Chapter Ten
Distraction
The shock of the ambush on the Eloise took a few days to recover from. Even though the men who had been injured were faring well and would recover under the surgeon’s excellent care, the attack had been a setback and a humbling occurrence.
The occurrence of the compelling song that had caused me to almost go overboard had been alarming, and I wondered once again if I was losing my senses. The only solace was that I didn’t see the dream creature or hear its ghastly song for the next several nights. A respite that I was grateful for.
Domingo and Squid, who’d stayed on the Arrow minding Pearl and had watched the skirmish from the decks, described how the battle had looked from their vantage point.
“Like you were all totally fucked, to be honest, and us as well, for they would surely have boarded the Arrow after they’d dispatched you lot,” Domingo muttered. “I said more prayers than I have for ages, let me tell you.”
Squid crossed his arms over his chest and gazed at Domingo. “You were quite brave. You never once told me how frightened you were.”
“Well, they were silent prayers. And I didn’t want you to know,” Domingo admitted.
“You looked like you wanted to run over there and start swinging,” Squid said.
“Well, I was angry. Mad that they’d got the best of us, or seeming like they would. But I hadn’t reckoned on Simon.”
They turned my way with matching smiles.
“You saved us all again, little rooster,” Domingo said.
I rubbed my chin and nodded, avoiding his gaze. “Only because we’d run out of options. If we could stop getting ourselves into scrapes, I wouldn’t have to keep calling upon my magic.”
“Well, I for one am glad you’re on my side.”
“I’m on your side, too,” Squid muttered. “But I don’t have magic like he has.”
“Oh, you have your own charms,” Domingo muttered, gazing at Squid.
But Squid made a hasty exit.
“What’s Squid’s problem?” I asked.
“Fuck it. I might have made an advance and now I regret doing so.”
“You what?”
“I may have let on that I was feeling rather…pent up…you know, and wondered if Squid would perhaps help me out.”
“An amorous advance? I thought you were done with all of that.”
He tilted his head and frowned. “Well, not forever! I have had a lovely break but now I’ve started to miss…all of that…if you must know.”
“Oh,” I said.
Memories flashed back of a lustful evening spent with the captain and Domingo, wherein we had kept each other quite entertained.
“Well, I’m sorry Squid didn’t welcome your interest.” I gazed at the blue-green waves sparkling in the sunshine.
“Only, Captain Martin and me, we…” I glanced at Domingo.
“Well, he’s trying to think of ways to distract and tire me during the day.
The battle with the Eloise certainly fit the bill. But that was days ago.”
Domingo frowned. “You having nightmares again?”
“Well, I haven’t been but I know they’ll return. I was having them nearly every night.” I stared out at the waves and said what was on my mind. “Domingo…do you still think about that encounter at the Turnkey? At all?”
“All the time, Rooster. You?”
“More than I should.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Well, I’m a married man, ain’t I? I shouldn’t be having randy thoughts about anyone but my husband.”
Domingo laughed. “Truly? Is that how you think marriage works?”
“Isn’t it?”
“Well, I’m not an expert, as I’ve never been married myself. But I expect you’ll always have thoughts of other men. Particularly if they are as beautiful and lovely and adventurous as I.”
He batted his lashes at me, and there was interest and desire there. A spark lit in my belly, and I wondered if Dinesh would like another turn with the both of us, instead of only me?
“Domingo, would you…do you think you’d…consider being with us again? That way?”
“Yes, yes, yes. I thought you’d never ask.”
***
Although the thought did occur to me to surprise Dinesh by inviting Domingo to our rooms for an unplanned tete-a-tete, I decided a surprise would be unwise in this situation. We were married now, and I needed to know he was still all right with the idea of sharing.
When Dinesh had surprised me at the Turnkey Inn on Tortuga with the pretty dark-haired man, I had been the one unsure if I wanted to share the captain.
In the end, having such a kind, considerate, and knowledgeable third in our coupling had proved enjoyable.
So much so, I hadn’t been able to forget.
The following day, after another blessedly dream-free night, I asked Captain Martin if he still thought about our time at the Turnkey with Domingo. It was late in the afternoon by the time I was able to corner him as he’d been so busy.
He appeared puzzled to be asked. He was probably surprised I would reference a place that was likely a jumble of burnt timbers, either from the Spanish attack or as the result of the powers I’d had to unleash to enable our escape.
