The Playboy Bear's Baby: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (2 page)

“People take precedence over vacations. Speaking of
which, where’s Richard?”

Mara sighed and slumped. She so didn’t want to
rehash that topic. Unfortunately, she knew her friend well enough to realize
any attempt to change the subject would fail. “We aren’t seeing each other
anymore.”

“Damn, Mara. I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right. You didn’t know.”

“What happened? Your social media still says you’re
engaged.”

Damn. She’d forgotten about that. She hadn’t
bothered with anything as trivial as social media in months. “We had a
difference of opinion about the important things in life.”

Sara frowned. “What does that even mean? You
disagreed about which way the toilet paper roll should face?”

“I wish it were that silly. It’s just… He gave me
an ultimatum. Said I could move in with him right away or finish taking care of
things here like Grandma would have wanted.”

“And you chose the latter.”

“Well, you know me. I never did like being told
what to do.”

“I’ll say. Well, good riddance to bad rubbish. I
always thought you could do better than him anyway.”

Mara rolled her eyes. “Sure you did. Richard is
handsome, responsible, and wealthy. He was a terrible catch.”

“We both know you never cared about the money.”

Mara shrugged. “No, but it doesn’t really matter
now anyway. He’s on to greener pastures and I’m here, trying to sort through
the wreckage of my life.” Damn if that didn’t sound maudlin. She was going to
depress herself if she wasn’t careful.  

“I know exactly what you need.” A slow smile spread
across Sara’s face.

Chapter Two

Mara wasn’t sure what was worse—the ear-splitting
country music or the rednecks who kept accidentally grabbing her ass. She kept moving
to the music, maneuvered away from the latest set of grabby hands, and bumped
shoulders with Sara. “Remind me why I let you talk me into this?”

Sara leaned in closer. “Because you love me. And
because you needed to get out of that house, even if you are too pigheaded to
admit it.”

Sara had a point. There was no way Mara would’ve
come to a place like Buds Suds without peer pressure from someone she liked and
trusted. “If you say so,” she hollered back to Sara over the music. “I need
another drink. You want one?”

Sara nodded and shook her groove thing. “Thanks! I
love this song.”

Mara gave a thumbs up and headed toward the bar.
She didn’t make it a dozen steps before someone pinched her ass. “Hey!” She
whirled around, looking for the culprit, and realized it could have been any
one of the dozen people behind her. None of them looked guilty. Damn it. She
spun back around and continued toward her destination. If she was going to stay
at the bar much longer, then she was going to need a lot more liquid courage.

She sidled up to the bar, waited until her turn,
and shouted her order to bartender. The words had barely left her mouth when a
large, hot body pressed up against her back. “Put it on my tab,” a deep voice
said from behind her.

“Thanks, but I can pay for my own drinks.” She
glanced over her shoulder to see who was hitting on her and felt the moisture
in her mouth evaporate. The man was fine with a capital F.  He stood head
and shoulders above her own five feet, five inches, had a square jaw sharp
enough to cut glass, full lips, and dark, soulful eyes that were currently
trained on her.

“You sure?” hot stuff asked. “It’s just a drink. No
strings attached.”

“All right. Thanks.” She turned sideways to get a
better look at him and the view from his chest down was even better. Through
his fitted gray shirt, she could make out firm pecs and a flat stomach. Faded
blue jeans clung to his narrow hips and highlighted the huge bulge behind his
fly. She wondered if he’d stuffed socks in there or if he was just really happy
to see her.

“You’re welcome.”

She jerked her gaze back up to meet his and found
him grinning at her.

He smirked. “See something you like?”

“Maybe.” She shrugged, trying to play it cool, and
picked her shot up off the counter and chugged back the contents. She set the
empty glass down and met his gaze head on. “You aren’t drinking?”

“Alcohol doesn’t have much effect on me.”

Oh. Oh hell. He was one of
them
. A shifter.
She appraised him with new eyes and wondered which breed of animal spirit he
was hiding beneath his human skin. No way was he something docile like a deer
or a llama. He had predator written all over him. Curiosity crackled through
her mind, but she didn’t dare ask such a personal question. Her grandma raised
her with better manners than that.

The reminder of what she was trying to forget
smacked her upside the head. She didn’t know what she’d been thinking to come
out tonight. She picked up the shot she’d ordered for Sara, swallowed it down
too, and waved at the bartender for another.

“Thirsty?” hot stuff asked.

