“What?That’s preposterous!”
I decided to stay out of the discussion and wandered over to play with one of the miniature boats on Dinesh’s chart.But he caught sight of me.
“Don’t touch that.You will stand silent and keep your hands at your sides, Rooster.”
My cock got hard in an instant, and suddenly I didn’t give a fuck about the bird.“Aye, Captain.”
Domingo’s eyes narrowed, and he lifted the cage containing the diminutive black bird.
“Look at her.Her colour is dull, her feathers are scruffy, and her eyes are melancholy.”
“She looks the same to me.”
“I’m telling you, she’s suffering.And you are a cruel, cruel man to deny her the one thing she needs.”
“Which is—correct me if I am mistaken—to be a spectator on acts of the utmost indecency between the three of us?”
“Oh, when you put it that way, Captain,” Domingo said with a devilish smile.“I expect the observance will do her almost as much good as being a party to the experience will do me.”
They gazed at each other while I stood obediently beside the table, my hands at my sides.
“Very well, you’ve convinced me that I must tolerate her if I’m to have the privilege of your company.”The tone of his voice indicated exactly how difficult this assertion was for him to articulate.
“Thank you.I’ll just put her over here, shall I?”Domingo said, carrying the bird cage over to the dresser.
Dinesh waved his hand as if, now that he’d consented to have the bird in his chambers, he didn’t care where she might be placed.
He gave me a disappointed look, implying that the situation was entirely my fault.I raised my eyebrows and showed him my palms to express my helplessness.
“Now then,” Dinesh said in a less strained manner, “shall we have a tot of rum to smooth our way?”He nodded to a decanter on his polished dresser.
“You’ll need to do more than liquor me up to smooth your way, Captain,” Domingo murmured, walking toward Captain Martin with a sway of his hips and a saucy smile.“For I know what you have in those pretty pants.”
Dinesh smiled at Domingo and dropped his arms as Domingo came to stand before him.Domingo was wearing a cotton tunic in a charming shade of green with an embroidered V neck and a bright orange sash, over a pair of grey stovepipe trousers.He looked like a London dandy on his day off.
Dinesh chuckled, his gaze wandering over Domingo’s lips, smooth-shaved chin and neck, and the small amount of dark chest hair that peeked out the neck of the tunic.The young man had been entirely smooth when we’d been with him at the Turnkey, as that was a preference of his clients.He had clearly abandoned efforts to keep himself to a standard over which he had no say.
“Oh, I intend to, don’t you worry,” Dinesh said, slipping an arm about Domingo’s slim waist and pulling him close.“And I shall enjoy every moment of my conquest.”
“Mmm.Still the same cocky attitude, I see,” Domingo said, gazing at Captain Martin with a hunger that had doubtless sharpened with his self-imposed abstinence.
“I see you’ve made use of our recent haul of unusual garments.”
Domingo smiled.“Well, I’m not going to bandy about looking like a ragamuffin.That might do for others, but I have more class myself.”
“Oh, Domingo, you are all class,” I said, stealing a piece of melon off the captain’s abandoned lunch plate and popping the fruit into my mouth.The sweet burst of flavour added to the delight of Domingo’s grateful smile.
The sight of them in a close embrace made my blood burn with desire, rather than jealousy.Especially now that we had joined together in an unofficial union, I felt confident in my ability to retain Dinesh’s interest.
Why shouldn’t we enjoy a passionate evening with a like-minded friend?
“Shall we be tying Rooster up again?”Domingo asked Dinesh, sending me a sly glance.
Dinesh looked my way as well, catching me with another piece of melon halfway to my lips.“I suppose that’s up to Rooster.”
I popped the morsel in and chewed thoughtfully.“Truly?”
“Of course.”
