Complicated on 5th Avenue: 5th Avenue Romance Series, Book Two Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Other Books by Abbie St. Claire

  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

  Complicated on 5th Avenue

  Book Two

  5th Avenue Romance Trilogy

  Abbie St. Claire

  Copyright © 2015 by Abbie St. Claire.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.

  Abbie St. Claire/Southern Ink Press

  P.O. Box 6568

  McKinney, TX 75071

  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  Editor: Andrea Grimm

  Cover Design and interior formatting: DeLaine Roberts, Graphic Expressions

  www.drgraphicexpressions.com

  Ordering Information:

  Quantity sales. Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the “Special Sales Department” at the address above.

  Conflicted on 5th Avenue/ Abbie St. Claire. — 1st ed.

  ASIN: B00UMPH4O8

  ISBN 13:

  ISBN 10:

  Other Books by Abbie St. Claire

  Conflicted On 5th Avenue, 5th Avenue Romance Book One

  Ace’s Key, (also available as an audio book)

  Booty Call

  Consolation Prize

  All About The Heat

  Kiss Me-There

  Kiss Me-My Ass

  Christmas In July

  The Creek

  Coming Soon:

  An Unforgettable Lesson

  Finding Mr. Champagne

  Kiss Me-The Love Shack

  Kiss Me-Crazy

  Complicated On 5th Avenue, 5th Avenue Romance, Book Three

  Life is short.

  Break the rules, Forgive quickly,

  Kiss slowly, Love truly,

  Laugh uncontrollably,

  and Never Regret

  anything that made you Smile.

  —Mark Twain

  Chapter One

  Ian

  The scotch scorched the back of my throat, and somehow, I continued to toss it back as more or less an idiotic form of self-punishment. While I watched the fireplace smolder from my favorite leather chair, I felt no heat from the flames. My body was numb to my behaviors of the prior week.

  Disappointing Chelsie didn’t make me feel more of a man. In fact, it made me feel less of a decent human existence. As Oliver fought with the estimation of somebody getting my time and attention away from him, he also agonized over having his feelings show for someone else besides me. In the process, I’d pulled away from Chelsie during the time she was most vulnerable.

  I knew I loved her, and I’d professed my desires for us to be together, to blend our families. But what I didn’t do was convince her I wasn’t a one and done kindof guy—that I wouldn’t use her, body and soul for my own pleasure, and leave. And worse, I stayed away for days trying to console Oliver and at the same time convince myself we could be more than just great lovers.

  The word coward could easily have become my identifying description. As painful as it was to admit, I had failed her.

  We had mapped out how we wanted to show the boys our relationship. Chelsie used the word organic and I concurred. As neighbors, it was comfortable to spend time together, but with the ‘no sleepover rule,’ our intimate connection was fueled by consorting to stolen moments.

  I didn’t plan on kissing her in front of the boys too soon; it just fucking happened. Thrilled that her vision was returning so quickly from the surgery, I got carried away. After all, even the surgeon said he wasn’t hopeful it would happen and certainly not as soon as it did. Orbital fractures resulting in blindness are rare, so when she lost her sight from the fall, we lost all hope. The complicated surgery was more or less a last effort. And even then, I fucked that day up for her too.

  She knew she wasn’t pregnant and the test would prove it, but as a physician, I should have known women could skip periods for no other reason than stress. But I didn’t listen, I yelled at her like a mountain man. I let her be put to sleep angry and upset with me.

  She was right. I fought with her, but I didn’t fight for us.

  Perhaps I didn’t know I needed to fight for love. It wasn’t like I’d been having serious relationships in the eight years since my wife’s death. But the realization that Chelsie put in front of me on the day of her surgery was wickedly moving.

  “Ian, people put up walls to make others try harder. It’s human nature to want to be worthy.”

  The idea I had made her feel less than anything amazing…shredded me with guilt.

  Oliver was at school, and I’d planned the day off to be with Chelsie, hoping she would be feeling well enough post-surgery to do something just the two of us. With my phone screen blank in front of me, I stared for a moment and thought about what I wanted to say. She was worthy of everything I had to offer her, and as complicated as our lives were together and apart, I needed her to know.

  “I miss you,” I said, my heart beating so hard my lungs could barely force the words out.

  “I’ve been right here, waiting…for days.” Her voice was firm. She was taking charge like I’d taught her.

  Needing to see her, I wasted no time. “May I come over?”

  “Yes, when?”

  Excitement took over, and I dropped the phone, hanging up on her. Rather than fool around with precious time, I grabbed the phone from the floor, my keys and ran as fast as I could to the love of my life, intent on claiming Chelsie Peterson as mine once more.