“It’s warm in here,” she answered. The bartender
delivered two more shots. She passed cash across the counter and picked up the
glasses. “Well, thanks for the other drinks. I have a friend waiting for me on
the dance floor.”

“You’re going to walk away without even telling me
your name? That’s cold.”

What the hell. “I’m Mara.”

“Pleased to meet you, Mara. My name’s Gray.”

“Well, Gray… I guess I’ll see you around.”

“Yes, you will,” he said as she headed off to find
Sara.

She could feel his gaze on her as she moved across
the room. Instead of creeping her out, his attention warmed something deep
inside her. It had been a long time since someone had flirted with her and made
her feel good about herself. She’d forgotten what that felt like and how much
she liked it.

Once she reached the dance floor, she risked a
glance back. Sure enough, he was leaning against the bar and staring her way.
The instant he caught her looking, the arrogant bastard winked. Heat blossomed
across her face. She spun back around, careful not to spill the liquor, and
made her way through the crowd.

It only took her a minute to spot Sara with some
dude wearing a huge cowboy hat and sparkly boots. Between the ten gallon hat
and Sara’s long red hair, the duo stood out amongst the crowd.

“Sorry it took so long,” she yelled and held out
the shot.

“Don’t worry about it,” Sara hollered back. The
song changed and Sara shifted gears, moving away from the cowboy. She threw
back the shot and grinned. “I would have stopped to flirt with Grayson Wells
too.”

“You saw that, huh?” That name sounded familiar,
but she couldn’t quite place it.

“Oh yeah. Me and everyone else in here. Grayson’s a
hot commodity when he’s in town.”

“I bet.” The man was hella hot. It wasn’t any wonder
women would line up to climb him like a tree. She wouldn’t mind a turn with him
herself and that was coming from someone who didn’t do one night stands. There
was just something about him that called to her baser instincts and reminded
her she was a woman who hadn’t been touched in months. Gray looked like the
kind of man who knew his way around a woman’s body and wasn’t afraid to let
loose.

Sara nudged her. “You should go for it.” 

“Go for what?”

“Him.” Sara nodded toward the bar. “You know what they
say. The fastest way to get over one man is to get under another.”

Mara smiled and shook her head. “That’s a terrible
saying.”

“True though.” Sara wiped her hair out of her face.
“You want to find a seat somewhere?”

“Yes to the seat. I don’t know about the guy.”
She’d only ever slept with Richard.

Sara winded through the crowd. “What’s to know?
He’s smoking hot and you’re newly single. Grayson is the perfect rebound guy.
He’s not interested in anything more than a little fun.”

Mara followed along until she spotted a couple
vacating a table by the wall. She hurried over to claim it before someone else
did. “Over here, Sara.”

She pulled out a chair and took a seat. Sara sat
across from her. “Nice find.”

“I got lucky. This place is packed.” Mara looked
around the room. “I had no idea this place was so popular.”

“It’s popular by default since it’s the only bar in
town. Mama said Moonshiners closed down last fall.”

“That explains it.”

“So,” Sara leaned across the table. “Are you having
fun?”

Mara shrugged. “I guess.”

“Better than being home drowning in cheese dip?”

“Definitely.” At the very least, her hips would
thank her for putting down the junk food.

“Good. My work here is done.” Sara sat back. “I
don’t go back to school for a couple of weeks. It would be really nice if we
could hang out some until then.”

Mara liked the sound of that. It had been way too
long since they’d spent any real girls’ time together. “Sounds good to me.”

“Me too. Hmm… I’m in the mood for something fruity.
I think I’m going to go get a mixed drink. You want something?”

“Sure. Bring me back a Blue Motorcycle, please.”
Three shots in and she barely had a buzz. A strong mixed drink was just the
ticket to forgetting her problems for a few hours. Not to mention the liquor
would loosen her up a little.

“Cool. Be back in a minute.”

Mara twisted her chair around until the back was
pressed against the wall. She sat back, watched everyone partying around her,
and tried to relax. Her mind drifted back to Gray. He was really hot and
apparently had a reputation as a ladies man. Normally that would be a turn off,
but she wasn’t interested in something serious anyway. After everything she’d
been through with Richard, it would be a long time before she was ready to
trust another man. However, that didn’t mean she wanted to spend all her time
alone and celibate.

She turned her attention to the bar, searching
through the crowd for the man who’d caught her attention. Her spirits dropped
when she didn’t immediately spot him among the masses. It figured he would be
gone. The man had probably already moved on to picking up someone else, a woman
who knew how to flirt back and wouldn’t blow him off in favor of spending time
with a friend. Someone that hot wouldn’t stay alone for long.

