Ménage of the Siren [Sirens and Sailors 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Bella Settarra

  In an attempt to get her mind back on track and slow her heavy breathing, she forced her eyes away from the bed and glanced around at the other side of the room. It was neat and clean, with various pieces of wooden furniture. She guessed that her clothes had already been placed inside one of the cupboards that lined the far wall. The large window boasted a wonderful view of the harbor and the sea beyond, from its elevated position above the island.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?” The deep voice behind her made her jump. She hadn’t noticed the men stop talking and Dr. Jay come upstairs. Her face flushed as she wondered how long he had been there, and what he had seen. She also realized she had been caught snooping in his bedroom.

  Nodding to the view outside, he pointed. “You can see almost the entire island from up here. I think this was originally a fort or something. That would explain why it’s made of stone and is two-tier. There’s a room down the hall where you can see the other side of the island, the only bit you can’t see from here. My guess is that this was where they would protect it from.”

  “Protect it from whom?” She did her best to stay on the subject while her mind wandered.

  “Pirates, maybe. Or just the sailors from the mainlands. This island has probably always been independent, and the people here most likely wanted to keep it that way.”

  Relieved that he wasn’t cross with her for invading his private bedroom, she turned to face the handsome doctor. “You know a lot about the house, don’t you, Dr. Jay?”

  He grinned. “I make it my business to know things,” he said with a glint in his gorgeous blue eyes.

  Ademia blushed and moved toward the door. Suddenly she felt a little vulnerable being in his bedroom with him. She wasn’t worried as such, just a little concerned that she was beginning to feel excited again being here with him. She was even more concerned when she reached the door to see Farris filling the space there.

  “Can I join you?” he asked with a wink. He really was gorgeous. His jet-black hair lay in tousled waves around his shoulders and a layer of neat stubble covered the bottom half of his face. His rugged appearance added to his charm, and his dark brown eyes twinkled with mischief.

  Ademia felt another gush of liquid between her legs and blushed again. Oh God!

  “We were just going,” she managed, in a voice much smaller than she intended.

  There was a chuckle from behind her and Dr. Jay’s big hand came out to hold the door open for her. “If you’re sure, baby?”

  Was that an invitation to stay? How much had they witnessed? Ademia bit her lip nervously and nodded.

  Farris chortled and led the way down the narrow staircase. It was only just wide enough for each of them to file down, and the bare stone made it very cool. Ademia pulled her shawl tightly around her, not sure whether it was because of the chill of the stairs, or the feeling of excited vulnerability which had overcome her in the presence of these two hunks. Either way, she felt strangely disappointed when they reached the bottom of the stairs and headed straight out the front door.

  * * * *

  Ligia and Aitan were down by the little harbor when they arrived. Ligia automatically leapt up and went over to hug her friend. Ademia was grateful for some female company following the tension in the house.

  “We’ve got to get some more seed potatoes from the mainland,” Ligia said with a roll of her eyes. Aitan spent most of his time in the fields these days.

  “What are you guys up to?” Aitan asked the doctor, eyeing his bag.

  “Ademia’s got a check-up today,” the doctor replied.

  “Great, we can all go together!” Ligia cried excitedly.

  “Great.” Dr. Jay tried to hide his disappointment as they all climbed into the little boat. Farris fired up the outboard motor and they were soon on their way to Eastland.

  “Are you OK?” Ligia asked with a concerned expression.

  “Oh yes, it’s just a final check-up,” Ademia said with a smile. “Then I can be discharged.”

  “Oh, right.” Ligia looked warily at the doctor, not sure if Ademia was aware yet that she wasn’t actually going home afterward.

  Dr. Jay shook his head.

  Ligia delved into her basket and started handing around griddle scones. She was a very good cook, and the crew devoured them gratefully. After lunch, the girls sat back and enjoyed the sun while the men talked about their latest plans for cultivating the fields, and the problem of getting the flower orders fulfilled without the ship.

  It took a few hours to reach Eastland’s big harbor and Farris made short work of mooring the small boat.

