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

by Abbie St. Claire

  I was completely giddy, not to mention excited to be seeing Ian later for dinner. We hadn’t seen each other for three days because he’d been on call and had practically lived at the hospital while I’d been in and out of the boutique. Denise had been watching Oliver, but the boys hadn’t had a chance to play together primarily due to weather and after school activities. I’d intentionally pulled back in an effort not to push Oliver. The more I advanced in expressing feelings toward him, the more he blatantly retreated.

  Ian poured the wine and placed the bottle and the cork in front of me with a big grin. “Go ahead, you know you were going to without even thinking about it.”

  We both laughed. I picked up the cork and inhaled the delicious aroma of the cabernet he’d opened for dinner. “You think you know me well,” I teased.

  “I do.” His answer was coy, but his lips followed with nothing but the sweet intent in his kiss.

  “Mom, how much longer for supper?”

  Ty, who happened to be the most impatient person on the planet when he was hungry, ran into the kitchen.

  “Steaks are going on the grill now, so about twenty to thirty minutes.”

  Oliver rushed into the kitchen to join the rest of us. “Can we go to the playground, Dad?” He had a football in his hand.

  Ian looked over at me. He was tired. I could see the need for a break showing vividly in the lines around his reddened eyes. “I’ll take them,” I offered, “if you want to watch the steaks? Potatoes and salad are already done.”

  “No, I’ll go. I need to talk to Brooks about the work schedule anyway, so I’ll call him while I keep an eye on the boys.” He kissed me on the cheek before the left, but worry left a veil across his face. Something was wrong, and the fact he wasn’t sharing it concerned me.

  The flames seared the meat, but the reflection of Ian’s face seared my soul and opened old wounds in a split second. I hadn’t recognized how Carson pulled away until I could no longer reel him back in. It took a year for me to admit so many things that had completely gone unnoticed until it was too late.

  Whatever was bothering Ian, I intended on settling it before he left after dinner.

  When I texted him dinner was ready, he and the boys quickly returned, and he sent the boys to clean up. “God, missed you.” His kiss was hungry and full of desire. “Put me on your schedule for later, come hell or high water.” He winked as he pulled away.

  His mood change gave me whiplash, but shit, he was sex on fire when he was frustrated, and there was no stopping him from getting what he desired.

  But, again, it was always his plans, his ideas and… When he wanted it.

  “How would you feel about taking the boys skiing for spring break?” Ian asked me across the table.

  The loud noise of my fork hitting the plate startled everyone, and as I looked from male to male sitting at my table, every single eye stared at me, waiting for my answer. “Could we have…um…perhaps discussed it later?”

  Ian had a method of delivery, which needed discussing as well. He was so used to doing things one way, his way, but we didn’t parent exactly the same, and taking a trip together… Good Lord, what was he trying to pull?

  “I need to let Brooks know. He’s going to cover my schedule, and we need the time away. A buddy of mine has a place in Durango that we can ski in and out of, and it’s a perfect place to go for all of us.”

  “Yes, Mom, say yes.” Ty tugged on the sleeve of T-shirt.

  “Why does it have to be up to her, Dad? Can’t we go without them?” Oliver pleaded to his father.

  Talk about making someone want to fall in a hole…

  Ignoring Oliver, Ian raised his brow and the corner of his lips turned up. “What’ya say? Is it a plan?”

  The shrug of my shoulders should’ve indicated my defeat if my answer didn’t. “Sure.”

  “I’ll plan everything even down to the dogs, so you don’t have to do it while you’re getting the store finished.” He acted as though he’d thought of everything.

  “While you’re at it, can you call Carson and let him know you’re canceling his trip with Ty to Disney World?”

  He gave me the oh shit look, but didn’t say anything.

  The boys immediately started talking about skiing and snowboarding, and apparently, Ty had no intentions of going with his dad, but he didn’t realize he wasn’t the one who had a final say in the matter, and by court papers, neither did I.

