Call Her Mine

by Melissa Foster

  “Oh, Grandma.” Aurelia tried to speak past the lump in her throat.

  “It’s definitely fate,” Remi said.

  “Yes, you’re right, Remi. Bea is the perfect name for the baby who opened Aurelia’s and Benjamin’s hearts to each other. And I’d like to think this is your mother’s way of showing us that she’s smiling down on us.”

  Aurelia was still wiping away tears as she climbed into the car. “We need to go shopping.”

  “Shopping? You hate shopping,” Remi reminded her.

  “I hate shopping for me.”

  “I need a better disguise than a baseball cap and dark sunglasses if we’re going shopping.”

  “Suck it up, buttercup. I’m your bodyguard today, and I’m on a mission to show Ben just how much I want him and Bea in my life. Stalkers beware, because nobody’s going to get in our way.”

  “Come on, peanut.” Ben lifted Bea’s carrier from his truck Thursday evening, relieved to see Aurelia’s car parked behind her apartment, since he’d been trying unsuccessfully to reach her for hours. But now he hesitated at the bottom of the steps, second-guessing himself. What if she was sleeping? Wasn’t the break supposed to allow her time and space to think her own thoughts? To do her own thing?

  “I know,” he said to Bea. “But I want to be her thing. Let’s go get our girl.”

  As he headed up the steps, the apartment door flew open and Aurelia and Remi bounded out, both of them laughing hysterically. He stopped halfway up, realizing they hadn’t spotted him yet, so he said, “Hey.”

  They both looked at him, and Aurelia’s face brightened. “Ben! I was just coming to see you!” She ran down the steps as Ben ascended them.

  Remi held up her hands, moving out of their way. “Don’t say it, Ben. I’m going to see Aiden right now.”

  “Good. But I already narced on you. I told him to give you a day.”

  “Ohmygod. You and Aiden really are two of a kind.” Remi glanced at Aurelia, who was bouncing up and down excitedly, and said, “I’m outta here before I get an eyeful of lusty kisses and gropes.”

  As Remi descended the steps, Ben gazed into Aurelia’s beautiful eyes and said, “I know I promised to give you space, but we missed you.”

  “Life is too fluid for promises,” she said quickly. “I was coming to see you! I didn’t want to be apart for a second longer. I love you, and I missed you both so much. I woke up twice last night, and I hated not having you guys there.”

  She crashed her mouth to his, and he swept one arm around her, pulling her against him as he took the kiss deeper. Bea made a happy little sound, and they both laughed as their lips parted.

  Ben stepped onto the landing, still holding Bea’s carrier. Aurelia crouched beside her and said, “Hi, sweet pea. I missed you so much, too.” She took her out of the carrier, closing her eyes as she snuggled her and said, “I love you, perfect girl. I’m sorry for yesterday, but we’ll figure this out together.”

  Aurelia’s eyes popped open and she said, “I have so much to tell you, and to show you.” She fumbled with her keys, and Ben took them to unlock the door. As they stepped inside, she said, “First, I’m sorry for being human.”

  Ben laughed. “Ah, Flossie made you realize it’s okay not to be superhuman?”

  “No, you did, Ben. She just made me see it more clearly. Our lives and careers are too busy to think we can do everything on our own.”

  “I know.” He set down the baby carrier and closed the door behind them. “My mom is going to help out for a few hours each day, so we can work, or rest, or . . .” He leaned in for a kiss, earning a blush. “And I didn’t get to tell you last night, but Aiden and I are letting Garth and Miller take over the new investment. I’m not going to travel and leave my girls.”

  “That’s great about Roxie, but, Ben, you worked for more than a year on that deal. You can’t give it up.”

  “I’m not giving it up, Rels. I own the company. I’m just lightening my load so I can pay attention to the things—the people—that really matter. I’ll do what needs to be done, and I’ll have to do a little traveling here and there, but hopefully you and Bea can come with me on those brief trips. I want you both to know you can count on me.” He wrapped his arms around her and said, “The furniture is being delivered to my place tomorrow, and then my mother is going to babysit Saturday overnight, so I can take you on a real date.”

  “She doesn’t have to take her overni—” Her words were silenced by the press of his lips.