  “Can I come with you?” Ligia asked, linking arms with Ademia as they made their way up the street.

  Ademia smiled. “Of course.”

  “I’ll help Aitan,” Farris offered.

  They parted ways and Dr. Jay led the girls to the hospital. Ademia didn’t much like it there, so she was pleased to have Ligia with her. Dr. Jay was obviously very much at home in the large, white building, but it made the girls feel nervous. It was full of people scurrying about, looking important in their different uniforms. Even the patients seemed very serious.

  “I just want Ademia to have a scan of that arm to make sure it’s mended properly,” Dr. Jay was telling Dr. Ernaut, a white-haired doctor with a serious expression.

  “Of course, Dr. Jasun,” the older man nodded, using the doctor’s correct name. Everyone on the island knew him as Dr. Jay, which seemed a little less intimidating to the women, who weren’t used to having a medic around, much less one as large and dominant as the ship’s surgeon.

  A nurse in a crisp, white uniform came to join them. She couldn’t believe her luck when she saw them arrive. Having set her sights on the handsome ship’s doctor when she first saw him, she was just waiting for the right time to make her move. She had also done her homework and learned that he was in the middle of setting up his own practice on the island of Refrainia. Although the nurse had no intention of moving to the island herself, she knew how much money was tied up in private practice, and she was very fond of money. She was also keen on promotion, and the young doctor was speaking to the one man who could easily get it for her. Two birds with one stone!

  “You managed to get her fever under control then, Doctor?” she asked with a wide smile.

  “Eventually,” Dr. Jay said, smiling back at the pretty nurse. “She had us worried for a while there, though.”

  Ademia was becoming more than a little peeved about the way they were all talking about her as if she wasn’t there. She was even more annoyed at the way the slim young nurse was flirting with Dr. Jay, although she wasn’t about to admit it, even to herself.

  “Nurse Reis will do the scan, it won’t take long,” Dr. Ernaut announced.

  The nurse led Ademia into a small room while the doctors chatted outside. Ligia gave her friend a hug before finding a chair to wait on in the corridor.

  “I’m just going to scan your arm,” Nurse Reis said matter-of-factly as she hauled the large blonde patient rather unceremoniously onto a bed.

  Ademia bit her tongue.

  “All your results are good but I think Dr. Jasun is just being thorough, given your lack of facilities on that island.” The nurse sneered as she spoke about Ademia’s home. She set up her computer before turning back to the blonde girl, who lay, seething, on the bed with her arm stretched out to one side.

  “My doctor’s a very thorough man,” Ademia said bluntly.

  “He is that, all right,” the nurse said with a salacious grin.

  Ademia’s back was well and truly up now. How dare she talk about him like that?

  “Do you know Dr. Jay?” Ademia asked through gritted teeth.

  “Everyone knows Dr. Jasun,” the nurse replied with a sly smile, as she ran a probe over Ademia’s arm, “But none quite as well as I do.”

  “And how well do you know him?”

  “Well, it’s a bit of a secret, really,” Nurse Reis went on with a smug expression
, “but the handsome doctor and I are what you might call an item.”

  “Is that right?” Ademia was trying hard to control her anger.

  “Oh yes, though, of course, I wouldn’t expect you to understand,” the nurse continued, as she studied the monitor. “But actually Dr. Jasun and I are very much together, if you get my meaning. No, you probably don’t, do you?” She gave Ademia a superior look before resuming her work at the computer.

  “That must be very difficult for you, as he lives on Refrainia. He doesn’t get over to the mainland very often, and certainly not often enough to have a relationship with anyone here.” Ademia felt her heart hammering as she tried to keep a cap on her rage.

  “Oh, you don’t know Dr. Jasun,” Nurse Reis gloated.

  “Well I should, being as how we live together.” Ademia relished providing the information and enjoyed the look of horror on the spiteful woman’s face.

  The nurse lifted the probe from her arm and stared back at the large blonde girl in the small blue bikini. “He lives with you? But you’re so…” Luckily for her she didn’t finish her sentence. She didn’t need to.

