Table of Contents
The Billionaire’s Baby
Warning
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Epilogue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Titles by Ditter Kellen
Scruples Series
Secret Series
Time Travel Series
Enigma Series
Eyes Without a Face
The Billionaire’s Baby
Ditter Kellen
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The Billionaire’s Baby
A BBW Shape Shifter Romance
By Ditter Kellen
www.ditterkellen.com
Copyright © by Ditter Kellen
All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the original purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this e-book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without prior written permission from Ditter Kellen. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
Image/art disclaimer: Licensed material is being used for illustrative purposes only. Any person depicted in the licensed material is a model.
Published in the United States of America
This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Warning
This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. This e-book is for sale to adults ONLY as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers
Chapter One
Ethan Seaborn stared out the window of his office in downtown Orlando, his boots crossed at the ankle and his shoulder propped against the window frame.
He glanced at his watch, noticing it was just after noon. Billy should have been back an hour ago.
Billy Franklin had worked for Seaborn Industries since Ethan had found the young man pickpocketing near the downtown civic center.
Ethan had never seen anyone with the kind of skills Billy possessed.
Curious and slightly entertained, Ethan had watched Billy pick the pockets of his unsuspecting victims for a good half hour before deciding to test the kid’s abilities.
He’d sauntered up next to the kid, turned his back, and allowed the wolf inside him to surface. There was no way the kid would have been able to pick Ethan’s pocket undetected. And yet, he nearly had.
The corner of Ethan’s mouth lifted at the memory of Billy’s face as Ethan reached back with lightning speed and grabbed onto Billy’s hand.
Instead of turning the kid in, Ethan had offered him a job. That had been ten years ago, and Billy remained a loyal employee to this day.
Shaking off his trip down memory lane, Ethan strolled over to his desk and pressed the intercom button on his phone. “Any news from Franklin?”
Marla, his overly ambitious secretary, promptly answered back. “Nothing as of yet, Mr. Seaborn. I’ll let you know the minute I hear anything. If I even do. You know how Billy can be.”
“That’ll be all,” Ethan concluded, promptly shutting her down.
Marla Kemp had worked for Seaborn Industries for a little over two years. Ethan managed to tolerate her nosy tendencies and assertive ways by avoiding any personal interaction. He would have dismissed her long ago were it not for the efficient way she handled her job.
Ethan had allowed Marla to kiss him during last year’s Christmas party, and had regretted it since. She’d become clingy, pushy, and had overstepped her bounds on more than one occasion.
In his defense, he’d had far too much to drink and hadn’t reacted until her lips were firmly planted on his.
Setting things right hadn’t been an easy feat for Ethan, either. But he didn’t date women who worked for him. No matter how beautiful they were. And Marla was definitely pretty, with her long blonde hair, dark, blue eyes, and red lips. A bit too thin for Ethan’s taste, but no less attractive.
His phone buzzed, pulling him out of his musing. He reached over and pressed the intercom button. “Yes?”
“Billy’s on his way up,” Marla announced in a soft, seductive voice.
Ethan instantly picked up on her flirtatious tone. “Send him in.”
Taking a seat behind his giant oak desk, Ethan propped his booted feet up on its wooden surface and leaned back in his chair.
The door opened. Billy strode into the room, after closing the door softly behind him. “Sorry, it took me so long, but old man Steinberg wasn’t alone. I had to wait for him to crawl off a redhead in a short skirt before I could slip into his office.”
Ethan continued to stare at Billy without speaking.
“Okay,” Billy murmured, taking a seat across the desk from Ethan. “So, here’s what I learned. The Mercedes Benz dealership in downtown Orlando has gone bankrupt. Mack Steinberg has put in a bid with the bank for the inventory. A pretty hefty bid, too. He stands to make a hell of a lot of money on resale.”
Steepling his fingers beneath his chin, Ethan narrowed his eyes. “What kind of time are we looking at?”
“If no one outbids him, Steinberg will own the business by the end of next week.”
Ethan rubbed at his chin. “So, next Friday?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Did you happen to get the contact number to the person Mack is dealing with at the bank?”
Billy half stood and pulled a piece of paper from the pocket of his jeans. “Does a rocking horse have a wooden dick?”
“I never had a rocking horse,” Ethan tossed back, accepting the scrap of paper Billy offered him. “Good job, Billy. I’ll take it from here.”
Billy stood to go. “If you need anything else before tomorrow, keep in mind I have a date tonight.”
