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

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 coherent 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.”
    “That
sounds like a blast.” Mara grabbed her coffee, added a splash of creamer, and
carried it over to the table. She sat across from her mother. Upon closer
inspection, the woman didn’t look so good. Her eyes were bloodshot and there
were dark circles beneath them. Not even the heavy application of foundation
and powder could conceal them.   
    “It’s
part of motherhood.” Nancy popped the last morsel of toast into her mouth and
chewed.