  Carson was one of those total male chauvinistic pricks that if it weren't his idea, he would boycott it for certain.

  After we put Ty and Oliver to bed at my house, Ian and I sat in front of the fireplace in the quiet night barely illuminated by a lamp. We each seemed to be waiting for the other to break the ice.

  He ran his fingers through my hair. “I’m really sorry I screwed that up. Guess I was desperate to give us time away.”

  “Ian, you don’t have another parent to consider. Our lives are so different.” I sat up and pushed my hair away from my face as I turned toward him.

  He reached over and stroked my hand. “I said I was sorry. I’ll call Carson and make it right.”

  “You’ll do no such thing.” I moved to sit on the couch and pulled my knees up to my chest.

  “Why are you pulling away and trying to be difficult? I desperately need time away with you. I’ll talk to him man to man.”

  “Carson feeds on making me miserable. He makes his decisions on how it will affect me, not what’s in the best interest of our son. Let me handle this.”

  He scooted over to my side. “I plan on us having a future, and part of my master design does not leave room for Carson to rule us. Besides, Mam and Grumpa are finally getting settled in their home here, and I think it’s time we all sat down, had a dinner, and got to know each other.”

  He’d lost his ever-lovin’ mind if he thought Carson would ever play nice. He didn’t understand the bitterness in a divorce and co-parenting, but if he wanted to speak with Carson, perhaps he needed a crash course on ex-husband nastiness, and I believe Carson took the class ten times.

  Standing up, I tossed my phone in his lap. “Fine, if you call him right now, you might catch him on the way home from his precious city council meeting.” Huffing, I retreated to my bathroom. Standing over him as he got his ass handed to him would’ve been fun to watch and a painful revelation at the same time.

  Men and their egos.

  The warm shower was soothing, and I was deep in my thoughts when I felt Ian’s hand come around my waist. “What are you doing?”

  “Do I really need to describe it?”

  I shook my head as he moved my hair away and proceeded to bite and lick at the tender junction of my neck and shoulder. I leaned against him in a silent plea to continue.

  Sexually, we were right for each other, but God help me, nothing else ever came together that easy. When he turned me to face him and lifted me up to his hips, I felt his erection between us, and instantly my body reacted to his. The chill of the tile wall did nothing to cool my heated flesh. I needed him to claim me and make me forget what we were arguing about.

  The distinct craving for a release only he could give me, swirled beneath my flesh.

  Thrust after needy thrust, he pushed me to the edge before my climax claimed me and left me spent with my head resting on his shoulder. When he didn’t keep going for his own release, I knew he wasn’t done with me and figured he wanted to sleep over, something I hadn’t really wanted to start doing. But as I stepped out of the shower and reached for a towel in the cabinet under the sink, he pushed me forward and took me from behind.

  Watching us, watching him and his animalistic expressions of hunger in the mirror, excited me beyond my expectations of the moment. When he leaned forward and bit into my shoulder as he pumped his semen into me, I knew that feral look in his eyes—deep, grounded passion for claiming what he owned.

  He was marking me as his in more ways than one.

  Lying across the bed in m
y pajamas with Ian back in his scrubs, I recalled feeling like a teenager trying to hide my sexual escapades from my parents or something. But I didn’t want to flaunt my relationship with a man in front of my son either. I wanted him to think better of his mother when he got older.

  Why did everything seem so complicated?

  Curiosity was killing me, and Ian was going to make me pry it out of him. Perhaps I should’ve left him hangin’ in the bathroom until he coughed up the answer to my unspoken question. He knew I was dying to know.

  I sighed with a heavy, unmistakable faux sigh. “How nasty was Carson?”

  “He wasn’t. He said he understood how I could make assumptions, not having an ex-spouse to deal with. He said it was Ty’s decision, and if he wanted to go skiing, then could you could add an extra week in the summer.”

  Unable to understand the male species, I started laughing uncontrollably. Carson had never been that agreeable with me. In fact, he tried harder to be an ass when being peaceful would’ve taken less energy. Worse, he knew and I knew that he wouldn’t follow through with an extra week in the summer. He hadn’t completed an entire summer visit allotted to him in three years. That jackass was all about control.

