Songbird Caged

by Lisa Edward

  As Cole started the chorus, he jumped down off the stage, and skidded over to me. He wrapped one arm around my waist, the other hand still holding the microphone, and pulled me in close. We were dancing together as he listed in song all the things he loved about me, and how he was gone the moment he laid eyes on me. At the bridge he pulled me closer, pressing his lips to mine. The crowd went crazy, cheering and whistling.

  He finished the song back up on stage, and took his bow as the bar erupted in cheers. Even at karaoke with just a soundtrack to sing to, he was something special.

  People slapped him on the shoulder as he came back over to our table before sweeping me up into his arms.

  “I meant what I said, Tara. I love you. I have loved you since I first laid eyes on you. You’re all I want; for me, there is no one else. I’ve just been filling in time with all those girls until you were ready to be with me.” He took my left hand, and fiddled with my engagement ring. “But you have to feel the same about me. I can’t share you with a ghost, babe. You have to let Riley go for me. For us.”

  Having said my goodbyes, I tried to tell myself I had let Riley go, but I was still wearing his ring on my left hand, unable to formally acknowledge the fact that I was no longer engaged.

  I twirled the ring around my finger with my thumb, then pulled it off, and put it on my right hand.

  “Is this okay for now?”

  I rubbed the mark on my finger where the ring used to be. “I’m now officially single again.”

  Cole smiled, his emerald eyes lighting up. “Oh no you’re not.”

  It was exactly twelve months since Cole and I had met. Not at the gym, where he was Mr Hotbod, and I was the embarrassed Tara who needed to get laid, but the first time we had been introduced and actually had a conversation.

  It was also a Saturday night, so The Sons were playing at Songbirds, and I was working as per usual. Only, there was nothing usual about it. Cole had finally told me how he felt about me, and I had removed my engagement ring, and taken one step closer to being with him.

  The only thing left was for me to tell him how I felt, and for us to finally spend the night together.

  Leaning back against the bar, I watched my gorgeous boyfriend sing his heart out to his adoring fans. His T-shirt had been a joke when Nicole and Marcus had presented it to him, but he was wearing it with pride.

  “Does everyone like my new T-shirt?” he asked with a grin, spinning around to show it off.

  The girls down the front booed at him, but there were a few of us who were cheering.

  On the back it read Off the Market, and on the front it read Property of Tara.

  “I love it,” he told them beaming. “Do you all know my girlfriend, Tara?” He pointed and waved to me.

  I cringed at the daggers that were being shot my way by the bimbos, but waved back to him with a victorious smile. I guess I would have to get used to his groupies wanting to scratch my eyes out. At least if they did try anything, I could throw them out. I did co-own the bar.

  The Sons finished their final set for the evening, and the crowd started to disperse. I was over the moon that at least, for now, the bimbos weren’t trying to persuade Cole to cheat on me, and were diverting their attention to the other guys in the band.

  Jay was grinning from ear to ear, a little overwhelmed by the sudden attention he was getting from Cole’s castoffs. Cole just slapped him on the back, and wished him luck before coming over to me, and giving me a huge hug.

  “Are you coming to my place tonight after work?” he asked with a suggestive grin.

  I brushed my lips against his. “Do you want me to?”

  “More than anything,” he sighed into my ear, before sucking on my earlobe. “Can you stay the night?”

  My eyes were closed, and I was trying to breathe, but the feather-light kisses he was trailing down my neck were distracting.

  He lifted his head, and smirked at me. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your reply.”

  I opened my eyes, the fire in the pit of my stomach burning through my core. “I can stay for as long as you want me to.”

  His gaze searched my face. I could see the desire in his eyes. “Stay forever.”

  I WENT to Cole’s as soon as I had finished cleaning up at the bar. He usually helped put the chairs on tables and mop the floor, but tonight for some reason he’d raced off early, leaving Marcus, Nicole and I to close up.

