Call Her Mine (Harmony Pointe #1)- Melissa Foster Page 0,35

the kiss, he realized she kissed the same way she looked at him now, with as much passion as challenge, and it was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. He cocooned her beneath him. He loved the way she purred into their kisses, snuggling into him. She was right that he hadn’t wanted to take care of Baby B alone. Caring for a baby was as terrifying as it was rewarding. But she had been wrong to think that was why he’d wanted her. He had plenty of sisters who would be happy to care for such a sweet baby. The baby and Aurelia were as separate as they were intertwined, which was confusing, but it was life, and life wasn’t always easy to understand. He’d always wanted Aurelia, probably since she was twelve or thirteen and had first refused to give him the time of day. The only way he could get her attention back then was by teasing her, earning that challenging snark he’d grown to love so much. The truth was, he’d want to be with Aurelia with or without the baby—and she was the only woman he’d ever want to care for a baby with.

A baby that was currently whimpering, causing Aurelia to laugh into their kiss.

“She has a new name,” Ben said between kisses. “Baby Cock Blocker. We’ll just call her CB from now on.”

She swatted him. “You will not!”

He kissed her again and reluctantly climbed off her to pull on his jeans. He picked up the baby, cradled her tiny body in his hands, and kissed her forehead. “Good morning, CB.”

Aurelia scowled. “Ben, no. Just no.”

“Fine. We’ll keep calling her Baby B. Baby Blocker.”

Aurelia groaned and closed her eyes, although she was smiling.

He still couldn’t believe they’d finally taken the leap of faith and were together. A couple. A damn good couple. The best fucking couple on earth, as far as he was concerned. He was one lucky bastard.

He sat on the bed and said, “I’ll change and feed her if you’ll whip up some breakfast.”

“What’s the alternative? Cold cereal, since that’s all you know how to make?” Aurelia kissed B, lingering with her lips on the baby’s cheek as she whispered, “I love how she smells.” Then she pushed to her feet and said, “How about if you take a cooking class instead of taking over that hotel?”

He followed her out of the bedroom chuckling. “You’re a demanding girlfriend.”

“You haven’t seen demanding.” She glanced over her shoulder, her hair covering one eye, so sexy it was all he could do to stare. “Instead of complaining, why don’t you get her changed and call Talia before Piper spills the beans? It’d break her heart to hear about B from someone other than you.”

“I know. I think I’ll stop by and see her this afternoon, tell her in person,” he said as he changed the baby’s diaper.

“That’s an even better idea.” She brought him a bottle of formula.

He kissed B’s belly before snapping her onesie. Then he lifted each tiny foot to his lips and kissed them. “Have you ever seen anything as sweet as her?” He lifted her into his arms and kissed her cheek.

Aurelia gasped. “She’s smiling, Ben. Do that again.”

He kissed the baby’s cheek again, earning the sweetest smile he’d ever seen. “The books are wrong. That was definitely a smile, not a reflex.”

“Maybe Vic was wrong about her age.”

“If she is mine, then she’s just brilliant, and we can expect her to do everything earlier than expected,” Ben said as he sat on the couch and began feeding her.

Aurelia laughed. “You’re a nut, you know that? And you really need to start thinking about what you’ll do if she is yours. I mean, you can’t just work from home every day.”

Tell me something I don’t know.

There was a knock at the door, and they shared an inquisitive look.

“Would Piper come this early?” Aurelia asked as she took a carton of eggs from the refrigerator.

“She’d be the only one coming around here, thanks to CB,” he said as he headed for the door.

“Ben!” Aurelia called out as he opened the door.

“Oh my God!” Willow squealed as she, Piper, and Talia barged in carrying enormous bags from the baby store in Sweetwater and a Pack ’n Play box.

Ben glared at Piper, who grinned like the smart-ass she was.

“What?” Piper said. “You didn’t think I’d keep this a secret, did you? Besides, I needed help carrying all the baby stuff I bought yesterday. I’ll go