  “You’re my girlfriend, and there’s no way you’re missing out on romantic, fun dates with your man or the incredible all-night lovemaking I’ve got planned for us.”

  Her eyes sparked with heat. “That sounds promising. I listened to your tape.” She pressed closer, angling her body to allow room for Bea as she lowered her voice seductively and said, “You sound way hotter than Zach.” She whispered, “And the striptease scene? How did you know that was my favorite scene in Claimed by Love? I’ve got Brett Eldredge’s ‘Lose My Mind’ all queued up on my phone . . .”

  Just thinking about stripping for her made him hard. He eyed the baby, feeling like a dick because he wished she were sleeping so they could act out that wickedly hot, romantic scene.

  Before he could get his brain to function enough to respond, she said, “But that’ll have to wait, because I have something to show you.”

  She took his hand and led him to the guest bedroom. “I know you’re making a room for Bea at your place, but since we stay here so much—and I hope we’ll continue to—I thought she should have her own room here, too.”

  Ben’s heart thundered against his ribs as he took in the nursery. A mobile of Winnie-the-Pooh characters hung above an oak crib with yellow sheets and pink padding around the bars. There was a rocking chair by the windows and a matching changing table against the far wall, beneath which were stacks of diapers, baby wipes, pink and yellow blankets, and more baby supplies. On the wall above the changing table was a quote in blue letters with two bees flying around it, trailing a swirly line of tiny hearts, followed by a famous Winnie-the-Pooh quote: “As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was about to happen.” An antique white-and-oak bookshelf stood between the windows across the room, filled with stuffed animals and children’s books. He turned and saw one of the pictures of him and Aurelia kissing Bea’s cheeks that they’d taken in the kitchen, blown up and framed, hanging on the wall beside pastel letters she’d stacked in rows of three that read,

  BEA

  UTI

  FUL

  “I hope it’s not too presumptuous,” she said nervously. “My grandmother gave me the key to her storage unit. This is the crib me and my mom used. My great-grandfather built those shelves and the changing table for my mom. I know they’re not new or fancy, but—”

  He silenced her with another kiss and said, “It’s perfect, Rels. You’re perfect. Even when you’re overwhelmed, you’re perfect. I want you to presume, baby. We want you. Period.”

  “I want you, too.” Tears brimmed in her eyes. “I made you a key to my apartment.”

  “Aw, babe. You do love me,” he said teasingly, because he’d given her a key to his place two years ago, and while he’d had a key to her old apartment, she had yet to give him a key to this one.

  “It’s not like my life hasn’t been crazy since I bought this place.”

  He kissed her again and said, “You know I’m kidding. Thank you, and I’m glad things went well with Flossie today.”

  “She told me you’ve been checking on her. Thank you for doing that. I didn’t know this, but my grandparents called my mom Bea.” She looked at the baby and said, “Grandma thinks that finding her on your doorstep, and naming her Bea, was a sign that my mom was smiling down on us.” Tears slid down her cheeks.

  He took the baby from her, gathering them both in his arms, and said, “She is, Rels.”

  She rested her cheek against his chest, rubbing her hand over Bea’s back, and said, “Did
you know Bea means ‘one who brings joy’?”

  “No, but that’s perfect for our girl—which reminds me . . . Bridgette bought us a present.” He pulled a pacifier out of his pocket and said, “Meet the pacifier, bringer of no more tears.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  “YOU NEED TO calm the heck down,” Remi said over FaceTime Saturday evening.

  “Calm down? I’m going on my first real date with the man I’m practically living with.” Even though they were spending weekends at Ben’s and Aurelia had plenty of clothes at his house, she’d come home to get ready for their date so she could find the perfect outfit. Ben was picking her up after dropping Bea off with his parents. “He’s going to be here in less than ten minutes, and I’m totally freaking out. I’ve been with Bea so much, I keep thinking, I should not dress like this!”

  She might not be Bea’s mother, but she felt such a strong maternal pull, it was a little hard to separate having baby puke on her shoulder and enticing Ben to nibble on that shoulder. Her dark purple boatneck dress fit her like a second skin, with tight three-quarter-length sleeves, the bodice dipping in at the waist and hugging her hips. The skirt was slit on the left side and cut at an angle, exposing her left leg from midthigh down and crossing over her right leg just above the knee.