The very thought of him choosing someone else
gutted her—which was ridiculous since she’d just met the man. He’d bought her a
drink—or two, technically—and they’d exchanged a few words. No big deal, right?
So why was she still thinking about him? 

She looked down at her hands and fiddled with the
overgrown cuticle on her thumb. Her social life wasn’t the only thing she’d let
go since learning about her Grandma’s illness. She hadn’t had a manicure or a
hair cut for months. It was a wonder any man would look twice at her.

Someone wearing black leather motorcycle boots
stopped in front of her and cleared their throat. “Alone again, I see.”

She looked up, recognized Gray, and smiled. “Not
for long. It was my friend’s turn to fetch the drinks. She’ll be back in a
minute, but you’re welcome to join me.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I think you should
dance with me instead.”

Butterflies swarmed inside Mara’s stomach at the
thought of getting up close and personal with him. “All right.”

He held out his hand to help her up like some old
world gentleman, charming her, and she took it without a second’s hesitation. A
shock jolted through her the second their palms slid together. “Whoa,” she
said, rising to her feet.

He twined their fingers together. “You okay?”

“I’m fine. The shock just surprised me.” She
squeezed his hand to reassure him she was all right and noticed how his hand
dwarfed her own and how much warmer his skin was than her own.

“I liked it. It means we have chemistry.”

She laughed at the cheesy line. “That was bad.”

“Maybe, but it made you laugh. You’re beautiful
when you smile.”

“Thank you.” She fidgeted, switching her weight
from one foot to the other.

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s dance.”

Hand in hand, he led her toward the dance floor. Before
they reached it, she spotted Sara on her way back from the bar with their
drinks. Sara’s gaze moved from Mara to Gray and back again before she gave a
big grin and congratulatory nod. Mara smiled back at her, amused and happier
than she’d been in months, and then returned her attention to the man leading
her forward.

He stopped once they reached the center of the
crowd and pulled her in close. They moved together, dancing to the music, while
gazing at each other. Gray’s gaze was intense, almost too powerful to maintain
eye contact, but she managed. The big, bad shifter didn’t scare her. If
anything, his gruff countenance attracted her more. She wasn’t in the mood for
fun and games. She didn’t need a jester or a leech. She wanted a strong man who
would make her forget her troubles, if only for a little while. Gray seemed to
fit that roll to a T. He was tall, handsome, and muscular. The shifter angle
lent him a mysterious air that intrigued her.

The DJ fired up a twangy country song and Gray
guided her through a simple two step across the floor. “This okay?” he asked.

“Sure.” She smiled at him and tried to keep up. For
such a big man, he was surprisingly light on his feet and graceful. She
wondered if that meant he was some sort of cat, like a panther or a jaguar. For
whatever reason, she couldn’t see him as a feline.

“So,” he said. “What brings you out tonight?”

“My friend,” she answered. “She wanted to come out
and dragged me along with her.”

“Are you enjoying yourself?”

“I am now.” She flushed and looked away.

“Me too.”

She glanced back up at him. “Why did you come out
tonight?”

“I got lonely. Wanted to find a little company.”

“I see.” That seemed straightforward enough. He was
out on the prowl and she was willing prey. “Well, it looks like you found what
you were after.”

“Did I?” He quirked a brow.

“If you play your cards right.” She didn’t see any
point in being coy. Playing hard to get was only for people who didn’t want to
get caught.

The song changed to something slower, more
intimate. Gray pulled her in close and wrapped his arms around her lower back.
She wound her arms around his neck and jumped on the opportunity to press up
against him. He smelled so good and felt even better, all firm muscle to her
soft curves.

She
gazed up at him, their faces only inches apart, and felt her mouth go dry. She
moistened her lips and his attention dropped to follow the progress of her
tongue across her lips. His head lowered a fraction of an inch and her pulse
skyrocketed in anticipation. She lifted up on her toes to meet him halfway and
their lips collided in a soft, teasing caress. She stretched up, seeking more,
and he didn’t disappoint. He tilted his head and kissed her harder, sliding his
mouth back and forth over hers. The hot, slick glide of his tongue over the
sensitive rim of her bottom lip made her gasp and part her mouth. When his
tongue breached her lips, she met him head-on. Their tongues touched,
retreated, and touched again with more confidence. The kiss grew deeper,
wetter, and the world shrank to just the two of them and the magnetic pull
growing between them.