The Playboy Bear's Baby: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance

by Marlie Monroe

  “Just checking. I know you can take care of yourself, but it’s in my nature to worry.”

  “It’s okay. I get it. I’m the same way. Grandma used to call me her little worrywart.”

  “That’s cute. I can almost picture you as a precocious little kid. I bet I could find photos of you if I looked hard enough. Maybe even a stash of those naked bathtub pictures all parents hoard to embarrass their kids when they’re grown.”

  “You could, but then I’d have to kill you.”

  Gray laughed. “Those pics must be bad if you’re escalating to threats so fast.”

  “You’ll never find out.”

  “We’ll see about that.” He popped a potsticker in his mouth. “I’m totally on board with taking embarrassing pictures of our own kids, by the way. We have to carry on the tradition.”

  Her expression turned thoughtful. “Our kids, huh?”

  “Yep.”

  “What makes you think there will ever be more than this one?”

  “Just a gut feeling.” He sipped his water. “I’d like to have two or three kids. Maybe more.”

  “I don’t know about that. I can’t really think beyond the baby I’m carrying now.”

  “That’s okay. We have plenty of time.”

  “Speaking of the baby, I’ve been meaning to ask you whether or not this one will be human like me or a shifter like you? What are the odds?”

  “The shifter gene is dominant. If you’re carrying a boy, chances are good he’ll be a shifter. If it’s a girl, she’ll be a carrier of the gene and pass it down to her male children.”

  “So there aren’t any female shifters?”

  “No. Males are the only ones who’re born with an animal spirit.”

  “Huh. That doesn’t seem fair.”

  He shrugged. “It is what it is.”

  They finished eating and Gray helped put away the leftovers and clean up. As they were finishing up, Mara turned to him. “Do you want to stick around for a while? We could rent something from pay per view.”

  “Sure,” he said, trying to sound as casual as possible, while inside his bear was wiggling with glee. “I could do that.”

  She smiled over at him. “I can make some popcorn if you want.”

  “That sounds really good.”

  “Okay.” She dried her hands off on one of the two hand towels by the sink. “I’ll pop some in the microwave if you’ll grab a couple of drinks out of the fridge.”

  He nodded and hopped into action. Three minutes later they were sitting on the living room sofa in front of the television watching some kind of new romantic comedy. He didn’t care. He was paying more attention to the woman next to him than what was playing on the TV anyway.

  Thirty minutes in, she snuggled up beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. He was in heaven. He put his arm around her and inhaled the sweet, floral scent of her hair. Contentment settled deep in his core. The bear inside him rumbled in approval. He could’ve happily sat there all night, holding her in his arms.

  Halfway through the movie, he gave into the innate urge to nuzzle her hair. She smelled so good, like wildflowers, pure sensuous woman, and home. He’d never caught wind of anything more perfect. Her hair was thick and soft against his face.

  Mara tilted her head up and back. Their gazes locked and sparks ignited between them. Gray lowered his head, closing the scant distance between them, and covered her lips with his own. He groaned at the taste of her soft lips and instantly tilted his head and dove back in for more. He licked over the seam between her lips and beyond the instant she parted and let him in. The tip of her tongue met his, touched, and retreated. He gave chase, exploring her mouth and caressing the hidden depths, and then pulled back to allow her a chance to pursue him.

  They parried back and forth, the kiss growing deeper, hotter with every second. Heat flashed through Gray’s body, tightening his muscles and stiffening his member. Every touch made his desire for her grow by leaps and bounds. The glide over her palms over his neck and shoulders inflamed him with the longing for more. He wanted to feel her touch everywhere, moving over his bare skin, scent marking him as her intended mate as surely as he yearned to return the favor.

  Someone banged on the front door with a hard fist.

  Mara jerked away from him and stared up at him with wide eyes. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips were red. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her senseless all over again. “Are you expecting someone?”

  “No.” She glanced at the door. “I guess I should see who that is.” She stood, straightened her clothes, and headed toward the door.

