those who really mattered. People like Rex and Carly and Johnny, who would go on and be fine, with or without her.

Alice shook off that depressing thought. That wasn’t fair, not to her or them. She mattered, dammit. Maybe not in all the ways she wished, but she did, and would continue to do so. Where she went from here was up to her, and if there was one thing she excelled at, it was finding a way to make things happen, even when the odds were stacked against her.

She started making a mental list. First, she had to apologize to Carly for missing the ceremonies. Then she needed to check in with Johnny and see how things were going with his charity benefit. He had said she was fired, but she didn’t believe that for a minute. It was a woefully pathetic but incredibly sweet gesture to make her feel less guilty about leaving him. Even if things did end up working out with Rex, she wasn’t going to abandon Johnny mid-tour. If necessary, she could make adjustments from anywhere with internet or satellite service until she could find and personally train a suitable replacement.

And finally, she needed to talk to Rex. Where they went next would depend on him, but she already knew where she wanted to go.

She was just about to open a text to Carly when she heard it—the strum of an acoustic guitar. The chords were just barely audible over the soft cascade of the waterfall. Familiar chords. An accompanying harmony to a haunting melody.

It couldn’t be, could it? Yet, she knew with every fiber of her being that it was.

Rex and Carly were still here. And he was playing her song.

Alice rose from the bench and crossed the atrium, her feet carrying her out into the gardens. There, she joined the stream of others drawn by the beautiful music.

A voice joined the notes, at first soft and low, singing the words she knew by heart. Lyrics that spoke of finding the one who was everything yet had no idea. Rex had written the song years ago. It was one of her absolute favorites because it embodied everything she felt. He had somehow captured the longing, the ache, the desire she had struggled with every day since she had first met Rex Løve.

Apparently, she wasn’t alone.

The power ballad had rocketed to number one and had stayed there for months, something unheard of in the fast-changing, mercurial music industry. “She Doesn’t Know” had cemented Rex Løve into the hearts and minds of millions.

Alice followed the throng to a gazebo around which a small crowd had gathered and was growing larger by the minute. Rex was perched on a bench, Carly sitting proudly beside him as he sang.

Just as enthralled as everyone else, Alice closed her eyes and listened until the last notes faded away. No one said anything for several seconds. Then the crowd erupted into applause.

“Where do you get your inspiration?” someone called out when the noise died down.

“Life.” Rex laughed softly.

“Did you have someone specific in mind when you wrote that one, Rex?” another voice piped up.

He grinned. “Yes.”

“Who is she?”

Alice lowered her gaze to the ground and braced herself for his answer. She had always suspected he had written the song about someone special to him; the words and the music held too many feels not to. That didn’t mean she wanted to see the look on his face when he talked about another woman, and definitely not about her song.

“Someone smart and strong and capable. Someone who spends her life caring for others who don’t deserve her. Someone who is so beautiful, and yet has no idea ...”

A hush went over the crowd. Then the hairs on the back of her neck prickled uncomfortably. Alice opened her eyes to find Rex’s gaze locked on her. Beside him, Carly was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Whispers and murmurs of “who is she?” carried along the breeze as people twisted and turned to see who Rex was looking at. Alice squirmed, uncomfortable with the attention.

“Do another one, Rex!” someone shouted.

“I will, if Alice comes up here and sits beside us.”

She shook her head, but Rex grinned.

“Come on, Alice. They want to see what inspires me.”

Alice couldn’t have been more stunned if he had suddenly gone full lion and started roaring at the crowd. One minute, he was in the gazebo. The next, he was beside her, taking her hand and gently leading her forward.

She sat beside him and Carly, feeling strangely numb as people stared and took pictures with their cell phones. Then Rex started singing again, and people turned their attention back to him. He did a couple more songs then thanked everyone and wished them goodnight.

“I think you earned yourself a few more fans tonight,” she teased.

He chuckled. “Who would have thought I’d appeal to the intellectual crowd?”

“You appeal to everyone, Rex.”

“Including you?”

She stared up into his golden eyes. “Especially me.”

Carly cleared her throat. “If you two are going to make googly eyes at each other,” she said low enough so only they could hear, “you might want to do it someplace more private.”

Sure enough, people were hovering around, hoping for a chance to talk to Rex and grab a selfie or three.

