“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.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Silence stretched long and tense between them. Finally, Rex exhaled heavily.
“I wish you had come to me, Alice, but I understand why you didn’t.” He rose and walked over to the window, unable to remain still. Holding his lion at bay was difficult, especially with Alice’s scent filling the room.
“I never fucked any of those females, not after you came along.”
Her small gasp of disbelief confirmed that was news to her.
“And, do you know why, Alice?” He waited for one heartbeat, then two, before he answered his own question. “Because they weren’t you. Do you know whose face I see every time I close my eyes?”
“No.”
“Yours, Alice. Ever since you came into my life, the only way I can get off is by closing my eyes and imagining it’s you. Begging me. Touching me. Wanting me.”
That seemed to piss her off even more. “Is that supposed to make me feel special?” she spat. “That you were thinking of me every time you let one of those skanks near you?”
“Yes.”
Her gorgeous eyes blazed. “How would you feel if I told you it was your face I saw whenever I was with someone else?”
Between one breath and the next, Rex was across the room, caging her against the door with his much larger body. “Murderous, that’s how. The thought of you with anyone else sends me over the edge, Alice. Knowing you’re with that fucking panther guts me.”
Her eyes widened. Her lips quirked. Then she did the most unexpected thing of all. She laughed.
“What is so fucking funny?” he growled, giving in to the need to nuzzle her temple. His lion needed the contact.
“That you’re jealous of Johnny.”
“Why wouldn’t I be? He’s got you, and I ... don’t.”
Alice petted his chest. “It isn’t like that, Rex. Johnny and I grew up together in a group home. He’s a brother to me, not my lover.”
Rex stopped nuzzling to look into her eyes. He saw only truth there.
“Your brother?”
“Uh-huh. In every way but blood.”
That was ... completely unexpected. And damn good news.
“Then there’s no reason for you not to come back.” He nipped her ear, reveling in the scent of her blossoming desire. She liked that. Liked him. Wanted him.
Yet, she flattened both palms on his chest and pushed him back far enough to scoot out from under his arm.
“Is that what you really want?”
He growled and stalked her way. “What do you think, mate?”
Alice stepped sideways, positioning herself so the bed was between them. That wasn’t going to stop him. Nothing would, not now that he knew she wanted this, too.
“Let me rephrase that. Are you willing to give up your sex god status and your adoring harems? Because I mean it, Rex. I won’t share. If you’re mine, you’re mine and only mine. That’s the only way this will work.”
“I’m yours,” he agreed readily. “And you’re mine.”
In a smooth, graceful move, Rex leapt up onto the bed then caged her in the corner.
“To do whatever I want ... whenever I want. And right now, I want to lick your sweet pussy until you scream, then fuck you until the only name you can speak is mine. But first ...” Rex leaned down and kissed the sensitive area between her neck and shoulder. “I’m going to mark you
. Right here.” He licked the tender skin, groaning at how good she tasted. He was going to feast for days. Weeks, maybe.
He scraped his quickly descending fangs over her skin, pleased when she shuddered. “Just tell me this is what you want, Alice. I need to hear it from your lips.”
She was trembling, but his nose assured him it was from repressed desire, not fear. Her blossoming arousal perfumed the air around them, driving his lion insane. If he put his fingers between her legs, he was certain he would find her wet and ready.
“I ...”
A sharp knock at the door made Alice jump.
“I’m leaving,” Carly announced loudly. “The party ends at midnight. I won’t be back before then. Just saying.”
The sound of light footsteps and a door clearly slamming was followed by silence.
Alice let out a breath then chuckled. “Do you think that was Carly’s subtle way of telling us we’ll be alone for a few hours?”
Rex smiled. “That’s my girl. Now, where were we?”
“I think you were just about to bite me,” she reminded him softly.
“So I was.”
Suddenly, sharp claws extended from the tips of Rex’s fingers. He made short work of her clothing with a few expert swipes until she stood naked before him.
He stepped back far enough to look her up and down. The perfect column of her neck. Full, heavy breasts. The sweeping curve into her waist that flared out into womanly hips. Strong, shapely legs. He couldn’t wait to claim all of it.
“Much better,” he growled. “Fucking perfect.”
“I think you’re overdressed.” Alice unleashed her own claws, removing his clothes just as quickly. Her nails scraped over his skin, whether in haste or with deliberate intent, he didn’t know, but he liked it.
“Fuck. That feels good.”
“You think so? Then you’re going to love this.” She suddenly wrapped her hand around his dick in a surprisingly strong, possessive grip. “You are mine. This is mine. And like you, I will do whatever I want, whenever I want.”
She went to her knees and took him in her mouth, just like in his fantasies. She sucked and licked, biting him just enough to let him know that she was in charge. Her nails had become sharp claws, clutching his ass and flexing as she proclaimed ownership.
He dug his hands into her hair, clutching the silky strands with desperate fingers, thrusting his hips forward into ecstasy. The feel of her raspy tongue, the scrape of her teeth, the pure focus and determination with which she took him had him hovering on the edge of oblivion in no time flat.
“Enough!” He gripped her by the hair and pulled her away, delighted by her growls of protest.
This was something they would revisit later ... repeatedly, but his first time with his mate would not be in her mouth.
He tossed her easily onto the bed then kneeled, spreading her shapely thighs open with his shoulders. She was every bit as wet as he had imagined, so pretty and pink and his.
Without hesitation, he licked the length of her and groaned. “I always knew you’d have the sweetest fucking pussy in the world.” He licked again, pleased with the way her entire body shuddered.
