Page 66 of Afflicted

“The gym?” I raise an eyebrow. “I don’t know if I feel like that.”

“The doctor really wants you healthy.” His smile is so fucking charming.

I gaze up at the bright blue sky, shielding my eyes with my hand. “It’s such a beautiful day, why don’t we go for a walk? I don’t want to be inside more than I have to be.”

He jerks his shoulders into a little shrug, tucking his hands into his pockets. “Of course. Let’s go.”

I kick off my flip-flops when we reach the grass, enjoying the feeling against my bare feet. Everything is warm and fresh, the sky above us littered with fluffy clouds. I breathe in deeply through my nose, becoming aware of Silas looking at me as we walk. I turn my head to gaze up at him. I can see his tattoos now, and my eyes wander down his arms, thick with muscle.

“Bones and roses,” I say. “Do they mean anything or did you just think they looked good?”

He smiles, squinting in the sunlight. “I was 19 and thought they made me look tough.”

“And who’s she?” I point to the tattooed woman on his left bicep, bound with chains, her face twisted with ecstasy and her breasts very much on display. “Are thosenipple clamps?” He stops so I can inspect her more closely, and he laughs out loud.

“That’s Boudicca.”

I raise my eyebrows incredulously. “As in, the celtic queen?”

Silas flashes that devastating smile again. “When I got her, I picked a name that I was fairly sure I would never associate with an ex-girlfriend. If I called her Jackie or Susan, those odds were decidedly not in my favor. So, she’s Boudicca, and I’ll never have my naked ex-girlfriend tattooed on my arm.”

“Good plan.” I look back at the tattoo, and smile. “Nice to meet you, Boudicca. You seem to be having a good time.”

“Oh, she is.” Silas’s voice drops a little lower.

I try to ignore what that tone of voice does to me, and run my finger down his huge arm. “Were you always this jacked?”

He shrugs as we start to stroll again.

“I was a scrawny kid, so when I got older I wanted to be bigger. But…” He trails off, his face dropping a little. “Drugs aren’t especially healthy. Wasn’t until I got clean that I bulked up again.”

“Right.” We walk for a little while, skirting the edge of the forest. The garden is brimming with fruit and vegetables, ready for harvest. “My brother used to drag me to the gym with him.”

“Oh, yeah? You said you’re a twin.”

I nod. “Well, I was.”

“Did you look alike?”

“No.” I smile a little. “I look like my dad, and my brother looked like my mom.”

“Ah, they got one each, ey?” Silas plucks a peach from one of the trees and hands it to me. “Here, this one looks good.”

It does, it’s fat and glowing red. I sink my teeth into one side, making a big hole before I start peeling the skin away from the flesh. Silas watches me with raised eyebrows, grinning.

“Don’t like the skin?”

I shake my head. “Nah, makes me gag.”

“Mmm, can’t say I’ve ever minded hairy things in my mouth.”

A suppressed laugh grunts in my throat. “If that was an attempt at flirting you failed.”

“Yeah, that sounded way better in my head,” he says with a chuckle. He watches me finish peeling the peach, and I meet his eyes as I sink my teeth into the deep yellow flesh. “Good?”

“Mmmm.” Juice runs down my chin as I nod. I rub it away with the back of my hand, very aware that Silas’s eyes are fixed on my mouth. I lick my lips, and his shoulders tense visibly for a second. “Do you ever miss food?”

“Sometimes.” God, his stare is so intense. “But usually no. Blood tastes amazing.”

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