Songbird Freed

by Lisa Edward

  He gasped, his body shuddering slightly. I looked into his eyes. They were blazing back at me, watching my every move. Something that he’d said earlier came back to my mind—he needed to know that I was his, and I wanted to show him that there was no one else I wanted to be with.

  “Would I be doing this for anyone else?” I asked, softly kissing along the ridge that ran over his hip.

  He shook his head, replying softly, “I don’t think so.”

  “What about this?” I flicked the piercing again with my tongue then circled leisurely around the rim.

  He groaned and moved his hips. “I doubt it.”

  “Or this?” I took him in my mouth slowly, purposefully, all the while holding his gaze.

  His lips parted as his tongue ran over his bottom lip, the rise and fall of his chest increasing.

  “Definitely not,” he breathed. “That’s just for me.”

  My hand ran over his abs again before coming to rest on his length, pumping in time as I took him in my mouth over and over. His hips started bucking in time as well, gently at first, then with more force. Finally, his eyes closed, his head dropped back, but he left his hands over his head, gripping the slats on the bed-head.

  I wanted to finish him off this way, but with every moan of pleasure that left his lips, the heat in my body grew, making me ache to feel him inside me. I needed something as well. Climbing back up over him, I licked and sucked his nipple before positioning myself over his hips and lowering down onto him. His hands left the bed-head and found my thighs, squeezing them, before running up to my waist. I could feel his weight shift and knew he was about to roll me over so he could take control.

  Taking his hands, I repositioned them over his head again. “Let me do this for you,” I whispered in his ear, lightly nibbling on the lobe. “Or I’ll have to tie you up.”

  The seductive smile on his face told me he wouldn’t complain if I did. “Tell me why you want to do this, Tara. Talk dirty to me.”

  I’d never felt confident enough to talk dirty, and it must have shown on my face as I hesitated, unsure what to say.

  “Do you like how I feel inside you, babe?” he coaxed hoarsely.

  Looking down at Cole’s heated gaze, I realised anything I said would be a turn on for him. There was no need to feel embarrassed.

  “I love how you feel, rubbing inside me,” I told him, his eyes never leaving mine, “and I love how wet you make me. How my body aches, needing you, wanting you.”

  Slow gentle rocking turned harder and faster, grinding against him. I leaned back, bracing myself on his thighs, shifting my body weight.

  “Ah, babe …” he moaned. “Slow it down … too close.”

  I couldn’t have slowed down even if I’d wanted to. As the sensation inside me spread, and my muscles tensed, I took in the sight underneath me—my gorgeous man, stretched out, gazing up at me. His chest muscles were tight, his arms straining as he held onto the bed-head. His knees bent up as he used his feet braced against the mattress, to lift his hips over and over again, abdominal muscles clenched.

  My body gave one final spasm as the orgasm spiralled through me. With my head dropped back, my eyes closed, I rode every wave until my body was completely spent. Only somewhere out of my own world of pleasure did I hear Cole grunt out expletives as his own orgasm rocked through him.

  There was a loud crack and I quickly looked back down at Cole. He was grinning up at me, his breathing laboured, pupils completely dilated.

  “I broke the bed,” he panted. “It was time for a new one anyway.” In his hand was the slat he had been holding onto, splintered and torn completely from its mounting.

  “Oh my God, are you okay?” I giggled, trying to catch my breath.

  “I’ve been sucked and fucked by the sexiest woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. I’m a happy man.”

  Laughing, I leaned down and kissed him gently, teasingly running the tip of my tongue between his parted lips.

  “So glad you enjoyed it,” I purred. “I know you’re not used to giving up control.”

  “Since when do I have control over anything when I’m around you?” He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear while gazing up adoringly. “You know I’m totally at your mercy.”

  I chuckled. “You know you’re totally alpha male in bed.”

  “I just like touching you,” he said, still smiling, “and the feel of you beneath me.”

  With one subtle movement, I’d been rolled over and Cole’s weight was on top of me, dominant again.

