Songbird Caged

by Lisa Edward

  “Are you putting your boxers back on?” I asked, unable to tear my eyes away from his still naked body.

  “No point now. You’ve seen everything already.”

  He cuddled up behind me, his strong arms holding me tight. I could feel him nuzzling into my hair, and I pressed my body back into his.

  “That was the first time I’ve ever done that,” he whispered.

  “Really?” It surprised me that someone so ‘active’ hadn’t done that, and a whole lot more. “I guess when you can have real sex with anyone you want you don’t need to do it yourself.”

  He kissed the back of my hair. “Don’t belittle what just happened. I felt more connected to you. More turned on by you than I ever have with anyone before.”

  I didn’t know what to say, so I just squeezed his arms tighter around me.

  “Just image how amazing real sex together would be,” he murmured into my neck.

  I could imagine, and I did. I imagined all night what it would be like.

  IT WAS our last full day and night in Paris, and it was also my twenty-fifth birthday.

  A deep rich voice woke me, singing ‘Happy Birthday’ softly in my ear. I smiled as I stretched, enjoying my private serenade.

  Rolling onto my side, I opened my eyes slowly. Cole’s head was resting on my pillow, only inches away from mine. He returned my smile, his emerald eyes gleaming.

  “The day is yours. Anything you want to do, we can do,” he declared. “Anything.” He winked at me, and I blushed, remembering last night and the things I had been fantasising about as I’d drifted off to sleep.

  He gave me a sultry smile. “We can definitely do that,” he teased, reading my blush for exactly what it was.

  I paused, giving my flushed skin a second to cool. “I don’t know, maybe more shopping?” I said raising my eyebrows at him.

  Cole was a rare find when it came to shopping. He trudged around from store to store without ever complaining, but I knew yet more shopping was pushing it.

  “I do have a few things I need to do today. I thought maybe a visit to a beauty salon would be a good idea for you, while I run around for a couple of hours.” He was smiling at me as he spoke, but my face dropped. Was he going to catch up with the girl whose phone number he had taken at the lingerie store?

  “Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked, lifting my chin with his finger so I looked into his eyes.

  I hadn’t realised that I was tearing up as I thought about him going out to hook up with some random girl. I wiped my eyes quickly, and tried to smile.

  “Nothing, I’m fine.”

  “Tara, what is it? Where do you think I’m going?”

  How could he read me so well? It just wasn’t fair. I sniffed, embarrassed that I’d so easily let my emotions show. “To see a girl,” I replied. “To see that girl who gave you her phone number on the first day we were here.”

  “And that upsets you?” he queried.

  I dropped my head, unable to meet his persistent gaze. “Yes,” I mumbled.

  “Why?” he asked softly.

  “Because …”

  Okay, Tara, because why, exactly? I exhaled, taking the time to convince myself that the truth was best.

  I looked him in the eye. “Because the thought of you with someone else makes my stomach churn, and rips my heart out. Because you’re mine, and I’m not sharing you with anyone.”

  I was holding my breath, waiting for him to say something. From his shocked silence, my response wasn’t what he had expected.

  He was silent, but I could see a tear forming in the corner of his eye. “The thought of you with someone else,” he said hoarsely, “the thought of you with Riley …” He couldn’t finish the sentence, but he didn’t have to. I knew exactly how he felt.

  “I know.” I rested my forehead to his, and closed my eyes. I had dug myself such a deep hole, and the worst thing was I was going to have to hurt one man that I loved to make the other one happy.

  “Babe,” he murmured.

  “Hmm.” I was too consumed in inhaling his intoxicating scent to answer.

  “I’m not going to see any girls. I’m here with you, and only you. You’re all I want.”

  That got my attention. I raised my eyes to meet his.

  He wrapped his arm around me, pulling me in so our bodies were touching. “The girl in the lingerie boutique gave me the address of a store I want to visit. I’m going to arrange your birthday surprise, but it won’t be a surprise if you’re with me.”