  Her incredulous tone made Ademia’s heckles rise, and she sat up angrily. Taking a deep breath, she attempted to sound nonchalant as she answered the snooty nurse. “Oh yes. Didn’t he tell you? We’ve been together quite a while now. I’d be interested to see how he’s had time to have a relationship with you. We’re practically inseparable.”

  Ademia relished in the stunned expression on the nurse’s face as she quickly starting shutting down her computer. Leaning over to the young woman, the blonde patient said conspiratorially, “I’m glad you’ve finished. Dr. Jay and I have…er…plans for this afternoon, if you get my meaning. Oh, no, you probably don’t, do you?” With that, she heaved her ample body down from the bed and pulled her shawl around her before heading for the door.

  Dr. Jay was still in the corridor outside with Dr. Ernaut, and both looked around in surprise as the door of the treatment room swung open.

  “Are we ready to go now?” Ademia asked as she strode over to the doctors. Ligia leapt to her feet and followed her friend. The doctors nodded to each other and Dr. Jay turned to leave.

  “Oh, Dr. Jasun, there is just a small confidential matter I need to discuss with you before you go.” Nurse Reis strolled up behind them, a clipboard in her hand.

  “Oh, er, yes of course, nurse,” Dr. Jay replied, a little bemused.

  Ademia’s face fell.

  “We can meet Dr. Jay in the tavern if you like?” Ligia tried to be helpful, seeing the disappointment in her friend’s pretty, round face.

  “Good idea. Why don’t you two go on ahead? I won’t keep him long,” Nurse Reis ushered with a sickly sweet smile.

  Bitch!

  Dr. Jay looked expectantly at Ademia, who was seething. Her face turned red and she nodded at him, unable to speak. As the nurse linked his arm and led him down the corridor, Ligia and Ademia made their way in the opposite direction.

  “We’ve got plenty of time before we meet Aitan and Farris.” Ligia was chatting away to her friend, aware that she was really het up over something. “We can have a quiet drink ourselves first, if you like?”

  That sounded like a good idea to Ademia, who tried to calm herself as her redheaded friend led her out of the building and down the street to a quiet, dimly lit tavern.

  “Could we have two glasses of white wine, please?” Ligia asked the man behind the bar. He smiled and nodded to her as he poured the drinks.

  The girls sat at a small round table near the door.

  “What happened?” Ligia asked once they were settled.

  “I don’t know where to start,” Ademia said after taking a large sip of her wine. “It’s been such an awful day.”

  “But I thought you were OK on the boat,” Ligia said, surprised. “Did I miss something?”

  “It turns out that Dr. Jay and Farris want me to live with them permanently,” Ademia began through gritted teeth.

  “And you don’t want to?”

  “It doesn’t seem to matter what I want,” Ademia continued angrily. “They’ve already moved me in! All my clothes have been taken to the big house, ready for me.”

  “Oh.” Ligia took a large sip of her own drink.

  Ademia stared at her guilty face and frowned. “You knew, didn’t you?”

  “Ademia, I’m sorry, I assumed it was what you wanted.” Ligia clearly felt awful.

  “Why does everyone make assumptions about me? Don’t I get a say in anything anymore?” Ademia was hurt and annoyed.

  “I’m so sorry. I heard about it but Dr. Jay said they were going to speak to you about it.” Ligia patted her friend’s hand apologetically.

  Ademia sighed. “And then there was that bitch in the hospital!”

  “Who? The nurse?”

  “Yes, the fucking nurse!” Ademia had been around the sailors long enough to pick up some of their bad habits, including the use of colorful language. Ligia giggled at the sound.

  “It’s not funny,” Ademia assured her, shaking her head. “Do you know that skinny bitch looked down her nose at me and announced that she and Dr. Jay were an ‘item’, whatever that’s supposed to mean. She said they were together!”

  Ligia frowned, puzzled. “Well, how does she make that out?”

  “Fuck knows! I told her I bet that’s hard for them seeing as how he lives with me!”