“Meet you back at the room?” Alice asked as she stepped away, only to be stopped by Rex wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close.

“Not a chance,” he rumbled softly against her ear. “I’m not going to risk you taking off on me again.”

The sensation of pressing against Rex made her weak in the knees. Thankfully, he had a good hold on her.

Rex was cordial and patient, signing practically everything that was thrust at him, taking pictures, talking music to young and old alike. It was much later when they finally made their way back up to the suite.

“So ...?” Alice asked Carly as Rex ordered them a late dinner. “What happened? Tell me everything.”

“I got third place overall.”

“That’s amazing!”

“It is,” Carly agreed, “but I’ll do even better next year. Dad said Styxx has some friends I should meet. One of them even runs his own lab!”

Alice flicked a glance at Rex, who smirked but said nothing.

“That’s wonderful! I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”

“It’s okay.” The girl shrugged. “You did what you had to do. And me and Dad, we figured a couple of things out.”

“You did, huh?”

“Yeah, we did.” This time it was Rex who answered. “Carly, why don’t you polish up that trophy and snap a pic to Styxx? Alice and I have a few things to discuss in the other room.”

“Actually, Dad, some of the other kids are having a pizza party down at the pool and asked me to come. So, can I?”

He narrowed his eyes. “This doesn’t have anything to do with that shifty-looking computer geek trying to cozy up to you at the awards ceremony, now does it?”

The girl turned bright red. “Dad!”

“Will there be chaperones?”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, Dad. The entire NANSTEM committee.”

“Well, all right then, but no bikini! I’m talking full-coverage, do you hear me?”

Carly turned an even darker shade of red as she made a beeline for her room.

“Boy, when you decide to do the dad thing, you don’t mess around,” Alice murmured.

“Anything worth doing is worth doing right,” he said. “And speaking of ...” Rex laced his large fingers with hers and started tugging her toward the bedroom.

When Alice looked over her shoulder, Carly winked and held up her thumb.

The moment they stepped into the room, Rex dropped her hand and closed the door. The light, teasing mood faded away, replaced by something far more intense.

He began a slow, stalking pace, the predatory gait of the alpha lion he was. Alice remained by the door, watching him closely.

“Did you mean it?” she blurted out after several long moments. “What you said about the song?”

“Yes.”

“You wrote that ... about me?”

He stopped pacing and turned to look at her. His features were unreadable, set in a mask of masculine perfection, but his eyes were glowing, suggesting his lion was very close to the surface.

Alice involuntarily took a step back, reaching for the door handle. Rex’s eyes latched on to movement, and she froze.

“Don’t try to leave, Alice. I’m having a hard time controlling my lion as it is right now.”

“Why is that?” she whispered.

“Because he wants to bite you and fuck you so you never leave us again.” He resumed his pacing. “How long have you known?”

“Known what?”

“That we’re mates. How long?” When she didn’t say anything, he stopped and glared at her. “How. Long? Did you know right away? Or was it something that you realized over time?”

“I knew from the beginning.”

“And you said nothing?”

Alice straightened her shoulders. “What was I going to say? You are Rex Løve, alpha prime and rock god. You thrive on surrounding yourself with beautiful, willing females. How could I possibly compete with that?”

“They meant nothing to me!”

“Neither did I.”

“How can you say that?” he roared.

“Because”—her voice cracked—“I was always right there. Always beside you. And yet you never saw me. Do you have any idea what that was like? What that did to me? Watching you with them, wishing ...”

“Wishing what, Alice?”

“That it was me,” she whispered.

“You could have had me any time you wanted,” he growled. “All you had to do was say the word.”

Alice’s lioness rose to the surface, too, roughening her voice to a feline growl. “And then what, Rex? Share you with them? Never.” She shook her head, suddenly exhausted. “Knowing you didn’t feel the same ... I just couldn’t.”

Rex stopped pacing and sat down on the bed, head in hands. “That’s why you didn’t tell me you were a lioness, isn’t it?”

“Yes. I thought, if you knew of my true nature, you’d use it to force me to submit.”

His entire body tensed, and his eyes blazed. “Fuck, Alice. Do you really think I would have forced you to do something you didn’t want to do? That I’d ever force any female?”

“No,” she said softly. “That’s just it, you see. I did want to, more than you can possibly imagine. But ... it would have destroyed me.”