  I had spent the afternoon at a salon not far from the apartment, getting worked over from head to toe. I felt like a princess by the time I floated up the stairs and back into the apartment.

  Cole was already back. He was perched on the edge of the bed with a long garment bag beside him. He watched my expression as I noticed the bag, and practically skipped over to him before plonking myself down on his knee.

  “Sooo, what’s in the bag?” I asked playfully.

  “I bought myself a dress while I was out,” he replied. “I look really hot in it.”

  I giggled.

  “I bought you a tuxedo. I thought we’d swap genders tonight.” It seemed he was in a silly mood, too.

  After our confessions this morning I somehow felt lighter, like a schoolgirl with her first crush on a boy. Of course, Riley was still on my mind. I still loved him, but I was also still angry and disappointed with him. I knew he was away in the middle of a warzone, but I hadn’t heard from him for my birthday, which I thought I might have, and that was weighing heavily on me. I didn’t know if he’d had the opportunity to get in touch, but had just decided not to because he was angry with me.

  Cole reached into his back pocket and pulled out a wrapped rectangular box. My eyes followed his hand as he reached over, put it down on the bedside table, and then returned his hand to my lap.

  “Later,” he told me, watching my face. “First the dress, then the present.”

  He lifted me off his lap and placed me gently beside him, then stretched out to unzip the garment bag.

  I gasped. It wasn’t just a dress, it was a long gown. He manoeuvred it out of the bag and held it up. It was a rich, dark red colour and strapless, with a fitted bodice. It was absolutely gorgeous.

  I realised my mouth was hanging open and quickly closed it. “Where are we going that I would need to wear this?” I asked still astounded.

  He just shrugged. “You’ll see. I just hope you like it, I’ve never heard of it myself.”

  Now that really puzzled me. He was becoming the master of cryptic clues.

  We started to get ready, knowing it would take me three times as long to do my hair and makeup as usual, not to mention get dressed. I had decided as a special treat for Cole, as he had been so wonderful to me, that I would wear the lingerie he had wanted to see me try on a few days earlier. Only problem was I didn’t want him to know I was wearing it under the gown, so I would have to try to hook up the suspenders with one hand and a few barely functioning fingers.

  I had finished my makeup in the bathroom, and came out to let Cole have a quick shower. He had already started getting undressed, and was standing in the doorway of the little balcony with just his jeans hanging low on his hips.

  I walked up quietly behind him, and wrapped my arms around his waist, pressing my cheek to his broad back. He sighed heavily as I kissed the wings tattooed across his shoulder blades. I could spend hours studying this tattoo. Every time I looked I found new words interwoven through the feathers of the design.

  “Has Prue seen your tattoos?” I asked curiously.

  He chuckled. “Yeah, she hates them. To her, tattoos are only one step away from being a drug addict.”

  I smiled. She had no idea who Cole really was.

  “Has she seen your piercing, too?” It was a question I needed to ask. Had he slept with Prue? Were there any of those feelings for her?

  He turned around quickly to face me. “Whoa, I know where this mind of yours is going, a
nd there is no way I would ever sleep with her. She’s seen my tattoos because we go to the beach in Hawaii. That’s it.” He wrapped his arms around me reassuringly. “The problem with growing up with someone the way we did is that you tend to think of them as a sister or a friend, not as a lover or wife.”

  “So she’s a friend? You once told me I was your first female friend.”

  “She knows Victor. She’s never even scratched the surface of who I really am. You’re the only one who I can’t seem to hide anything from.” He kissed my head. “Who I don’t want to hide anything from.”

  He held my shoulders, and looked me square in the eye. “Have I answered your questions about Prue?”

  “Yes, thank you,” I replied, a lot more relaxed about his relationship with her.

  I felt confident that there was no real connection between them, and if that were the case, he would fight tooth and nail to not marry her.

  He gave me a slap on the backside. “Get dressed. I’ll be out to help you in a few minutes if you need me.”