  Gray sat up straight and readjusted his jeans, which were more than a little uncomfortable at the moment. He hoped whoever was at the door didn’t stay long.

  Mara yanked open the door and gasped. “Mom?”

  Chapter Seven

  “Mom?” Mara blinked and the woman in front of her didn’t vanish. It really was her mother standing there. She was older, with a lined face heavily coated in makeup, stringy bleached blond hair, and a figure closer to the likeness of a scarecrow rather than the plus sized woman who’d dumped Mara on her grandma’s doorstep thirteen years earlier, but there was no doubt about her identify. The eyes were exactly the same. Mara looked into a pair just like them every time she glanced in a mirror.

  “Mara baby?” Nancy Adamsen rushed forward and threw her arms around Mara. “Oh my goodness. You’re so big.”

  Mara stood still as a statue, in shock. She inhaled and sucked in a lungful of air redolent with the scent of cigarettes, cheap perfume, and sweat. Here was her mother, the woman she’d worried over, missed, and hated in equal turns after being abandoned, and she could only think of one thing to say. “Oh course I’m bigger. I’m not the frightened ten-year-old you left behind.”

  “Well, you’ve got that right.” Nancy pulled back and regarded Mara with shrewd eyes. “You’ve grown into a fine looking young woman. I always knew you would, although you take after your granny more than I expected. I was just heartbroken when I heard about her passing.”

  “You missed the service.” A warm presence moved in close behind her. She looked over her shoulder and made eye contact with Gray. The man moved like a ghost. She hadn’t even heard him get up.

  “I only just learned of her passing last week. The grapevine doesn’t seem to travel as fast as it used to.” Nancy looked beyond Mara and the switch from sympathetic relative to cold, hard calculating woman happened so fast it was scary. “And just who might this be?”

  “This is Gray. Gray, this is my mother, Nancy. Gray and I were just watching a movie.”

  “Is that what they’re calling it these days?” Nancy laughed at her own joke.

  Mara frowned. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, feeling awkward and out of sorts. What were the social niceties for greeting the mother who’d abandoned you without a backward look? Mara didn’t have a clue, but she couldn’t keep standing guard in front of the door like a forgotten sack of potatoes. “Would you like to come in for a drink or something?”

  “Yeah. I’m parched. Thanks.”

  Mara stepped out of the way to allow her mother inside and then closed the door. “All right. I think I have some bottled water, if that’s okay?”

  Nancy’s gaze moved from one end of the room to the other. She waved her hand in the air. “Something hard would be better.”

  “I’m sorry. I don’t have any alcohol in the house.”

  “That’s all right then. Whatever you have will be fine. I’m not picky.”

  “Okay. I’ll just go and get that now. You’re welcome to have a seat and make yourself comfortable.” She looked at Gray, silently apologizing for leaving him alone with a stranger. This was definitely not the way she’d expected tonight to go. “I’ll be right back.”

  She hurried into the kitchen, got a cold bottle of water out of the fridge, and carried it back to the living room—where she discovered her mother sitting close enough
to Gray on the sofa to count the pores in his face. She was leaning toward him, with her breasts thrust out for attention. Mara cleared her throat and held out the water. “Here’s your water.”

  “Oh. Thank you.” Nancy took the bottle. “I was just showing Gray what a ten grand boob job looks like. Through my clothes, of course. I don’t show these puppies off to just anyone.”

  “Mm hmm,” Mara replied, unable to come up with an appropriate response to finding her mother showing off her breast augmentation. It was a little like stepping into an episode of the Twilight Zone. She sat in the chair by the sofa, facing her mother and Gray. “So, what brings you by this way tonight?”

  “Mom. As I said, I just heard about her passing and thought it was only right to come by and pay my respects and offer to help out in any way I can.”