Alice grabbed his hair and pulled, lifting her hips in blatant demand. Her boldness was an unexpected treat, and one he would exploit fully, but that, too, would have to wait. The mating heat was riding him hard, and they had already wasted far too much time.
Her legs tensed, and her grip tightened. She was close, so very close, and so was he.
“Rex!” she roared when he pulled away, but before she had finished, he grabbed her legs and plunged deep into her pussy. Two quick strokes, and she was screaming again, squeezing his dick so hard as he bit into the tender skin at the base of her neck and emptied himself deep inside her.
He was still coming when he rolled them over, holding her on top of him. Her body was still in the grips of an orgasm, too, but that didn’t stop her from leaning forward and impaling herself repeatedly on his cock with hard, brutal thrusts. Then she leaned down and bit him as he had her, completing the mating and causing a second, more powerful orgasm to crash over them both.
A growing blackness edged his vision. The last thing he felt was Alice collapsing onto his chest before everything went dark.
When he opened his eyes again, it was to find Alice staring down at him. Her golden eyes were glowing. If she had been in her lion form, he was sure he would have felt the lazy swish of a tail over his legs.
He flexed his hands, possessively cupping her ass. She answered by tightening her pussy around his cock, still wedged deep inside her.
Music played in his head, something new, a melody vibrant and alive, while his soul felt oddly at peace.
“Did you know that would happen?” he asked.
She shook her head. “You mean black out? No.”
His eyes went to her neck, the skin torn and ragged from his bite. He winced and felt her tense, clearly misunderstanding.
“Regrets already, Rex?”
“Only that I hurt you,” he said honestly. “I got a little carried away, wanting everyone to know you’re mine.”
“I might have been a bit overzealous myself”—she smirked—“for exactly the same reason. You, Rex Løve, are officially off the market.” Alice leaned down and licked gently along the bite mark that she had given him, sending bolts of pleasure right into his balls.
He rolled them over and thrust in and out of her with long, slow strokes. He took his time, savoring the feel of her stretching around him, something he hadn’t been able to fully appreciate before.
“I want to wake up like this every morning, Alice. Deep in your sweet pussy, your taste on my lips and tongue. Starting and ending every day fucking my beautiful, fierce mate into ecstasy.”
Her eyes softened. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
They made love again, this time slow and easy, until she cried out his name. It was music to his ears.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Sounds from the kitchen alerted Alice to Carly’s return from the party. Beside her, Rex was deep in sleep. Well, at least she thought he was. She barely managed to get one leg over the edge of the bed before he was pulling her back against his solid chest and other hard things.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
His deep, raspy voice sent bolts of lust through her, pebbling her nipples and making her consider mounting him again. Her need to use the bathroom, however, took precedence.
“The bathroom.”
With a kiss to her shoulder, he released his hold enough to let her slip out of bed. When she looked back over her shoulder, his eyes were fixed on her ass.
“Don’t take too long.”
The promise in those words filled her with desire and a happiness she never thought she would get to experience. The image in the bathroom mirror reflected that, too. The new mark she bore in the curve of her neck confirmed that she wasn’t dreaming, and that it was, in fact, real.
The bite was already healing, but it would be a very clear “Property of Rex” sign to other shifters. Since she had placed a similar stamp of ownership on him, she figured it was only fair.
Rex was snoring when she emerged a few minutes later. Alice decided to take the opportunity to talk to Carly, so she donned one of the luxurious resort robes and padded out into the kitchen, where Carly was fixing a snack from some room service leftovers.
“How was the party?”
“Fun.”
“They didn’t have pizza?”
“They did, but I didn’t want to eat too much. Most of the girls only ate a slice or two.”
Alice empathized. Shifters had faster metabolisms than humans and required substantially more food to fuel their bodies. For a teenage girl, that could be mortifying.
“Warm some up for me, too, will you?”
Carly spotted the mating mark immediately and grinned widely. “How was your evening?”
“Pretty epic.”
They both laughed.
“Are you okay with this? Me and your dad?”
“Are you kidding me right now? I think it’s awesome and way overdue. Things haven’t been the same without you, Alice. Dad needs you and ... so do I.”
Alice stepped up to Carly and pulled her into a hug. “You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that. I’m so sorry I left, Carly.”
“You had to.” Carly shrugged and wiped a tear from her eye. “But I’m really glad you’re back.”
“Me, too.”
“What about Johnny?”
Alice smiled, remembering the conversation she’d had with Johnny while stuck in the traffic jam. “Things are going flawlessly, as usual, but I think I’m going to take my own advice. By the way, you’re still fired.”
“He only has a few shows left on his current tour. Then he’s going to take a year off to spend some time in the studio. I may need to schedule a few short trips, but most of it can be handled remotely until I can find someone I trust to take over the day to day stuff.”
“How does Dad feel about that?”
“We haven’t discussed it.”
“Discussed what?” Rex appeared from the bedroom, looking incredibly smug and gloriously sexy in nothing but a low-slung pair of snug-fitting jeans. Shirtless as he was, the mark of her mating bite was clearly visible.
He stalked over to Alice, pulled her into a possessive embrace, and then kissed her soundly.
“Me helping Johnny finish out his tour.”
“No.”
“What do you mean, no?”
“I mean, no. We’re mated now.”
“So?”
“So, you belong here with me. With us. Not with that fucking panther.”
“I thought I made it clear that ‘fucking panther’ is like a brother to me,” she said, poking Rex in the chest. “I am going to hand select and train a worthy assistant, but that’s going to take some time. Johnny was, is, and always will be a big part of my life, so get used to it.”
Rex growled at her.
Alice growled right back.
“You are so fucking sexy when you get riled.”
“I mean it, Rex.”
Rock Hard: BAD Alpha Dads Page 12