  “I get so turned on by all the little noises you make,” he said as the corner of his mouth tipped up, “It lets me know you’re enjoying it as much as I am.” Gentle fingertips traced my jawline. “The way your body moves, perfectly in sync with mine. Just thinking about it makes me hard.”

  Biting my bottom lip, I could feel my cheeks flush. “Now that’s how you talk dirty. I think I need some lessons.”

  He chuckled. “I wanted to take my time, explore every inch of you.” He nibbled my jaw. “Taste every part of you.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “But you had other ideas. You’ve come back all dominatrix.”

  I couldn’t help giggling. I was certainly not a dominatrix.

  “I don’t mind though.” Cole slid down my body, resting his head on my stomach. “You can dominate me anytime.” His hand caressed the curve of my hips and the bones that were jutting out a little more than usual. “You’ve lost weight.”

  “I couldn’t eat while I was away.” I shrugged. “Stress, I guess. You know weight falls off me pretty easily.”

  “We need to have loads of dinners out then, get your curves back.”

  “Don’t you like my new slimmer figure?” I asked dejectedly.

  “Babe, I love your body, but I love these.” He cupped by breasts, giving them a squeeze. “And I love this.” He slid down and lifted my hip before sinking his teeth into my ass.

  I yelped and burst out laughing. “I love you,” I told him, still laughing at his playfulness.

  He sighed. “Say it again.”

  “I love you.” My fingers ran through his hair again. “I will always love you, Cole.”

  “What do you love about me?”

  From his tone of voice, I could tell he wasn’t fishing for compliments—he genuinely wanted to know.

  “I love your mind.” I stroked his forehead with my fingertips. “You’re smart and funny and intuitive. You seem to know what I need before I know myself.” I ran my hand down his chest. “I love your heart. You’re caring and compassionate. You’re sensitive, although you try not to show it sometimes, and you’re generous and thoughtful.”

  My hand ran down his side, around to his abdomen, and kept going. “And yes, I love my toy too, how it makes me feel when we’re together. But there’s so much more to you than just this.”

  I looked down at his face, to the wide-eyed, lost little boy who was hanging onto my every word.

  “You do know that, don’t you, Cole?”

  His eyes were welling with tears. “I do now. Besides, what you think of me is all that matters.”

  I kissed his head. “I love all of you, and all of you is worth loving.”

  He rolled over and pulled me to his chest, holding me firmly against him and returning my kiss.

  “I wish we could stay here, but we’d better get up if we’re going to have an early dinner at Songbirds.”

  I nodded my agreement. “Our dads are coming to the bar too, to see the band.”

  “I can’t believe Dad’s coming to watch me sing.” The look of surprise on Cole’s face made me laugh.

  “Hasn’t he seen you perform before?”

  Cole shook his head. “No, he’s never shown any interest. How did you get him to agree to it?”

  Sitting up, I looked down at him and shrugged. “I just invited them to come to Songbirds so Dad could meet Marcus and so they can hear the band. I didn’t have to twist any arms.”

  “He likes you, my dad. Ever s
ince Paris he’s been on our side.”

  I smiled. “I like him too.”

  Cole sat up and pulled the covers off. “I like your dad, and your mum’s okay, I guess.”

  “Hmm, can’t say I’m a fan of your mum,” I said, grimacing.

  Cole chuckled. “No, me either, to be honest with you.”

  “Were you close when you were younger?” I queried. He rarely talked about his mum, now I thought about it.

  Cole slid out of bed and ran his hand through his hair, uncomfortably. “No, we’ve never been close. She always made it perfectly clear that I was a huge mistake, and she wished I had never been born.”

  Instinctively, I went to stand and go to him as he made his way to the bathroom door.

  He held up his hand, stopping me. “Just give me a few minutes before you come in, okay?”

  A few seconds later I heard the shower turn on, so I waited. But I had so many questions about Cole’s last statement. If Pops were alive, I could have asked him. I knew he wasn’t a fan of Cole’s mum, so if Cole was upset about something, I was sure Pops would have told me. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I wondered how long I had to wait, and how a mother could wish her son had never been born. It just didn’t make sense.