  Mara couldn’t help but think her mother’s help would have been more useful months earlier, when Grandma was sick and on her deathbed. Although she rarely spoke about Nancy, Mara knew her grandma loved her child despite her flaws and would have given anything to see her one last time before the end. “That’s very thoughtful of you, but I’ve already taken care of everything.”

  “I’m not surprised. You were always an independent little thing, so insistent about doing things on your own.” Nancy returned her attention to Gray. “So, tell me what the story is with you two. Are you dating, engaged, or what?”

  “We’re seeing each other,” Mara answered.

  At the same time, Gray said, “We’re mates.”

  Mara cringed, unsure of how her mother would respond to the news that she was involved with a shifter. There were still a lot of people who were against inter-species relationships.

  Nancy’s gaze never left Gray. “I see. I reckon that would make you one of them animal people, huh? That’s cool. I bet you’re something special, aren’t you? Some kind of big, bad alpha wolf or coyote. You have the look of a predator about you.”

  “Thank you, I think,” Gray replied, smoothly sidestepping Nancy’s nosy question about his species. “Mara is very important to me, so it would mean a lot to have the blessing of her only living relative, particularly one as important as her mother.”

  “Aren’t you just as sweet as honey. I’m afraid I missed your last name when Mara introduced us. What’s your family name? If you’re a local, then I probably know your folks. I grew up here, in this very house actually.”

  “Yes, ma’am. My last name is Wells. My family has lived in this town for generations, but I’m sorry to say they’re no longer with us. It’s just me these days.”

  Mara didn’t care for the calculating gleam in her mother’s eyes or the downward twist of Gray’s full lips. The mention of his family was obviously a sore spot. “So,” she said in an effort to draw attention her way. “Are you staying in the area or just passing through?”

  “Oh well…” Nancy glanced down and picked at her cuticles. “This is a little embarrassing, but I assumed I would be invited to stay here, seeing as how you have this big, empty house all to yourself.”

  “I see.” Mara could guess what that meant. As uncomfortable as having a virtual stranger in the house would be, she couldn’t just send the woman out into the night when she obviously had nowhere to go. “I suppose you can use the guestroom until you’re able to make other arrangements.”

  Nancy looked up and smiled. “That would be lovely. Thank you.”

  Mara couldn’t help but notice the expression didn’t reach her mother’s eyes. A chill ran down her spine.

  “On that note, I should probably head out and leave you ladies to catch up.” Gray caught Mara’s gaze. “Would you mind walking me out?”

  “Okay.” She stood and followed Gray to the door. At the last moment, she turned back to look at her mother. “I’ll be right back.”

  Nancy nodded. “Go on and walk your young man out. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Mara followed Gray out to his vehicle. Despite the new status of their relationship, she took comfort in his presence and wasn’t looking forward to his departure.

  Gray stopped by the driver’s door of his SUV and leaned back against it. “Come here.”

  Mara moved closer, stepping into the cradle of his arms. She slid her hands around his sides to his back and hugged him tight. Being with him felt remarkably right, like they’d been together for years rather than weeks.

  He rubbed up and down her back. “You want to tell me what’s going on? You don’t seem very happy to see your mom.”

  She shook her head. She really didn’t want to drag those skeletons out of the closet, but he’d have to hear about them at some point. Better to get it over with now. “My mother has issues. Drugs. Alcohol. Men. To be honest, I’m not really sure what she’s into these days. I haven’t seen her in over thirteen years.”

  He tightened his arms around her. “What do you mean?”

  “She dropped me off to spend the night with my grandma one Friday after school and never came back. She called a few weeks later and told Grandma she’d met a man who promised to help her realize her dream of being a country western singer. For a few years after that, I received postcards from different places around the country on my birthday and Christmas, but even those stopped around the time I was fifteen.” She left out the part about looking up her mother’s arrest record and discovering a cornucopia of petty theft, drug possession, and prostitution charges over the years.

  “I’m sorry you had to go through that. I had no idea.”