  As soon as he closed the bathroom door I scurried over to the new suitcase and found the lingerie I wanted to wear. Putting the bustier on was challenging, but I managed because I had to. The stockings rolled on without much trouble, and the lacy thong was easy. Hooking the suspenders up was the tricky part. I wanted them done up and the dress on before Cole came out of the bathroom.

  The shower shut off and I went into overdrive, finally managing to hook up one leg. Crap! I was twisting and bending, practically folding myself inside out trying to do up the other leg.

  “Is it safe to come out yet?” Cole called with a smile in his voice through the closed door.

  “Not … yet,” I panted. “Just … another … minute.”

  This was so frustrating, I just couldn’t do it. I either had to wear something else, or ask for help.

  I sighed resignedly. “Come out. I need help to get ready.”

  Cole stepped through the door with a relaxed smile on his face, but the smile turned to smoulder when he saw what I was almost wearing. He stood there for a long moment, taking in every inch of me. The towel he had wrapped around his hips twitched as his appreciation grew.

  “I need help,” I said softly. “Can you do this up for me, please?” I flicked the suspender that was still hanging loosely, the one that I had turned myself inside out for while trying to hook it up to the stocking.

  He walked over calmly, but the pull on his towel and the look in his eyes told me it was taking all his self-control not to throw me on the bed. He knelt down in front of me, and with slightly trembling hands hooked up the last strap.

  You could forget the towel now. It had fallen open, and Cole had discarded it on the floor beside him. He knelt up and planted a row of tender kisses along the top edge of the delicate thong.

  I instinctively ran my fingers through his still wet hair.

  “Thank you for wearing this,” he murmured in between kisses.

  “You’re very welcome.”

  He nuzzled my belly button before groaning disappointedly. “We have to get ready, we can’t be late.”

  Cole helped zip my dress up. Wanting to show off the strapless aspect of the gown, he pinned a few soft curls up onto my head so my hair looked reasonably styled.

  Last was lip gloss. I pouted at Cole, lips slightly parted, while he ran the end of the wand over my lips, tinting them red to match my dress.

  “You have the most tempting lips,” he whispered, still fixated on my mouth. “One day, you’re going to let me kiss them.”

  I found my shoes while Cole quickly put on his shirt and shrugged on his tuxedo jacket. He fiddled with a bowtie until it looked almost straight.

  “Let me,” I said as I stood in front of him, before remembering my hand was in plaster. I’d used to tie my dad’s bowties all the time, but I was a little out of practice. I awkwardly pulled one end and tucked the other until it finally sat perfectly.

  “You look very debonair in your tux. Very James Bond,” I said, eyeing him appreciatively. He really was a remarkably handsome man. Not only was he tall and well-built, but he had the most soulful eyes, which were now looking at me the way no friend should look at another.

  “If I’m James Bond, you must be a Bond girl.” He tilted his head to one side. “Maybe Pussy Galore.”

  I slapped his shoulder playfully.

  “How about Xenia Onatopp, or Octopussy?” He laughed.

  “I am not a Bond girl, thank you very much, especially one with a name like that.”

  “No, I’ll call you Boob-arella in that dress.” He thought he was hilarious, laughing his head off.

  I crossed my arms over my chest, and pretended to sulk. “I can always get changed into something else.”

  “No way.” He leaned in close. “You look amazing. Although I may not see any of the show we’re going to watch. I’ll be too busy checking out your tits.”

  We were finally ready to go.

  “One last thing.” Cole raced over to the bedside table, and grabbed the wrapped box I had forgotten was there. “Here. Happy birthday, babe.”

  I struggled to remove the ribbon and tear open the paper. In the end, I handed it to Cole and he unwrapped it for me. He opened the box so the gift was on display. It was a gorgeous bracelet, encrusted with leaf-shaped diamonds. In between the leaves were diamond flowers, each with a different coloured stone as the centre.

  “Do you like it?” Cole asked nervously when I didn’t say anything.

  I was speechless, the magnitude of the gift still sinking in. Tears were stinging my eyes and I tried to blink them away. Having spent an hour doing my makeup, I couldn’t ruin it before we had even left the apartment.