  “On the mannequin the dress looked sexy but refined, like a classic novel,” she said. “But on me it looks like I stole it from the pages of an erotic romance novel. And the spike heels are too much, right? I wanted to be closer to Ben’s height, but they make me feel like a . . .”

  “Vixen?” Remi suggested.

  “Yes! And it’s as unexpectedly empowering as it is shocking to see myself like this, and a little frightening that I love that empowered feeling.”

  Remi busted out laughing. “Girl, you look scorching hot, and Ben deserves five flames. He adores you, and you should feel empowered. You’re a gorgeous, smart woman who is caring for his baby! Now it’s your turn to be pampered in all the very best ways. And that dress? That’s going to seal the deal.”

  “I’m not used to dressing like this for anyone, especially Ben. He sees me in jeans and sweats all the time.”

  “Which is exactly why it’s perfect,” Remi coaxed. “If you sent a picture of yourself to his sisters, they’d lose their minds. Willow would be like, ‘Go, girl!’ Piper would probably have to sterilize her eyes, Talia would blush a red streak, and Bridgette would say something like, ‘Ben will not know what hit him.’ I, on the other hand, think Benny boy will know exactly what hit him, and you’ll never make it out the front door.”

  “So, no part of you is cringing inside? Thinking I look like I’m trying too hard?”

  “You are supposed to try hard when you’re in love,” Remi said. “Not that I would know. I’m pretty sure Aiden’s going to put a location collar on me.”

  Aurelia laughed. “You said he wasn’t that angry, just worried about you.”

  “He was. Is. But I have to be in LA Tuesday, and Aiden’s coming with me, of course. We’ll be back for the grand opening, but I’m sure going to miss you.”

  “Me too, Rem.” A knock sounded at the door, and Aurelia’s heart skipped a beat. “He’s here, and he knocked. He doesn’t ever knock. I gave him a key.”

  “It’s a date, doofus. Like Flossie said, he’s a mensch. Go.” She blew Aurelia a kiss and ended the video call.

  Aurelia tried to calm her nerves as she went to answer the door, but when she peered out the peephole and saw Ben’s handsome face, his scruff manicured to perfection, his dark eyes glimmering back at her, her pulse skyrocketed. She squeezed her thighs together in anticipation of what those sexy whiskers promised for later.

  She opened the door, and her stomach tumbled. She was used to seeing Ben dressed nicely, but his dark dress shirt hugged his biceps, his slacks accentuated his thick thighs, and the way he was looking at her, like he wanted to tear her dress off with his teeth, brought a whole new level of hotness.

  “Damn, babe, you look incredible.” He swept his arm around her, hauling her against him in a heart-stopping kiss. “Maybe we should stay in tonight.”

  His reaction made her body flame. Yes was on the tip of her tongue, but she loved his reaction so much, she wanted to see more of it. There was power in dressing like this after all. If tonight were a chapter in a book, she would title it “Enticing Ben.”

  “Big Ben is going to have to wait until later. This girl needs to eat before we play,” she said, because who knew when she’d get the courage to dress like this again.

  “How about I eat while we play?”

  His devilish grin almost had her relenting, but instead she used it to fuel her desire to drive him even crazier. She grabbed her purse, hooked her finger into the waist of his slacks, and stepped outside, closing the door behind her. “Come on, Benny boy. Let’s go light the town on fire.”

  Ben wasn’t the only thing that took Aurelia’s breath away tonight. He’d gotten a private booth at Temptations, the hottest new nightclub and restaurant in Harmony Pointe. She’d never seen any place like it. The restaurant was on the second floor, with hundreds of inset white lights in the domed ceiling. Private booths and tables were set up along the perimeter of the restaurant. Glass walls around the center created the appearance of a loft, overlooking the nightclub below. Music from the band serenaded them. Buffered by the extra-high first-floor ceiling and glass walls, it added ambience without overpowering their conversation. They shared appetizers of crab and shrimp fondue and dinners of steak and chicken in a savory wine sauce and roasted vegetables. They talked and laughed, as they always had, but it was so much better as a couple. They fed each other tastes between steamy kisses, and Ben couldn’t seem to keep his hands off her. By the time their server brought dessert, Aurelia couldn’t remember why she’d been nervous in the first place. She loved turning him on!

