The Playboy Bear's Baby: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance by Marlie Monroe Read Free Book Online

I
haven’t had a lot of time to process yet.”
    “How long have you known?”
    “About an hour longer than you.” She backed up and
sat down on the couch.
    Gray joined her, sitting so close their thighs
touched. “You aren’t thinking of ending the pregnancy, are you?”
    A silent moment passed. “No. I want the baby. I
have no idea what I’m doing and I’m about as far away from ready to be a parent
as it gets, but I have nine months to figure it out.”
    He rested his hand over hers where it rested on her
thigh and gave it a squeeze. “We have nine months to figure it out.”
    She turned her hand over and laced their fingers
together. “All right. We’ll figure it out together.”
    He smiled. “Damn right we will.”

Chapter Five
     
    Over the next few weeks, Gray came over often,
bringing her little trinkets and food, more often than not. He went with her to
her first doctor appointment and then her second, where they got to hear the
baby’s heartbeat. Her resistance to him melted a little more every day, but it
thawed completely when she’d looked up at him through tear-filled eyes at the
joyful noise of their baby’s heartbeat and noticed his eyes weren’t any dryer
than hers. Despite his playboy reputation, the man had a soft side no one
talked about. She was pleased and flattered he felt comfortable enough with her
to share that side of his personality.
    When she arrived home later that night, she called
Sara—who’d left town with her boyfriend to return to the little college town
they called home. After relaying the latest updates on the baby and her
relationship with Gray, they gossiped for over an hour before Mara pled
exhaustion and ended the call. As much as she enjoyed talking to Sara, she’d
much rather do it in person. Even though it had only been a few weeks since
Sara left, Mara already missed hanging out with her friend.
    Her stomach gurgled, reminding her of how little
she’d eaten that day. Her appetite sucked, but that didn’t mean she could ignore
her body’s needs now that she was eating for two. She caressed her stomach,
imagining the tiny life growing inside her, and forced herself up and into the
kitchen for an evening snack. Maybe if she was lucky, it would even stay down.
    * * * *
    The next evening, Gray picked her up and drove her
back to his place for dinner. It was the first time she’d been invited to his
home and she was curious to see where he lived and potentially learn a little
more about him. So far they’d mostly chatted about the baby or made small talk,
both of them walking on eggshells around the other.
    Pulling up outside his house, she was already
impressed. The massive estate sat on the edge of town and bordered National
Forest land. The house itself was a brick Victorian with ginger bread trim
around the eaves, two turrets, and what looked like three floors. She whistled.
“Nice house.”
    Gray cut the engine. “It’s home.”
    She opened her door and hopped out. Gray came
around the front of the vehicle and joined her. Together they followed the
cobblestone pathway and climbed the porch steps leading to the house. Gray
unlocked the front door and waved her in ahead of him.
    She entered a large, open foyer and gazed up in
amazement at the honest to God crystal chandelier hanging over her head. That
was something she’d never seen outside of a movie or magazine. On her right,
there was a grand dining room with a table big enough to seat at least twelve
people. To her left sat a formal living room that looked like it hadn’t been
used in a hundred years. She’d never seen so many antiques in one space before.
Directly ahead of her was an ornate wooden staircase leading upstairs.
    Gray stopped beside her and rubbed her back. “Would
you like a tour of the house?”
    “Sure.” What she’d seen so far was beautiful, if a
bit intimidating. She wouldn’t mind seeing the rest of it.
    “All right.” Gray smiled down at her. “Lets start
this way.”