  Ligia’s eyes opened wide, as did her mouth. “Oh my God!”

  “Well he does, sort of,” Ademia relented. “For the moment anyway.”

  Ligia smiled. “For a lot longer if that’s what you want,” she said with a grin.

  “Well I don’t want!” Ademia was adamant.

  “So, you don’t want him or Farris then?” Ligia asked coyly.

  Ademia was too angry to think. “No,” she said, obstinately. “I don’t want anyone who thinks my opinions or wishes don’t matter. And it looks like Dr. Jay may have found himself another woman anyway, if that bitch is anything to go by. Look how he’d rather be there with her than come with us. He’s made his choice.” She took another large sip of her drink and sat back in her chair.

  Ligia sighed.

  “Can I offer you ladies a top up?” A familiar voice came from behind them and they jumped around in surprise.

  “Palben!”

  Chapter 2

  The lanky young man in the business suit put an arm around each of the girls and gave them a hug.

  “I didn’t expect to see you again!” Ademia chirped excitedly. Her mood had instantly lightened.

  “Well, here I am. And this is Mikel, my friend.”

  A handsome young man in a gray suit joined them at their table. He was a little rounder than Palben, and his hair was dark. He had a neat chevron moustache, which sexily framed his top lip. He smiled to them both as his friend poured them all another glass of wine.

  “Mikel works with me at the office,” Palben explained. He nodded to the young man. “Ademia and Ligia come from Refrainia, the island I was telling you about.”

  Mikel’s eyes opened wide. “Oh,” he said. He looked the girls up and down. They both pulled their shawls a little tighter around their bikinis as he gawped.

  “What happened to Benat Ugarte?” Ligia desperately tried to change the subject.

  “He got eight months,” Palben said ruefully.

  “But he didn’t do anything.” Ligia was mortified.

  “He was gaoled for conspiring to pervert the course of justice,” Mikel explained, “Did you know him then?”

  The girls nodded.

  “He knew about the plans to detain the governor of Westland so that he couldn’t go through the agreement with our governor,” Palben explained, “he was friends with the guy who picked him up at the harbor and took him on a wild goose chase.”

  “A what?” Ademia frowned.

  “Oh sorry, it means he was sent on a fool’s errand, somewhere he didn’t need to be,” Pal
ben clarified. “In his case he was taken to a lap-dancing club where he got drunk.”

  “But your governor decided against taking on the island anyway!” Ligia exclaimed, “even if they had had their meeting, it would all have been a waste of time. That’s so unfair.”

  “That’s the law, I’m afraid,” Mikel said sympathetically. He patted Ligia’s hand.

  Although he was a good-looking man, Mikel made Ligia feel a little uneasy. She withdrew her hand and used it to cup her wine glass.

  Palben refilled their glasses.

  “You’ll get me drunk,” Ademia giggled, leaning forward and taking a large mouthful.

  Palben laughed. “Is that a problem?”

  “It will be if it interferes with your meds.” Ligia suddenly remembered that her friend was still on some strong painkillers. “You really shouldn’t drink any more, Ademia,” she said with a frown.

  “Oh, don’t be a killjoy!” Palben said, topping up the blonde girl’s glass again. “She deserves some fun.”

  Ligia kicked Ademia under the table and stared at her angrily. Ademia got the message and put her glass on the table. “Ligia’s right. I shouldn’t drink any more,” she said. She was already slurring her words slightly.

  “Dr. Jay’s going to be mad at you,” Ligia warned, shaking her head.

  “Dr. Jay won’t care about me. He’s with that snooty nurse,” Ademia said, leaning back in her seat again. She had clearly drunk a little too much.

  “I presume you’re not on medication?” Mikel leaned in closer to Ligia.

  The redhead swiftly placed her glass on the table. “No, I’m not, but I shan’t be drinking any more wine either, thank you,” she said firmly.

  “Are you sick?” Palben asked Ademia with a frown.

  “No, I just hurt my arm, that’s all,” Ademia replied with a shrug.