  As soon as I’d stepped out of the elevator and into the apartment, I knew why. There was soft music playing, over twenty candles lit, and a bed of cushions and quilts made up on the floor in the middle of the living room.

  Cole was perched anxiously on the edge of the couch. As soon as he saw me he jumped up, running his hands nervously down his thighs.

  “Is this too much?” he asked as he approached. “I wanted to make it special, but I don’t know, I’m not very good at this sort of stuff.”

  I gazed around the room, at the effort he had put in. “I thought you said you weren’t romantic,” I said with a grin. “This is perfect.”

  He poured us a glass of wine each, and we made ourselves comfortable on the couch, but he looked like he was wound so tight that tonight may not happen.

  I needed to change the environment. Sitting here, staring at a bed made up on the floor, was too much pressure.

  “I need a shower. Do you mind?”

  He shook his head. “No, of course, take your time.”

  I stood, and made it halfway across the room. “Would you like to join me?”

  Cole beamed from ear to ear before draining his glass. In three steps he was beside me, scooping me up into his arms and carrying me down to the bathroom.

  There were candles that permanently lived in the bathroom around the tub, and he quickly lit them. I could feel him standing behind me, although we weren’t touching. It was like an electric charge between us that when we got close, an invisible energy joined us.

  I could feel his hands following the contours of my arms, although they weren’t actually touching me.

  “Can you feel that?” he whispered.

  I sighed. “I can feel you even though we’re not touching.”

  He nuzzled his face in my hair, his hot breath on the back of my neck. “Can you feel this,” he breathed.

  I gasped as shivers ran up my spine. Reaching back until my hands found his thighs, I ran my hands around behind him, pulling him to me. He was hard as he rubbed up against me.

  “Can you feel that?” he growled in my ear. “You always make me so hard, Tara.”

  I whimpered. I wanted him to touch me, all of me. He lifted my arms up, then grabbed my T-shirt by the hem and pulled it off over my head. He was still standing behind me, and he reached around to cup both breasts in his hands as he gently kissed my ear. His soft lips lightly grazed my neck, making my skin tingle, before settling on my shoulder.

  Running my hand in between us, I firmly stroked down the front of his jeans. I could feel him twitch against the tight fabric as my hand slid over him.

  “Take them off,” he whispered. “Take everything off. I don’t want anything between us.”

  We quickly discarded the rest of our clothing then stood back for a moment, taking each other in. He was breathtaking; his body was a work of art, the tattoos and piercing just adding to the perfection.

  He was looking at me the same way.

  As he ran his hands from my hips up my sides to my breasts then finally to my face, his eyes followed, taking in every inch of me.

  I was totally exposed, totally vulnerable. I felt like a goddess.

  Running my hands up his back, I felt something rough around his shoulder blades. “Did you get more words added to your wings?” I asked, running my fingers lightly over the area that was starting to scab over.

  He nodded, a little embarrassed. “I went to see Lou the other day. I’ve added quite a few more words.”

  I looked at his face. He blushed a little and averted his eyes, like he wa
s up to something. I walked around behind him, and was lost for words. Written around the top edge, following the curve of the wings, were four sentences that took my breath away.

  She is the light in the darkness guiding me home, my one true north. She gives me strength; she brings me to my knees. She inspires me, she captivates me. She is my world, my life, my love, my eternity. She is my Tara.

  I raised my hand to my mouth, trembling.

  Cole spun around quickly. “Is it too much? It’s too much, isn’t it?” He ran his hand through his hair. “I just wanted to have you with me always. You mean everything to me, Tara.”

  I threw my arms around his neck, looking deep into his soulful eyes. “It’s beautiful, I love it. And I love you, so much.”

  I could feel him melt into me. “You do?” He hugged me tighter. “You do.”

  His lips crushed to mine, our bodies pressed together so tight that there wasn’t a slither of light that could pass through.

  Instead of a shower, we decided on a bath. The water was filled to the top, and scented oils added. Cole slid in behind me before pulling me back to lean against his chest. He ran his hands up my thighs, and slid them back down the insides, urging my legs apart.