  Grateful she’d made me a key, I let myself in. “Babe, where are you?”

  I made it to the archway leading to her den by the time she answered. “Right here.”

  She drew her knees up for me to sit on the end of the sofa. Without even thinking about it really, I started massaging her feet and subconsciously hoped to win her over with my talented hands. She immediately noticed the bracelet Olivia had given me was gone. It signified the closure of my past. While a personal declaration, Chelsie knew the meaning.

  When she searched the room and didn’t make eye contact, I worried I was about to hear something that would forever change me. Tears flooded her face.

/>   “I love you so much.” Her declaration gripped me.

  Without thinking too much ahead, I pulled her into my lap and kissed her. “What took you so long?”

  The dilated pause left me anxious. Was she tormenting me on purpose?

  “My love for you needed time to bury my darkness.”

  There was nothing I could say to that. Her admittance that she was ready was a relief to my ears and a new freshness to my own survival.

  Lacing her fingers with mine, I led us to her bedroom. Intent on savoring the moment, I exaggerated every movement to draw out her pleasure. Even removing her clothing piece by piece had my cock strained in pain. I wanted her so badly, but patience provided the greatest payoff.

  The massage oils were still in the same drawer they had been in at the start of the week. It wasn’t meant to torment her, but I took my time, beginning with the soles of her feet and working my way up to the tender curves of her hips, nipping and licking, teasing and taunting while my trained hands caressed the muscles that held her beautiful body together.

  “I’ll gladly pay you to do that every day,” she moaned.

  “My fee’s pretty high,” I teased.

  “Then we’ll have to swap services.” Her taunting was uttered between moans.

  I’d trade services with her any day. My aching balls were waiting their turn for her.

  With tender circular patterns, my thumb found her hardened pearl slick with wetness that was all her own. She moaned my name as her orgasm consumed her. “Let your mind belong to me. I promise to show you a life you didn’t know existed before you were mine.”

  Over the last month, Chelsie had worked hard with me to release her vulnerabilities and realize she had sexual power. Although I’d tried desperately to show her what I saw in her, she still attempted to hide her body, and the wounds from her previous relationship continued to hold her hostage. She feared men wouldn’t find her sexy and attractive. If only she could see what I found to be absolutely fantastic.

  “Get on the rug,” I commanded.

  She immediately did as I requested. The floor length mirror in her bedroom provided a perfect opportunity for her to be a part of her own sexual experience from the outside in.

  “I want you to watch us. Get on your hands and knees and face the mirror.”

  With my knees on the outside of her legs, I straddled her. In order to keep her looking at the mirror, I wrapped her long, blonde ponytail around my right wrist. She wasn’t able to put her head down.

  With each thrust, I pumped harder into her. I watched as her eyes filled with lust, viewing us in the mirror. She loved it; I could tell. Her chest turned rosy red in her orgasmic blush. Then her cheeks joined in profuse color.

  “Such beauty in your climax. See it?”

  “God, yes. Feels so good.”

  Her knuckles were white as she gripped the carpet, and her moans were loud as her orgasm permeated her body. She was mine, heart, and soul.

  Unable to hold off, my own growls of nature escaped my lips as I emptied myself into her. “Fuck.”

  She tumbled to the floor, and I crashed on top of her.

  “Oh, my gosh, I’ve never,” she whispered.

  “You feel me now, and Beauty, when your muscles ache tomorrow, you’ll remember this pleasure I gave you.”

  She whimpered, “I’m never gonna forget this moment.”

  I slid down to her side and wrapped my arms around her. “I love you so much, Chelsie. I’m sorry I stayed away.”

  “Why did you stay away so long? You had second thoughts, didn’t you?”

  “Never about us or my love for you, but whether I could rock Oliver’s world and live with myself.”

  She turned and looked over her shoulder at me. “So, where does that leave us now?”

  “Together.”

  Chapter Two

  Chelsie

  The declaration from Ian that we were together was like a lightning bolt straight to my heart and meant everything to me. To know we were weathering the perpetual storm of blending our family as a united front still left me with more questions than answers.

  “So, how is Oliver?”

  He stroked my arm before pulling my back closer to his chest. The warmth of his breath touched my face as he expelled a deep sigh. “He’s very confused. Unlike Ty, he’s not used to sharing attention with two parents. Oliver only knows me and nannies.”

  “That’s not entirely correct. He has Mam and Grumpa, and they’ll be here in a couple of weeks permanently.”

  As if he needed to make his point face to face, he sat up beside me on the floor. “That’s not the same. It’s family, not a romantic pairing, and there’s no competition. His fear is more like a betrayal.”

