Clay (BBW Secret Baby Bear Shifter Romance) (Secret Baby Bears Book 4)

Thank you for supporting my work. I hope it’s as much fun to read as it was to write. This is the special Kindle Unlimited version of Clay. After you’re done reading it, you can continue to read almost every other story I have on Amazon. I’ve included them for free for you. Just keep turning pages as long as you like.

Also, if you sign up to my newsletter, I’ll send you five exclusive stories that you can’t get anywhere else!

http://www.authorbecca.com

http://www.facebook.com/AuthorBecca

Clay

Secret Baby Bears IV

by

Becca Fanning

Prologue

“I understand why you want to be involved with your children,” Partridge said. “But you realize that if you proceed down that route, you’ll be waiving the more than generous compensation offered by the University?”
 

“I don’t care about any money,” Clay said. “I want to see my kid.”
 

“Very well,” Partridge replied. “I’ll make some calls to the university and see what I can do.” He cleared his throat. “I assume that all of you feel this way?”
 

All of the men nodded.
 

“I’m not sure how they’ll respond,” Partridge said carefully. “They may try to pursue legal action to keep you away.”
 

“I don’t care,” Clay repeated. “I want to see my child.”
 

Partridge nodded. He looked defeated. “Fine,” he said. “I’ll start drawing up a possible contract, and we’ll make sure that you all have the contact information for all of the women who accidentally were impregnated with your sperm.”
 

Chapter One

The morning sun shone brightly into the room as Chloe Parks stretched in bed. She yawned, reaching up over her head and stretching as far as her thin arms would take her. With a contented sigh, she pulled off her eye mask and sat up, gently rubbing at her eyes.
 

“Noah?” Chloe climbed out of bed, pulling a silk kimono around her lean frame as she ducked into her son’s bedroom. “Noah, are you awake?”
 

Noah was still asleep. His thumb was in his mouth and he was sucking contentedly. Chloe sighed as she reached down into the large crib and gently tried to pull his hand out of his mouth. She remembered what Dr. Horvath had said: “Your son’s accelerated growth may trigger some inert desire to remain as young as possible.”
 

“Noah, sweetie,” Chloe said softly. “It’s time to wake up. We’re going to the zoo today!”
 

Noah opened his big, golden eyes and stared at his mother. As always, Chloe was slightly stunned by the intelligent expression on her son’s face. Even though he was only two, he was frequently mistaken for a much older child – sometimes as old as four. She’d been more puzzled than anyone by his seemingly-constant growth spurt, and his odd behavior.
No time to think of that today
, she thought hurriedly.
We’re going to have fun
.
 

Noah put his arms up and Chloe scooped him up, snuggling him for a moment before carrying him over to the changing table. He was so big that his arms and legs hung off the edges and Chloe watched carefully to make sure that he wouldn’t tumble off.
 

“You are getting so big!” Chloe said under her breath as she searched for a clean outfit. “You’re already wearing toddler clothes, isn’t that something?”
 

Noah gurgled. “Mama!” He cried loudly, beating his stubby fists against the side of the table. “Zoo!”
 

Chloe broke into a wide grin. “That’s right sweetie, we’re going to the zoo today. Can you tell me who lives at the zoo?”
 

Noah closed his eyes and wrinkled his tiny features. “Tigers!” His voice was a startling burst of energy and Chloe jumped a few inches off the ground.
 

“That’s right, honey,” she crooned as she reached over and pulled Noah’s pajamas off. “Tigers! And bears, and lions, and lots of other critters. We’re going to have a fun day.”
 

By the time Chloe was ready to leave the house, half of her wished that she could climb back into bed and sleep. Noah was exhausting. She’d always heard that two-year-olds were their own special kind of trouble, but she wished that someone had really warned her how tiresome Noah would be. Chloe loved her son more than anything else in the world, but sometimes she felt like the job of parenthood would have been better suited to a married couple than a single woman in her early thirties.
 

She remembered the day that she’d decided to have Noah.
 

“Chloe, I haven’t heard from Richard Abrams about a sequel confirmation. You may be looking at a dry spot of a few months.”

Chloe shifted uncomfortably in her seat. It was hard to concentrate on what Dick, her agent, was talking about. She was in tremendous pain from the stiletto heels strapped to her feet and the compression garment sucking in her already-tiny waist.
 

“That’s fine,” Chloe chirped. “I was actually hoping to have a few months off. I have family on the West Coast and I’d love to go see them.” She wasn’t lying. After spending fifteen years trying to make it in “the business,” she felt like she more than deserved a break. She could practically feel it now – the relaxing heat of the California sun, the warm sand baking beneath her body.
 

Dick frowned. “And Chloe, have you ever thought about getting married?”
 

Chloe burst out laughing. When Dick glared at her reproachfully, she felt a blush come over her cheeks. “No,” she said, covering her mouth with a delicate hand. “I’m sorry, Dick, but that’s not even close to being a priority right now.” She composed herself. “I’ve always wanted a family, but I don’t think now is the right time.”
 

“You’re not exactly getting any younger,” Dick replied. “What about Mack Stratton? He’s single, and he’s told me before that he thinks you’re the most beautiful actress in New York.”
 

Chloe pulled a face. “No,” she said firmly. “No, thank you.”
 

“Will you at least consider it? It might help to improve your image?”
 

Chloe frowned. “Dick, what are you talking about?”
 

“Well, it’s just….” Dick trailed off. He straightened up in his chair and folded his hands in his lap. He was a fey, slim man in his early fifties and until now, Chloe had trusted every word that had come out of his mouth. They’d had their differences, but overall she felt as though they’d worked together quite successfully. “Chloe, it might help the way you’re perceived. Women don’t like to look at gorgeous, single actresses. They feel belittled about their own choices in life.”
 

“That’s stupid,” Chloe scoffed. She sighed. “I wish I had a family, Dick. But my career isn’t where I’d like it to be, and I just…well, I just don’t know. I mean, I’ve never really dated that much, you know? I don’t have any idea of what marriage is supposed to be like.”
 

Dick’s eyes widened. “You want to have a family?”
 

She nodded. “Of course I do,” she said. She was telling the truth – recently, passing mothers with strollers in Central Park had given a kick to her insides. She knew that her time was ticking, but it just didn’t feel like the right moment.
 

“Why not have a baby?”
 

“What?” Chloe frowned. “With whom?” She held up a hand before Dick could reply. “And do not say Mack Stratton, please.” She rolled her eyes. “He’s so pretentious. He’d be a terrible father.”