The corner of Ethan’s mouth lifted. “The redhead that Steinberg was slobbering on?”
A laugh burst from Billy’s throat as he made his way to the door. “Even I have standards.”
“Such as they are,” Ethan shot back.
Billy opened the door and turned to
face Ethan once more. “No plans for the night?”
Ethan glanced at his watch. “I have some business to attend to that could run on into the night. But if I can get out of here in time, I’m supposed to make an appearance at a fashion show later this evening in the ballroom of the Hilton.”
Billy’s eyebrows shot up. “A fashion show?”
“I know,” Ethan growled, getting to his feet. “Shoot me now.”
Chapter Two
Piper ran a brush through her long auburn-colored hair and checked her reflection in the mirror.
The dress she wore had been one of her latest designs. A black, scooped-neck ensemble that hugged her waist and rested just above her knees.
She turned to the side and smoothed the silky material down her voluptuous hips.
Though society seemed to favor stick-thin women over larger body types, Piper wasn’t inclined to care. She loved her full figure and more than that, loved creating clothing lines for the more curvaceous women of the world.
Stepping into her black heels, she strapped on her favorite ankle bracelet, and donned the shiny silver necklace she’d gotten for her birthday last year.
“Piper?” her mother called up the stairs. “You’re going to be late for your own show.”
“I’ll be right down!”
After dabbing on a little lip gloss, Piper hurried down the stairs to find her parents eagerly waiting.
Her father whistled low. “My baby will be the most beautiful woman there. Besides her mama, that is,” he quickly amended as Bess Hollister gave him the side-eye.
Bess sniffed. “Don’t forget who she gets her looks from, Jack Hollister.”
“Never, my love.”
Piper laughed. “Thank you both for going tonight. It means a lot to me to have you there.”
“We wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Jack opened the door and ushered the two women onto the porch.
Piper led the way to her car, opened the driver’s side door, and climbed behind the wheel. She waited for her parents to get into the back seat before starting the engine and backing out of the drive.
They arrived at the Hilton less than ten minutes later.
Nerves suddenly came alive in Piper’s stomach as she took in the enormous crowd standing around out front.
She stopped the car, climbed out, and handed her keys to the valet.
Helping her parents emerge from the back seat, she took a calming breath and strode up the walk to wade through the crowd.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Piper murmured, realizing she’d bumped into someone.
A hand reached out to steady her. “Not a problem.”
Piper turned, finding herself up close and personal with a broad chest encased in a very expensive Armani suit.
Her gaze traveled up to a tanned, masculine face lined with a closely cropped beard. But nothing prepared her for the whiskey-colored eyes staring down at her in hunger.
Hunger? Where had that thought come from? Surely, she was mistaken. He didn’t know her from Adam.
“Thank you,” Piper breathed, unable to look away from those piercing eyes. She wanted to stand there and breathe him in, so intoxicating was his scent.
“Come on, honey. You don’t want to be late for your show.” Her father’s voice penetrated her lust-fogged brain.
With one last look at Mr. Armani, Piper allowed her father to usher her through the crowd and into the lobby of the Hilton.
A short, thin man approached her, his hair as neat as his colorful clothes. Rings adorned every finger on both hands, and his teeth were perfectly even. His smile would have definitely been contagious had Piper not been so nervous.
“Piper Hollister?”
At Piper’s nod, he reached for her elbow. “Right this way, Miss Hollister. You’re needed in wardrobe.”
Piper dug in her heels. “But I’m not one of the models. I’m the designer.”
“Yes, I know,” the man answered rather flamboyantly. “But one of the models fell during practice and sprained her ankle. Jasper Nettles sent me to fetch you.”
“And you are?”
Those beautiful teeth of his flashed again. “George. George Franco. I’m the event coordinator. Come, we must hurry.”
Bess, Piper’s mother rushed forward as they stepped onto the elevator. Piper’s father followed suit.
“But this is my daughter’s big night,” Bess continued once the elevator doors closed behind them. “Several well-known names are going to be here. It’s the break she’s been looking for as far as selling her clothing line. She can’t be expected to walk the runway.”
Piper held up her hand when her mother would have argued further. “It’s fine, Mom. I’ll talk to Jasper and get this all straightened out.”
The elevator stopped at the third floor, and the doors slid open with a ding. Piper touched her mother on the arm. “Why don’t you and Dad go find our seats? The show will be starting soon.”