  Laying my head back on his shoulder, eyes closed, his fingers ran back up the insides of my thighs, tickling my hips and abdomen, before finally coming to rest on my centre. He gently rubbed back and forth, stimulating me, before inserting his finger inside me.

  Reaching one hand up to his cheek, I turned my head to his. He ran the tip of his tongue between my lips. I instinctively opened my mouth, and felt his lips press to mine. His hand was moving more firmly, his fingers inside me, his thumb stroking me, the kiss becoming more desperate. My breathing was shallow, and I was surprised by how quickly my body was responding but I couldn’t help it, he felt so good.

  I pulled my mouth away. I needed to breathe. I had to catch my breath, but his other hand was now working my breast, pulling hard on my nipple until the sensation was close to pain.

  I laid my head back again and whimpered, my hips lifting to meet his hand. Cole could feel my body responding to his touch. I could feel the rapid rise and fall his chest behind me as he kissed me hard on my neck, sucking the skin below my ear.

  “Come on, babe,” he breathed, “I want to watch you come.”

  Oh God, it felt so good. I tried to breathe, but my body was going into overdrive, every muscle tensing. I ran my hands down his thighs and gripped tight.

  “That’s it, babe. Fuck, you are so beautiful.”

  I let out some guttural incoherent sound, and my body shook as the aftershocks kept coming.

  Cole kissed my shoulder, and wrapped his arms tight around me, holding me to him as my body finally relaxed.

  “I could watch you do that over and over again,” he murmured in my ear. “I will never get enough of you.”

  I rolled over to face Cole, kissing him softly. “You can do that to me over and over,” I said cheekily. “Should we get out now? There’s a very romantic setting waiting for us.” I bit my lip suggestively, and a slow, sexy smile spread over Cole’s full lips.

  We climbed out of the tub and dried off. Cole was still hard; he had been the entire time, but he wasn’t trying to race ahead, and I loved him for that.

  I led him back out to the living room, and onto the bed he had set up on the floor. The candles were still flickering, providing the only light source in the room.

  He lay beside me, one leg scissored between mine. “I have to check,” he said, in between leisurely kisses of my neck, “did you want to use protection?” He raised his eyes to mine, waiting for my response.

  Knowing Cole had never been with anyone without using protection, and I was still using contraceptives, the answer for me was easy. We were together and in love, so the answer was no. I shook my head, and I felt him exhale as his eyes gleamed in the candlelight.

  “Good, I want to feel you, I don’t want anything between us.” His eyes were searching my face with such intensity. “I love you, babe.” The corner of his mouth twitched up into a smile. “You’re going to get sick of hearing it all the time. But I’ve felt this way for so long –” He brushed my hair back off my face. “– and it’s the right time now. This is our time, and I want to do this right.”

  He leaned forward, softly kissing my forehead, the tip of my nose, then finally my lips. They were just chaste kisses, his body trembling against mine as he fought to hold back for a moment longer.

  There was something more he wanted to say, and he pulled back.

  “What is it, babe?”

  He swallowed nervously. “I want you to move in. Not just stay at my place, but actually move in. Live with me, make this our home.”

  I couldn’t believe the change in Cole since we had first met twelve months ago, from the womaniser who only ever slept with a girl once, to the man who was in love with me, and wanted to share his life with me.

  “Are you sure? It’s a big step. A big commitment.”

  He smiled lovingly. “I’ve never been surer of anything in my life. I’ve always felt restless, as if I was searching for something to fill this void in my life, and I’ve found it. I’ve found you. I want to give you the world, Tara. Everything I have I want to give to you. Everything I am now, the man I’ve become, is because of you. I was selfish before, only caring about my own needs, my own pleasure, but now all I care about is you and making you happy. I want the journey of the rest of our lives to be made together. Can we do that?”

