Call Her Mine (Harmony Pointe #1)- Melissa Foster Page 0,17

on Tuesday, announced by the hungry cry of the sweet girl draped over Ben’s chest.

And it wasn’t Baby B.

“Benny,” Aurelia whisper-whined. “I changed B twice last night. Making breakfast is the least you can do.”

B was sleeping soundly on the other side of his chest. Aurelia had slept with one leg over his, her arm stretched across his body, her hand resting on B’s back, and she’d woken right up every time the baby made a noise. They’d both gotten up with B and had fallen into an unspoken agreement in which Ben fed her and Aurelia changed her. They’d tried to put her in the basket last night after each feeding, but she’d wailed, as if she feared being abandoned again. Ben had a feeling sleeping with her on his chest wasn’t the best idea, and Aurelia had told him as much, but they both agreed that if she wasn’t his, she’d have enough discomfort and upheaval in the coming days to last a lifetime. The truth was, he enjoyed holding her while she slept. That way he knew she was safe and he could feel her breathing. But between worrying about the baby and enjoying Aurelia curled around him in ways she never had before, he’d only half slept.

Now, bleary eyed and exhausted, he was surprised to find he was also in a really great mood—and he was in no hurry to move away from Aurelia. “Stay right there,” he whispered. “Food can wait.”

She lifted her head, giving him a do-you-even-know-me look. Aurelia wasn’t one of those women who was afraid to eat, and it was just one of the things he adored about her. She would eat just about anything he put in front of her, but she also exercised and hardly ever sat still. They went jogging together often, and while he could whip her in speed, she could run for hours. Actually, there wasn’t much she couldn’t do. She was fearless about life and business, and she was creative in ways he could only dream of being. Her biggest flaw was that she had terrible taste in men, and it was a bone of contention between them. When he pointed out that a guy seemed like a dick or wasn’t worthy of her, it only made her more determined to go out with him, which pissed Ben off.

She tried to lean up, and he held her against his chest. “Ben!” she whispered harshly. “I’m hungry.”

He reached behind her and retrieved one of the huge bags of peanut M&M’s he’d bought for her when he’d gone shopping for diapers. He plopped them on his stomach and said, “Eat.” They were Aurelia’s favorite candy.

She groaned. “I don’t want candy. I want sustenance.” She pushed free of his grip, moving slowly and quietly, her beautiful eyes locked on the baby as she sat up.

Ben instantly mourned the feel of her beside him. “Hey, Rels?” He grabbed the back of her shirt, and she turned with a sleepy smile.

“Yeah?”

Maybe it was because of all they’d just been through, but his love for her swelled, making his chest constrict. There were so many things he wanted to say to her, but this mess he was in, this baby who might be his, wasn’t Aurelia’s issue to deal with, so he kept those intimate thoughts to himself and said, “Morning looks good on you.”

She snort-laughed, then covered her mouth. She hated when she did that, but he thought it was the cutest thing ever. “You’re into girls with bags under their eyes?”

I’m into you no matter what you look like.

Her gaze shifted over all the things he’d bought yesterday, which were now scattered around the room. Baby blankets lay across the couch and recliner. Piles of tiny outfits covered the coffee table, and several toys, still in their packaging, littered the floor. There were bags of diapers and packages of baby wipes beside a pile of clean towels, on which they’d changed B last night. The kitchen trash can was beside the towels, and empty bottles sat atop the end table by the chaise lounge.

“I think a hurricane hit your house,” she said as she grabbed a handful of M&M’s and stuffed them into her mouth. “I’m going to the bakery to get breakfast. I’ll bring you back something. But you have to let go of my shirt.”

“I think you mean my shirt,” he said as he released it.

She stood up and put her hands on her hips, turning from side