  “I don’t get it, but I won’t argue. I guess you can tell Ty yourself, so you can take all the credit and let him know what a hero you are.”

  Ian sat up on the bed with his finger pointing in my face. “It’s not a competition between male and female, Chelsie. Truth be told, Carson didn’t really want to spend a week in Florida with Ty being a dad because if he did, he wouldn’t have caved so easily. We’ll tell the boys together this weekend. Besides, there’s no hero here. It’s a sad day when a man can’t be a father to his boy.”

  His declaration was nothing I hadn’t discerned for myself before, but still it was spot on and extremely painful to hear.

  Chapter Seven

  Ian wasted no time in showing up for breakfast on Saturday morning with sacks for me and the boys to open. It was like Christmas morning all over again with our neighbors Jorge and Shawna joining us for breakfast.

  Jorge continued to plead his case for going into partnership with me at the bistro, but Mom’s words played like a recording in my brain, “Don’t ever go into business with the ones you love. In the end, it’s heartache forever and no one wins.”

  I valued Jorge’s friendship more. He was like a brother to me and about to become a daddy for the first time. Shawna was actually showing, and I couldn’t have been happier for them.

  Our gifts included ski suits, gloves, beanies, and goggles. Everything was red, black, and white, and, of course, we all matched. Ian rocked his ski pants if I was entitled to my opinion, but I preferred him out of them. Remembering him behind me in the mirror in the bathroom caused one serious blush.

  “You feel okay, doll?” Shawna asked, taking a seat on the sofa beside me.

  “Sure, why?” I rolled my eyes at her.

  “Because you’re pale and your cheeks have a ruby flush like you have a fever.”

  Oh, I had a fever all right. “No, feeling fine and excited to be going away.”

  Ian handed me a glass of orange juice. “It’s a Jorge special, so I’m told.”

  That meant my juice was loaded with pineapple, vodka, cherry juice, and amaretto. “Jorge likes tending bar, but I’ve got a long day. I can’t drink this.” When I stuck the glass out for him to take back, he started laughing.

  “It’s plain, you little puss,” Jorge yelled from the kitchen.

  I sipped and realized I’d been had. I gave him the finger before looking to see if little boys were around. They weren’t, but it was a close one. Once again, I struggled between just being the ‘carefree and in love’ me and being the puritan mother afraid of making a mistake.

  A task that was easier before I became involved in a relationship.

  “Can you pull up this chalet we’re going to stay in or is that a secret too?” Shawna popped off with a smirk.

  “Wait, you said we. Are you two joining us?” My voice was giddy with excitement.

  She nodded with a laugh. “Surprise.” Her hands flew in the air. “I’m not skiing of course, but I can help out with the boys, ride the lift up to the restaurants and such. It’ll be fun.”

  Ian hugged me and whispered in my hair, “I hope you’re okay with it. The minute I mentioned it to Jorge he practically invited them to come with us.”

  I kissed him chastely. “Perfect. I love you.”

  Ian opened his Facebook and Shawna looked at me. “He has Facebook now?”

  “Yep, as of last week. We finally have ‘come out’ as a couple.” Shawna and I laughed. Ian gave me a funny look because he still didn’t get the meaning of all the status stuff.

  The images of the chalet were beautiful, and since it slept fourteen people, it was plenty big enough for all of us. Located exactly as Ian had explained, with ski in and ski out, right off one of the main runs for Purgatory, we would have easy access to everything. Not having been skiing, I hated the thought of embarrassing myself and becoming easy fodder for Ian and the boys. I could just see myself falling out of the lift chair and him lying in the snow laughing at me.

  We sat around the dining table making arrangements and lists while Ian and Shawna booked our airline tickets. Her status as a pilot got us into first class. With so much to do and only a week before we left, I wasn’t sure if I’d be ready to open the bistro the week we returned, but I was definitely prepared to spend stolen moments of uninterrupted time with Ian. Hopefully some of that time completely horizontal with him and no one else around.

