What's in a Name?

What pet name does a modern politically correct male use for his special lady? I’m struggling in my current novel to get this right.

Shall I use the ubiquitous ‘baby?’ When Ranger whispers ‘baby’ to Stephanie Plum in Janet Evanovich novels it sounds great. But Ranger lives in a cave and does solo commando-type work. My hero works in a more coed environment.

‘Hot Mama’ sounds good coming out of Trace Adkins' lips. But when anyone else uses that term it sounds kind of menopausal.

I studied Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch. A ‘good profiler’ was the sweetest endearment the work-obsessed Harry ever used when referring to a female.

And let’s face it sweetie pie only sounds sexy when sung by Frank Sinatra.

So what else is there? I turned home for inspiration. My husband calls me Kathleen. Family and friends call me Kate, Katie, or Kathy and I like that just fine but when my husband uses the elongated version of my name it makes me feel cherished.

So maybe my hero will just call his woman by her name – her full name. How cool is that?