“Very good.” George beamed, giving Piper’s arm a slight tug.
Allowing the coordinator to lead her down the hall to the connecting ballroom, they zigzagged through the bustle of models until they came to a stop in front of Jasper Nettles.
“Here you go.” George placed Piper’s hand in Jasper’s before spinning on his heel and muttering something about the place falling apart around him.
Piper raised an eyebrow at Jasper. “Why am I back here? You know I can’t get on that runway. I haven’t modeled in ten years.”
Jasper had been the one to discover Piper, fresh out of high school. He’d signed her up with his modeling agency, where she’d walked the runway for the next four years.
But Piper hadn’t been interested in modeling. She loved clothes, and designing them had since become the center of her focus.
“It’s like riding a bike,” Jasper pointed out in his infamous monotone voice. “Just get back on the seat and pedal your ass off. Now, go. The show is getting ready to start.”
Piper stared into his insistent eyes, knowing full well there would be no time to find someone else to take the model’s place.
Jasper didn’t blink. “I know this is your night, Piper. And I get it. Believe me, I do. But if you don’t get your ass out of that dress and into costume, there won’t be a show. Besides, who better to show off the clothing line, then the designer herself?”
Pinching the bridge of her nose, Piper ground her teeth in frustration. Of course, the one night of her life that could put her on the proverbial map would turn into a fiasco.
She blew out a defeated breath. “Okay. Give me the rundown.”
Chapter Three
Ethan skirted an elderly couple standing next to the stage and headed toward the table that had been reserved for him.
He hated functions such as these, where the city’s elite slithered about in hoards of diamonds and over-expensive perfumes.
But Ethan had been pressured into attending the function by his accountant Denise Overturf. Not only had she needed a date, but she’d mentioned a business opportunity that Ethan may want to consider.
Not one to turn down a potential business venture, Ethan had agreed to attend.
He took a seat at the table directly in front of the walkway and glanced around, hoping to catch a glimpse of the tall auburn-haired beauty that had bumped into him outside.
Her pale green eyes and honey-colored skin had kicked in his libido. But it was her incredible scent that had stirred his wolf to life.
She’d smelled of rain and flowers. A clean, natural smell devoid of overpowering perfumes that normally burned his sensitive nose.
“I’m so glad you came.” Denise kissed his cheek and took a seat to his left. “I think you’ll be glad you did also. I have a couple of people to introduce you to after the show.”
Ethan stretched his long legs out in front of him. His Italian loafers wrapped around his feet like a soft, comfortable blanket.
Though he preferred wearing jeans and boots over suits and
ties, he doubted Denise would have appreciated it much.
He sent Denise a warm smile, telling her without words that he valued her diligence. She had a hell of a job keeping up with his many estates, and he’d mourn her absence if she ever left him.
Returning his attention back to the crowd, Ethan let his gaze touch on every face in the room, but the green-eyed beauty was nowhere to be found.
The older couple she’d been with sat on the opposite side of the runway from Ethan, an empty chair at their table.
Ethan wondered if maybe she’d left or perhaps was in the restroom.
The lights suddenly dimmed, and upbeat music spilled from the overhead speakers.
Shifting his attention to the platform, Ethan watched as the first model came strolling down the runway.
As pretty as the model was, he mentally noted that she didn’t hold a candle to the woman who’d bumped into him outside.
Ethan poured himself a glass of wine and filled Denise’s glass, preparing to sit through a long show of models strutting their stuff on the catwalk. Not that he didn’t appreciate a beautiful woman—he did. But he’d grown bored with their games over the years.
The coy remarks, sly looks, and manipulation he’d endured from the countless women he’d dated in the last twenty years had been enough to last him a lifetime.
At thirty-five years old, Ethan had resigned himself to being alone. He spent his days doing what he was good at. Making money. And he was good at it, he silently admitted, crossing his feet at the ankles.
The music changed to something more sensual, lights began to swirl around the room, and the crowd went wild as the next model took the stage.
Ethan casually glanced up to see what the fuss was about, and his stomach tightened with recognition. It was the auburn-haired beauty from outside.
She strolled down the runway with a confidence that kicked him in the gut.
He couldn’t take his gaze from her long, shapely legs, her curvy hips, and those pale green eyes that flashed with something akin to rebellion.
His cock throbbed to life, hardening behind his zipper with a quickness that stunned him.
The Billionaire's Baby: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance Page 1
