Her Bear and a Baby: BBW Bear Shifter Baby Paranormal Romance (Who's the Daddy? Book 2) Read Online Free

he was going to have to play things cool if he didn’t want to frighten her off. More so than before, his new insight into her dual nature told him he had to help her find this man Gable. Only then would all the pieces fit into place.
    The biggest part of which was why she allowed herself to be sucked in by a man. A man who told her she was his mate. Had she been truly in love with him, like humans fall in love at first sight, and mistaken that for the mating bond? Beau had never experienced those kind of emotions before. Yes, he had dated, but never had he fallen for a human woman, not when he knew they had no future together. Not that he didn’t like sex. One night stands had become his thing, any woman he fancied, if she was unattached, would somehow wind up in his bed. That was his past too, even sex hadn’t been able to distract him from his loss.
    Maybe Gable convinced Elise of things that weren’t true? Told her she was a defective shifter for not sensing the mating bond? There had to be some reason Elise said Gable was her mate, when clearly he wasn’t. That role belonged to Beau, and he intended to make sure Elise accepted it.
    He walked back towards her, only she had gone from the doorway; she was somewhere inside his house. Part of him, the part that was primal, wanted to take over, and claim her as his own, make her forget this hunt for the man who wasn’t her true mate. Beau fought that urge down. This wasn’t the time to be heavy handed, this was the time to get to know her, to win her trust and then see where their futures led.
    Shouldering the door closed, he went into the kitchen, and placed the bags on the table. Elise was pouring coffee, baby slung on one hip. As Connor turned to look at him, he studied the small boy’s features, taking in the full lips with a cupid’s bow, the same blue eyes, wide and clear, and the dark auburn hair that mirrored Elise’s. There was no doubt these two were of the same blood.
    Which left him in no doubt that he had to accept raising another man’s child as his own.
    “Milk and sugar?” she asked, the spoon shaking slightly as she held it in her hand.
    “Milk. No sugar. Thanks,” he said as she handed him a cup. “Why don’t we go into the sitting room? This young man can have a crawl around on the floor.”
    “OK.” She looked pale and drawn, as if the fight had gone out of her. The strength needed to deny him was immense. It would be so easy for him to break down her resolve. Yet he wouldn’t; he didn’t want to break her in any way. He wanted to conquer her, but without force.
    “Here, let me take him.” Beau held out his arms, and she hesitated, but the baby reached for him and slid into his arms.
    “I’ll warm a bottle if that’s OK?” she asked, stepping towards the kitchen table but making sure to give him a wide berth.
    “Sure. Come on, Connor, let’s go play.” Beau was no expert; none of his brothers had found their mates, so he wasn’t even an uncle, but he guessed the baby must have been about eight months old. He wriggled in Beau’s arms, turning to look over his shoulder as they left Elise behind.
    The little boy’s face began to crumple. A hiccup escaped him and his eyes became watery. Damn it. He was about to cry. Not a great start to their relationship.
    “Hey there,” Beau said soothingly, his thick fingers stroking the little boy’s tummy and then tickling him lightly. “We can give your mom a minute to get your bottle ready, can’t we?”
    Connor’s eyes swiveled to stare at Beau. Really stare, as if he was looking into the bear shifter’s soul. Beau was reminded of Elise’s words again, like staring into the abyss . A shiver passed through him, but then Connor broke out into a smile, and to Beau, if he had to describe this baby’s eyes in any way, it would be like looking into a pool of warm, welcoming water, as blue as an early spring morning.
    “I guess you inherited your mom’s looks.” His thoughts turned