  Trying to lighten the mood before we got into an argument, I giggled and placed my hand on his chest. “Match-point, doc. So, what do we do?”

  “We keep going. I love you, and he doesn’t win. I won’t let him be disrespectful, it’s not his choice, but I’d rather we win him over versus punish him for disliking it.” He pushed the frazzled hair away from my face. “How’s the eye, beautiful?”

  “Seeing you with clarity, and you’re perfect.”

  “Aha.” He laughed. “I’ve got you fooled. Perfection is a myth.”

  On my knees beside him, I kissed his lips chastely. “You told me I was perfect because perfection is in the eye of the beholder. Were you fibbing?”

  He pushed me back on the floor. “Nope, I was flirting, and it worked. But, you are perfect in every way to me. Don’t ever forget it.”

  We made love again. This time it was slow and filled with pleasurable moments of touching and holding hands, as he loved me and showed me his softer side.

  There was a need to rush because school would be getting out soon, yet he was pushing the moments for everything we could experience, making up for a week of lost time.

  While he disposed of the condom and jumped in the shower first, I spoke with my doctor on the phone. They wanted to repeat the MRI as soon as possible, rechecking the hematoma and any new bleeding.

  “I’ll pick up Ty too and meet you at the hospital. The boys have to get used to us doing double duty.”

  He was right, but how do you force someone to love you, especially a child?

  You don’t.

  After the MRI, we took the boys to Chuck E. Cheese’s, a place I was least fond of, but for some reason, the kids loved it.

  Oliver was polite, but there’s a social difference between polite and friendly. After three bites of pizza, he and Ty ran off to play.

  Ian and I were discussing medical stuff when Oliver came to the table on my side.

  “Ms. Chelsie, they have cookies. Are they as good as yours?” His smile lit up his face, and the way they sparkled looked like they’d been sprinkled with fairy dust.

  Comradery on a cookie-level was fine with me. I’d take it any way I could get it. “Let’s go get some and find out.”

  When we were walking back to the cantina, I desperately wanted to hold his hand, to touch him and express some measure of genuine love, but it wasn’t that easy. Pushing myself upon him wasn’t in the cards. I bought a bunch of cookies, and we went back to the table.

  He took a bite out of two different kinds of cookies. “Bleh, these aren’t good, Ms. Chelsie. You need to sell them yours.”

  A lightbulb moment struck me as a golden opportunity to reach him. “Did you know I’m putting a bakery in my store in the next few weeks?”

  His eyes lit up, and his face was just short of an explosion of happiness. Glancing from him to Ian, I noticed Ian was leaning against the back of his chair with his arms across his chest and nodding his head in agreement. Certainly, he was thinking the same thoughts.

  “You’re gonna bake cookies?”

  Could the kid love them anymore?

  His dark curls begged for attention, and I couldn’t resist running my fingers through them. “I’m going to bake lots of things, and I’ll make
you head cookie chef, how’s that?”

  “Yay,” he cheered.

  Ty approached the table to my left. “What about me, Momma?”

  Oh shit, the competition wars had just begun. “You love biscotti and paninis, so you can do that or you can be a head cookie chef too. He’s head snicker for snickerdoodle, and you’re head chipper for chocolate chip. I can even have shirts or aprons made that say it. How’s that?”

  “Awesome,” Oliver screeched.

  “Yep, I like it.” Ty hugged me.

  When the boys ran off, I studied Ian’s face. “What?”

  “Even at a very young age, the way to a male’s heart is definitely through his stomach. You just proved it. I love you for tryin’.”

  My laughter released a heavy breath. “Don’t give me an award. It always feels like the battlefield is just inches away.”

  Later that night, I laid in bed alone and studied my final plans for the bistro, including my first attempt at menus. The discussion earlier in the day gave me a new idea. Perhaps the apartment upstairs could be used for the boys to stay during days off from school or sick days? But I’d made a promise to Isabella that she could lease it, so I had to honor that first. After all, it facilitated a way to lock her into staying on longer to manage the boutique for me.

  Besides, togetherness with Ian meant more time away from the boutique.

  Deep into soups, sandwiches, and gourmet salad recipes, I hadn’t realized Ian had been texting like crazy for almost an hour.

  Ian: What r u wearing?

  2 sexy 2 share?

  Hello?

  I’m feeling ignored :(

  maybe I need a substitute lover????

  I picked up his call on the first ring.

  “Were you asleep?” His voice was low.

  “Believe it or not, I must be deaf or so focused on my recipe search I didn’t hear the phone beep until right this minute, and now I see all your texts.”