  “You okay, babe?”

  Nodding, I looked up to meet Cole’s eyes. He was frowning, but when he saw the tears in my eyes his face softened. I took a deep breath, trying to chase them away.

  He took the bracelet out of the box and held it open for me to put on. I only had one wrist I could wear it on at the moment, but I already had Riley’s charm bracelet on it. Did I take off Riley’s bracelet to wear Cole’s?

  “It’s not an everyday bracelet, like Riley’s,” Cole was saying, as if he could read my thoughts. “But it’s thick enough to conceal your tattoo if you don’t want to show it.”

  Smiling, I held out my wrist so Cole could unclip the charm bracelet and put his one on. He slipped the charm bracelet in his top pocket for safe-keeping, and then, holding my hand, we left the apartment for destination unknown.

  WE PULLED up outside the Opera Garnier Palace, and the butterflies that had been circling in my stomach took flight.

  I looked at the sky-high sign out the front that had been covered when we had looked around only the day before. A new opera was opening tonight, and the crowd of people going in were dressed for the occasion.

  We stepped out of the car, and Cole led me to the box we had sat in when the theatre had been empty.

  “I don’t know this opera,” Cole was saying. “I hope it’s okay.” He chuckled to himself. “They’re all in Italian anyway, so it doesn’t make any difference to me. I don’t understand them.”

  “I do,” I mumbled, before realising I’d responded.

  He looked down at me as we weaved our way through the hordes of people who were sipping champagne and talking animatedly.

  I looked up. “I understand it. I speak Italian. Our housekeeper was Italian, and taught me some. Then I learnt properly. It came in handy when we studied opera at school.”

  He raised his eyebrows at me, impressed.

  “I know this opera, too. It has one of my favourite arias in the second half.”

  We reached the heavy red curtain we had snuck through the day before, and entered the box that Cole’s parents had permanently reserved. We were the only ones in there, and it was so nice to be away from the crowd and noise. Once we were in our places, Cole ducked out quickly to fetch two glasses of champagne.

&n
bsp; Perched on the edge of my seat, I watched the people as they entered and found their seats below. Everyone was dressed to the nines for opening night, and I swear I saw a few celebrities scattered throughout the audience.

  I heard someone enter behind me, and turned mid-sentence. “This is so awe …”

  It wasn’t Cole. It was an extremely well-dressed woman with flaming red hair, and a man who, without a shadow of a doubt, was Cole’s dad.

  I jumped up quickly. My palms had suddenly become very damp, and I needed to dry them before offering my hand. I looked around, slightly panicked.

  Where the hell is Cole!?

  The woman shot an icy glare at me. “I’m so glad you find our box awesome. Now, if you’d so kindly vacate our seats, young lady.”

  My mouth flapped open as my eyes darted from her to Cole’s dad, and back again.

  “Um, I’m here with Cole.”

  She raised one perfectly groomed eyebrow at me. “Really?”

  “Yes, really, Mum, this is Tara.”

  Oh, thank God! Cole was back with the champagne. I needed a drink.

  Cole handed me one glass, and wrapped a protective arm around my shoulders. His mother was not impressed.

  “I trust your important business in Melbourne has been taken care of, then?” she asked snootily. She was obviously not pleased with Cole leaving Hawaii early to come home to me.

  “Yes, Tara was the reason I left early. She needed me back home,” he replied hesitantly.

  Cole was standing up to his mother, but I could tell from the slight quiver in his voice that he was apprehensive about doing so.

  “Well, it’s always lovely to meet a friend of Cole’s,” his dad interjected sincerely. “Cole’s mentioned you; I’ve played a few rounds of golf with your dad, I believe. He’s a damn fine golf player.”

  I smiled warmly, partly because Cole had at least told his dad about me, and partly because my dad loved his golf. “Dad can always find time for a game. I think he’d give up the law firm if he could turn pro.”

  I couldn’t get over the likeness between the men in the Michaels family. “Mr Michaels, it’s uncanny how much you look like Pops, and how much Cole looks like you.”