  “It’s okay. I’ve had a lot of therapy to get over it. The point is, I don’t know that woman. She may have given birth to me, but for all intents and purposes, she’s a stranger. I don’t know why she’s come home now, but I’d be willing to bet it doesn’t have anything to do with Grandma’s passing.”

  “Why else would she be here?”

  “I don’t know.” Mara shook her head. “Maybe she’s finally burned her bridges everywhere else.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “What can I do? She’s my mom. I can’t just ask her to leave. Grandma wouldn’t want that. She’d never turn her back on family.”

  “I can stay, if you want me to.”

  “No, that’s all right. There really isn’t anything to worry about. Regardless of her faults, my mother isn’t dangerous. The worst she’ll do is try to steal Grandma’s jewelry.” Mara made a mental note to hide anything sentimental before she went to bed. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Are you sure? I don’t have a problem sleeping over.” He kissed the top of her head and then her temple.

  “I bet you don’t.” She lifted up on her toes and pressed her lips against his in a soft, lingering kiss. “Go on home. You can call me tomorrow.”

  He kissed her again, cutting off her protests. She went along for the ride for a minute and then eased back. “As tempting as it is to stay out here with you all night, I know you’re exhausted. I am too.”

  “All right. If I can’t change your mind about having a sleepover, then I’m going to head home. Call me if you need anything. Otherwise, I’ll talk to you some time tomorrow.”

  “I look forward to it.” She stepped away from him, giving him room to open the SUV door and climb inside.

  “Sleep tight, sweetheart.”

  Mara smiled. “You too.”

  Gray pulled the door closed and started up the engine.

  She stood at the edge of the driveway and waved goodbye. Just before he drove out of sight, she turned and headed back into the house.

  * * * *

  The smell of eggs awoke Mara and sent her rushing across the hall to the bathroom. After she’d emptied the contents of her stomach into the commode, she rinsed her mouth and carefully brushed her teeth. The last thing she wanted to do was set off her gag reflex.

  She hopped in the shower, hoping to give the putrid odor in the kitchen time to dissipate, and took her time getting dressed. She didn’t want to face her mother until she was alert enough to form c
oherent sentences. At the very least, the stinky eggs confirmed the woman was still in residence. Part of her had expected to wake up to an empty house. At the moment, she wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed by the outcome. Only time would tell.

  She padded barefoot through the house and entered the kitchen to find her mother sitting at the table, finishing off a plate of eggs and toast. “Good morning.”

  Nancy looked up. “Good morning. I hope I didn’t wake you.”

  “Nah. I’ve always been an early riser.”

  “I hope you don’t mind that I helped myself to some breakfast.”

  “Of course not.” Mara crossed the room and poured herself a cup of coffee. Since finding out about the baby, she’d been limiting herself to a single cup a day, rather than the full pot she drank pre-pregnancy. “I’m glad someone’s eating the eggs before they go bad.”

  “Is the pregnancy affecting your stomach? I stayed sick almost the entire time I was carrying you.”

  The unexpected mention of the baby startled Mara. She jerked around to look at her mother and sloshed hot coffee over the rim of the cup and down the side of her hand. “Ouch. Shit.” She waved her hand, trying to cool the burn, and headed for the sink. She turned on the cold tap and stuck her hand beneath it. While the cold water rushed over her hand, she twisted around to face her mother. “How did you know about the baby?”

  Nancy shrugged. “I had a headache last night and went into your medicine cabinet to look for ibuprofen. Your prenatal vitamins were right there in plain view. Was it supposed to be a secret?”

  “Not exactly.” Mara turned off the tap and dried her hand off on a paper towel. “There just aren’t many people we’ve told. It’s early days yet.”

  “How far along are you?”

  Mara grabbed a handful of paper towels and mopped up the mess she made on the counter. “Eight weeks, give or take a day or two.”

  Nancy snorted. “You really are at the beginning of all the torture. Just wait until your feet start swelling and you get your first hemorrhoid flare up. Then you’ll know suffering.”