I didn’t like to think about the town of Cayonne in general, and nobody dared to name the place, after my reaction upon finding out the truth about the town’s destruction.
The captain and the crew had initially lied to me about the extent of the damage.
“Yes, I do. Often,” he admitted. “Do you?”
“Aye.”
“Hmm. I wonder, does Domingo?”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”
Dinesh put down the chart he was reading and focused on me. “Go on.”
“Well,” I said, blushing already and wondering why this felt so awkward.
“You see…Domingo and I were speaking, and I thought that perhaps being a part of a…to be involved in a…to be… Oh, for fuck’s sake.
We thought that if the three of us were to enjoy another…
” I made motions with my hands that seemed ruder than I’d planned and gazed at Dinesh hopefully.
“Are you asking me to ask Domingo if he would help me distract you?” Dinesh asked, mirroring my rude gesture.
“Oh no, no, no.”
He looked disappointed and let his hands fall to his sides.
“I’ve already asked him. I’m trying to find out if you want to play around with Domingo and me,” I said, playing with the edge of the desk.
“You little schemer,” he said in a voice filled with respect. “How bloody efficient.”
I grinned. “So…do you?”
“What do you think? How could I resist another tumble with the two of you?”
“I was hoping you would say that,” I said. “Domingo is free this very afternoon, in fact.”
“Is he? What a coincidence.” He frowned. “Only, wait a moment. I was of the understanding that Domingo didn’t have any interest in those kinds of activities after working at the Turnkey for so long.”
“Aye, well, he seems to be ready to partake in them again—as long as they are of his own choosing, of course.”
“Of course.” Captain Martin stood, restless now and looking quite excited. “What are we waiting for?”
I tried not to laugh at his enthusiasm.
“Well, Domingo is waiting for me to let him know that you have agreed to the plan,” I said.
Captain Martin sat and tried to look sober. “I have agreed to the plan,” he said in formal tones.
“I know,” I said, not moving.
We sat there silently for several moments, Dinesh watching me with expectation.
“Well…aren’t you going to tell him?”
“Hmm. First I need to ask you some questions.”
“You do?”
“Aye.”
“All right. Ask away.”
“If we do this…thing…with Domingo again, I need to know that the event won’t change our relationship to each other.
We are still married. Simply because I want to include another man in our coupling on this occasion, doesn’t mean I will be open to fucking men willy-nilly in our rooms whenever you’re bored. ”
“Me?” Dinesh said. “You are the one orchestrating this, not me.”
I inclined my head. “True. However, I don’t want this to give you the impression that I will always be up to tup another man together.
I suppose what I’m saying is that I don’t want this to become a regular thing.
Once in a while, and in this instance, to support what we have decided needs doing from the situation of my nightmares, and because I do like Domingo, and we both find him to be beautiful and, ahem, adventurous, and enormously skilled.
And because the last time we were together was ruined in the end by our hasty escape from Tortuga.
And because of the recent situation with the Eloise, which frightened and upset me and caused me to have to save you all again, which in fact is vexing and exhausting. ”
“I think we understand each other, and the exceptional circumstances that make this particular instance acceptable.”
“Aye.”
“So?”
“So?”
“Well, for fuck’s sake, go and get him.”
I blinked. “Should we…not make a plan…of some kind?”
“Rooster, I don’t want to write an essay about it,” he said. “Get him here, and we shall figure it out.”
“All right,” I said, walking past Dinesh.
“And Rooster,” he said, as I pulled the door open.
I glanced back.
“For God’s sake, make sure he leaves that bloody bird in the galley.”
I flashed him a smile.
I’d assumed I’d have to travel all the way down to the kitchens to find Domingo, but he was hanging about at the bottom of the stairs.
“Well?” he asked, brown eyes wide with expectation.
“I’ve been sent to fetch you, good sir,” I said, with a bow.
Domingo grinned and took my hand, and I pulled him along.
Squid, who was stationed in his usual spot outside our chambers, now holding Pearl’s leather lead as I expect the captain had asked him to mind her for the next few hours, eyed Domingo with an indecipherable expression.
“Hello, Squid,” Domingo said.
“Any weapons on you?” Squid asked shortly.
“Only my astonishingly sharp wit,” Domingo stated, eyeing Squid with suspicion.
“Oy, what’s going on with you two?” I asked.
“Absolutely nothing,” Domingo stated with some bitterness.
“Nothing at all,” Squid agreed but didn’t look too pleased about the assertion.