  “Babe, do you want to come in?” he finally called.

  Taking a deep breath, I went into the bathroom and stepped into the shower. Cole was standing under the huge shower rose, the water falling over his head like rain. He watched me as I came towards him, running his eyes over my body before giving me a half smile and wrapping his arms around me.

  “I know you don’t want to talk about this right now,” I said cautiously, “but I can’t believe your mum could be so cruel.” I hesitated. “I’m glad you’re here, even if she’s not.”

  He kissed the top of my head. “Yeah, me too, and I’m especially glad you’re here with me.”

  We stood cuddled together under the hot running water, washing away the pain that Cole’s mother had caused him. I wish I knew more. I wanted to ask him why she would feel that way about him, but I could see by the way he withdrew as soon as she was mentioned that it still hit a raw nerve, even after all these years. But he had to know it wasn’t his fault.

  “Whatever your mum’s problem is, it’s her problem, not yours. Don’t let her issues weigh you down, Cole.”

  Strong arms squeezed me tighter. “I am her issue.”

  We met up at Songbirds and introduced our dads to everyone, then made our way upstairs. The restaurant was ready to open, the only delay had been my absence. Lincoln had been hiring staff, setting up and the menu was nearly finalised. Cole had given Lincoln the heads up that we would be coming in tonight, so he was there already, prepping some sample meals.

  Nicole and Marcus sat across from Cole and me with Kelli, Jason, Jay and our dads making up the rest of the table. Every time I looked up at Nicole she was beaming at me.

  “So did you like your new toy, Tara?” Nicole finally asked excitedly.

  “Yeah, did you get to have a play?” Marcus added.

  I didn’t know where to look as I felt my cheeks grow hot and I fumbled for a reply.

  Cole leaned over with a cheeky grin on his face. “They don’t know about this.” He pointed to his jeans and the tattoo underneath. “I think they mean the piano.”

  Kelli burst out laughing. “She got to play with both toys this afternoon.”

  Now I really didn’t know where to look, as Cole stood, undid his jeans button and pulled the top of his boxers down, just low enough to show the script of the tattoo.

  There was a squeal and we all turned to see Jason fanning himself. I couldn’t help laughing, it seemed Jason’s crush on Cole was still going strong.

  “Oh my God,” Nicole gasped. “That’s awesome.” She was leaning over the table trying to get a better look. Her hand reached out and Cole slapped it playfully.

  “Hey, no touching the goods,” he joked.

  “Don’t worry, I’m not going near your goods,” she mocked.

  She turned and nudged Marcus. “Baby, you should get one for me. It could say Nic’s Dick.”

  Marcus turned bright red but he pulled Nicole against his side and kissed her cheek. He was so in love with her, and I was so happy for the both of them. It had been fate they had met that day in the little coffee shop, and they’d been inseparable ever since. Nicole was so outgoing and fun to be around, she brought Marcus out of his shell, and with her he was always smiling that adorable dimpled smile. They were a great combination.

  I glanced over at my dad. I wasn’t sure how he would take all this, but he was laughing along with everyone else.

  “Sorry, John,” Cole said, laughing, following my gaze.

  Dad threw his hands in the air. “I don’t know why I’m laughing. That’s my little Jellybean’s name you have tattooed under your underwear.” But he was still laughing, so I relaxed a little, before pulling on Cole’s arm to sit back down.

  Lincoln brought out a couple of trays of food. It smelt delicious and my mouth watered. Having not been able to eat very much and keep it down while I was away, I was suddenly starving.

  I looked at the platters of Cajun chicken and side dishes, then looked up at Kelli. I knew she didn’t like spicy food, and was just about to go into the kitchen and ask Lincoln to quickly make something else for her. But just as I was standing, he returned with a plate, and placed it in front of her.

  “Okay, I heard you liked spicy food so I’ve played around with a Cajun-inspired chicken.” He looked at me nervously. “There’s a hot version for you.” He smiled down at Kelli. “Yours is without the heat, just how you like it.” He held his hands out to the sides. “There’ll be some more dishes coming shortly. Bon Appetite.”