  I didn’t realise I had tears in my eyes until Cole wiped one away. I nodded slowly. “If you’re sure you’re ready, then yes, of course I’ll move in.” I threw my arms around Cole’s neck, pulling him down to me. “I love you, Cole. I think I’ve always loved you. You say you were selfish before, but you’ve always been there for me, always put your feelings aside to give me what I needed. When I wanted a friend you were there, no questions asked. When I needed a shoulder to cry on over Riley, you listened to me, and comforted me. You’ve been my rock for the past twelve months, and never once were you selfish. You’re the most considerate, giving person I know.”

  “I did have an ulterior motive,” he said grinning. “I was crazy in love with you, so was willing to spend time with you anyway I could.”

  He scooped me in tight to his broad chest, the length of his hard body pressing against mine. I wrapped my leg over his hip, pulling him closer.

  His eyes met mine one last time before he finally let go, crushing his lips down to me. He sucked on my bottom lip before kissing me deeply again, his tongue flicking between my lips until it found my own.

  His hand was running down over my hip, then back up to my breast, kneading my flesh firmly. He moved his mouth down to join his hand, sucking and licking my pebbled nipple. I writhed in pleasure, the sensation making my body shudder.

  My hand made its way down Cole’s abdomen until it came to rest on his length. He was so hard I could barely get my hand all the way around him. I stroked him firmly, then lightly ran my fingertips over his piercing, making him moan softly at my touch.

  Gently, I pushed him onto his back. His eyes followed me as I kissed and licked my way down his body. My tongue circled leisurely around him, before taking him into my mouth. His body trembled as he reached down and lovingly ran his fingers through my hair, moving it from my face. Every flick of my tongue over his piercing rewarded me with a groan, until he couldn’t take any more, lifting my head and closing his eyes briefly as he tried to steady his breathing.

  He pulled me back up his body until our lips met again. His hands tangled in my hair, holding me to his lips, kissing me like his life depended on it.

  I ground my body against his, never able to get close enough. I wanted to melt into him, my own breathing shallow as my heart raced.

  Cole exhaled heavily, relishing my body’s response. He kissed down my stomach and abdomen, gripping my hips before running his hands down to my thighs. He leane
d back for a moment, pushing my legs open. His breathing was laboured, his mouth was slightly open, and he licked his bottom lip seductively then buried his face between my thighs.

  It was so intense. My hips bucked off the makeshift bed, instinctively grinding into his face, but he grabbed my hips and pulled me down even more onto him.

  Unable to catch my breath, I grabbed a handful of Cole’s hair as my own head tilted backwards. It was building so fast, and I had no control over it as Cole continued his onslaught. He pushed two fingers inside me, moving them in and out as his mouth and tongue worked on the outside.

  “Babe … I can’t …” I couldn’t stop the wave as it hit me over and over again. Cole never stopped until I reached down, and lifted his chin with my hand.

  The look in his eyes was wild as he quickly wiped his face on his forearm. He climbed up over me, taking position. “I want to fuck you,” he growled intensely as the tip of him pressed into my entrance. His breathing matched my own, ragged and out of control.

  “So what are you waiting for?” I replied.

  He pushed inside me, just a little bit, and stopped, then circled his hips. It was absolute bliss, but I wanted more. I grabbed hold of his ass, and tried to pull him into me but he held firm.

  “Tell me what you want,” he said breathlessly.

  I was squirming under him as he circled his hips again. “I need to hear you say the words, Tara.”

  I looked deep into his eyes. “I want you, Cole. I want all of you, inside me.”

  He pushed himself forward. I gasped at the sensation of his size, and the piercing as the little metal balls rubbed against me.

  He rested his head in the crook of my neck for a minute. I could feel he was trying to calm his breathing and settle down a bit, but I didn’t want him to regain control—I wanted him to lose control.

  Wrapping my legs around his hips, I lifted mine up to meet him.

  “Oh fuck, Tara. Give me a second.”

  Lifting his head, I kissed him passionately on the mouth. “Let yourself go,” I murmured against his lips, and then kissed him again, biting his bottom lip.