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

He held his hand out to the left.
    “It’s a beautiful room,” she said. “You obviously
like antiques.”
    “I like them about as well as the next guy,” he
said. “Most of the house is the way my mother designed it. I haven’t changed
much.”
    That made sense. “What have you changed?”
    “Come on,” he said. “I’ll show you.” He led her into
the living room and through an open doorway she hadn’t noticed along the back
wall. It led down a long hallway toward the back of the house. They passed
several closed doors, which Gray pointed out as guest bedrooms, bathrooms, or
closets. Two open thresholds stood at the end of the hall. She glanced through
the one on the right and discovered a large, open kitchen with stainless steel
appliances, floor to ceiling cabinets, and a huge center island.  
    Gray kept walking. “I updated the kitchen a few years
ago and remodeled the den.”
    “The kitchen is amazing. Do you cook much?”
    “When I have the time, which isn’t as often as I’d
like.”
    “That’s a shame. A kitchen like that should
definitely get used as often as possible.”
    She walked ahead of Gray and peeked into the den,
which probably had the same square footage as her house. Her gaze flitted over
a leather sectional sofa, matching recliners, a giant flat screen television,
pool table, and wet bar. She looked back over her shoulder and grinned at him.
“Unlike the rest of the house, I can definitely picture you spending time in
here.”
    “Guilty. It’s my favorite room in the house.”
    “I can see why.”
    “I didn’t have the heart to change the whole house,
but this was always a family room, so I didn’t see the harm in making it my
own.”
    Mara thought that was sweet. She could definitely
understand the need to hold onto the things left behind by lost loved ones. She
still hadn’t finished boxing up her grandma’s things yet. Every time she tried
to start, she ended up taking a long trip down memory lane, and her heart broke
a little more. She reached for Gray and twined their fingers together. “I think
your house is a perfect mix of old and new.”
    He squeezed her hand. “I’m glad you think so.”
    “So,” she said, changing the subject. “I believe
you said something about feeding me. Are we cooking or ordering takeout?”
    “We’re grilling. Or rather, I am.”
    “Sounds good to me. I’m starving.” Mid-afternoon
seemed to be the best time for her appetite these days.
    “Good. Let me grab the meat and fixin’s out of the
fridge and then I’ll fire up the grill.”
    “I’ll help.” She followed Gray into the kitchen and
stood back while he pulled out smoked sausages, peppers, onions, and fajita
wraps. “I can cut the veggies, if you want to go out and get the grill
started.”
    “Are you sure you don’t mind?”
    “Not at all.”
    “All right.” He opened a cabinet next to the sink
and pulled out a cutting board and then plucked a knife off a stainless steel
magnetic strip holding an assortment of knives on the wall above the stove. He
set them on the center island next to the vegetables. “You don’t have to worry
about washing anything. I took care of that when I bought them last night.”
    “Okay. Thanks.”
    “Be right back.” He grabbed the sausage and a roll
of aluminum foil off the counter and walked outside through the French doors on
the other side of the room.
    She set to work chopping the peppers and onions
into small strips. She’d just finished up and was rinsing her hands at the sink
when Gray reentered the room.
    “These look perfect.” He pulled out a sheet of
aluminum foil, set it on the counter, and poured the veggies onto the center.
    She dried her hands and watched as he folded the
aluminum foil over the tops and sides, creating a little packet for the grill.
“That’s a neat trick.”
    “Anything that cuts down on dishes.” He winked.
    “I hear you.” There was nothing she hated quite as
much as hand washing