  The next week flew by without so much as a minute for a break. On Friday, Isabella helped me find vintage or reproduction tables, chairs, and booths for the bistro. I was thrilled they came in the same color wood stain as the bar and bar stools that were original to the space. I arranged for them to be delivered the week we would be on our trip, and Sabrina promised to have them all setup and ready. With Corner House Fabrics lined up to make the custom red leather cushions, everything would blend well with the red fabrics for the windows, even if they weren’t all the same wood to begin with. I would’ve gone with something in a brighter color, but these were the notes from Mom’s file, so I kept it to her wishes as close as I could.

  Isabella doodled on a notepad at my desk. “Are you sure you’re not rushing things? Why don’t you delay the opening a couple of weeks? Time with Ian is so much more important.”

  “Ian didn’t look at the calendar when he planned this trip, including Ty being with his dad that week. So, since we’ve gotten over that hurdle, I don’t want to rock our boat any further.”

  Would delaying the opening really hurt anything?

  “Are you packed?”

  “No, but our flight doesn’t leave until tomorrow evening, so I have all day to throw my stuff together.”

  About that time, Hugh knocked on my door and stuck his head in. “Barn doors are up, wanna come see ’em?”

  Jubilant like a kid getting a new toy, I squealed and raced around Isabella, who was still fumbling to get out of her chair.

  Standing in front of the doors, I couldn’t believe the difference they made in both spaces. When I slowly did a three-hundred and sixty degree rotation in the middle of the bistro, I thought about the night a couple of weeks prior when Ian had provided music and the most romantic night I could remember. I could vividly picture it in my mind. He was right. The area was perfect for a wine bar.

  Why did I see Ian’s vision, instead of my own? I should’ve been picturing patrons with soups, salads and cookies talking boyfriends and husbands over lunch instead of sexy jazz music and the image of people dancing and the clinking of wine glasses in celebration.

  “Do you like them?” Mark’s voice brought me out of my fabulous imagination.

  “Love them. It’s perfect.” My fingers crossed my lips recalling the way he tasted that night with champagne on his lips and desire on his tongue.

&
nbsp; My skin tingled, and I knew my magnificent lover was somewhere close.

  “Not as perfect as you, beauty.” Ian’s voice was recognizable from anywhere.

  I felt his hands on my hips before I inhaled his all-masculine scent—fresh cotton and a hint of citrus. He’d been to the gym and showered before stopping by the boutique. Funny, I knew his habits better than my own.

  “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” He teased.

  I turned to face him and smiled. “It truly was a beautiful experience.”

  He slowly nodded before resting his chin on the top of my head. “Just one of many I pray to have with you.”

  His revelation soothed every bit of angst I’d been going through the last few weeks.

  Would it last?

  Chapter Eight

  Holy heck. Packing for a ski trip was nothing like I’d imagined. Ian said to pack for layering, well, to a woman and someone with style, that mean extra suitcases full of double the clothes, making it look like we were moving. I barely got us ready before it was time to leave for the airport with two seriously excited boys and one happy boyfriend.

  Boyfriend. It was the first time I’d really thought of him with a label. The thunder I intensely felt wasn’t vibrations from an approaching storm in the sky, but rather the loud beating of my happy heart. We were finally getting to a good place.

  “Forecast is calling for a lot of snow, which means fresh powder.” Ian shot me a sexy smile before turning his eyes back to the road.

  “Yay,” Oliver cheered before diverting his attention back to his game.

  Obviously, Ty and I were in the dark about what that actually meant, and I think that was a great thing, although I didn’t know it at the time.

  Our flight into Durango, Colorado was like a roller coaster, up and down, and thank God, not sideways. After delays with transfers in Denver, then circling a million times for landing or whatever else, I think my stomach finally settled down about the time we got into the minivan and headed for the mountain house.