  Well, that was interesting.

  “So Kell, how does Linc know how you like your chicken?” I asked teasingly. I gave her a wink but she just scoffed at me.

  “Yeah, he’s into rolly-polly pregnant women.” She rubbed her baby bump. “He’s been a real sweetie, actually, making me dishes if I get a craving and showing me how to make a few simple things.”

  More dishes were brought out and we all tried each one. When the last platter was placed on the table, I asked Lincoln to join us. I wanted him to feel like part of the family, not an employee. He quickly pulled up a chair and squeezed in beside Kelli.

  Everyone was talking between themselves, but I noticed Jason kept glancing over, about to say something, before changing his mind and shutting his mouth again.

  Finally, he asked what had been on his mind. “So how was Riley when you saw him, Tars?”

  Looking out the corner of my eye at Cole, I weighed up my response before answering. “He was …” I looked down at my hands for a moment. “He was a mess. He’d been tortured, there were scars, bruises and burn marks all over his body.” Cole took my hand, squeezing it gently. “He didn’t take the news of Cole and I well. It really upset him.”

  “So you told him?” Marcus asked.

  “Yes, of course. After everything he’s been through, I wasn’t going to lie to him; he deserved better than that.” I looked at Cole. “And Cole deserves better than me not acknowledging our relationship.”

  Cole put his arm around me, resting it on the chair behind me. “Thank you,” he said, leaning in and kissing me on the cheek.

  Gazing up into his eyes, I smiled. “I love you, but he didn’t like hearing it. So,” I continued, “after he found out about Cole, he pretty much didn’t want to talk to me anymore. Told me he didn’t want me there. So …” I shrugged. “That was it.”

  “You mean you went all the way there, paid two million dollars to save his life.” There was a gasp. I hadn’t told the others how much the ransom was. “And he treated you like crap because after waiting for him, and grieving his loss,” Kelli’s voice was rising as she spoke, “you moved on and found someone to make you happy?” By the time she had finished speaking, her face and chest were glowing red, steam p
ractically coming out of her ears.

  I smiled sadly at her. “He was hurting, Kell, and I made it worse. I can’t blame him for never wanting to see me again.” She crossed her arms over her chest and mumbled something under her breath. “The worse thing is, he blames himself for Coop dying, said it was his responsibility to keep them safe and he failed.”

  Kelli’s hand went to her mouth as she shook her head slowly. “Did you tell him it wasn’t his fault? Oh, Tara, I don’t blame Riley for Coop dying, he loved being in the unit with his mates. It wasn’t his fault, none of it.” Kelli’s eyes had glazed over. My own weren’t much better. “Tell him I don’t blame him, please.”

  “Kell, I won’t be speaking to him, or writing. Riley made it perfectly clear he didn’t want to stay in touch, not even as friends.”

  Cole huffed beside me, making me look around at him. “What?”

  “Nothing,” he mumbled.

  “Why did you huff?”

  Cole fidgeted uncomfortably. “Did you want to stay in touch with him?” he asked, frowning.

  I sighed. “I wanted to keep in touch … as a friend. He needs to know he still has people here who care about him.”

  Cole nodded. “I know you will always care about him.”

  “Yes, but I love you, babe.” Resting my hand on his cheek, I turned his head to face me. “You’re the one I want to be with.”

  “Well if you’re not going to write to him, I will,” Kelli stated. “I have a few things I need to say to him.”

  Waiting for Kelli to elaborate on the issues she wanted to raise with Riley, I didn’t notice when five girls walked up the stairs behind me.

  “Okay everyone,” Nicole said loudly as she stood, “The girls and I have prepared a routine to show Tara.” She indicated to Cole and Jay. “Guys, can you play for us?”

  My raised eyebrows at Cole were rewarded with a cheeky wink, as he stood and made his way over to the side of stage. They had a sound system and a couple of guitars that the guys hung around their necks as the girls took their positions.