  Ben was sexier than ever, and at the moment he was trying to feed her another strawberry dipped in chocolate. “No, please, Ben,” she said with a laugh. “I can’t eat another bite. I’m stuffed, but dinner was incredible. This whole place is amazing. How did you get a reservation so fast? I heard they were booked until Christmas.”

  “The owner’s a buddy of mine.” He lifted the strawberry to her lips, and his eyes darkened. “Come on, Relsy, one more bite, for me.”

  “One, and then that’s it, or I’ll burst the seams of this dress.”

  “That’ll save me from having to tear it off you. Open up, sexy girl.”

  She opened her mouth, and he put the tip of the strawberry between her lips. As she bit into it, he said, “Mm-mm. There is nothing sexier than seeing your lips wrapped around something of mine.”

  “Then maybe we need to get out of here,” she said seductively.

  A low laugh rumbled out of him. He set down the strawberry with a predatory look in his eyes, and then he leaned in and slicked his tongue over her lips. She closed her eyes, barely breathing as his hand traveled up her leg, and he tucked his fingers between her legs, firmly against the thin material of her thong, and whispered, “Soon, baby, but first I have something else planned.”

  The sounds of a man clearing his throat startled them apart. Ben didn’t move at first, looking out of the corners of his eyes, but then he shifted his hand lower on her leg and put a little space between them, glowering at the gorgeous man standing beside their table. His shirtsleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing muscular, tattooed forearms.

  “Excuse me, sir,” the man said. “We don’t allow that sort of behavior here. Ma’am, would you like me to escort this wretched beast away from you?”

  Aurelia gasped, instantly turning the heat Ben had sparked into rage. “Excuse me?”

  “Rels, this—”

  “No, Ben,” she interrupted. “This guy is being rude. Listen, Adam Levine wannabe, we’re having a lovely dinner and this gentleman is my boyfriend.”

  “Rels—”

  “Ben, I’ve got this,” she snapped, h
er eyes never leaving the tatted-up bigmouth. “So why don’t you keep walking before I call the manager?”

  She turned toward Ben and caught him stifling a laugh. She shot a look at the other guy, who was also grinning, and realized she’d been played.

  “Will the owner do?” the guy asked.

  She groaned. “You both suck, you know that?”

  “I’m sorry, babe,” Ben said. “This is Jared Stone, and as he said, he owns the place. He’s got a warped sense of humor, but he’s a good guy. Jared, this is my girlfriend, Aurelia Stark.”

  “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Jared said. “It was all meant in fun.”

  “That’s okay,” she said, relieved that he wasn’t really an asshole. “Paybacks are hell, by the way.”

  Jared chuckled. “I bet, but I have to say, that was impressive. Which begs the question, what’s Ben got to hook a woman as beautiful and feisty as you?”

  “They don’t call him Ten-Inch Ben for nothing,” she said sassily.

  Ben flashed an arrogant grin and pulled her closer, kissing her temple.

  “Yeah?” Jared lifted his chin and said, “Well, they don’t call me—”

  “Dude!” Ben cut him off.

  Aurelia laughed. She liked Ben’s possessive side, and she liked his funny friend, too.

  Smiling, Jared said, “I just wanted to stop by and say hi. I hope you enjoyed dinner.”

  “It was incredible,” Aurelia said. “Sorry for going off on you.”

  “No worries. I’m glad I finally got to meet the infamous Aurelia. Have a great night. Ben, we’ll be in touch.”

  As he walked away, Aurelia said, “‘Infamous Aurelia’?”

  “I might have told him about you a few dozen times.” He touched his forehead to Aurelia’s and said, “Do you know how much I loved seeing you fight for my honor?”

  “Probably as much as I loved the kiss we were enjoying before he interrupted us.”

  “Ah yes. . .” He took her in another tantalizing kiss.

  Thank goodness she wasn’t wearing lipstick, because Ben wasn’t just kissing her; he was devouring, claiming, his thumb moving in slow, intoxicating circles on her inner thigh. As he drew back, he graced her with a series of lighter kisses that left her dizzy.