Page 52 of Oz
“That’s it?” I blurt. “You do remember my interview, don’t you?”
“Oz, it’s ingrained on my brain, dearest. I try to forget. I try to drink the memory away. But every night when I close my eyes it still comes back to me.”
Milo snorts. “Me too.”
I glare at him and he just smirks.Cocky little shit,I think admiringly. I turn back to Niall. “Surely as his best friend you should be advising against it. It’s not exactly conventional behaviour and it hasn’t worked out well before.”
He shrugs. “I’m his friend, not his lawyer.” He sighs long-sufferingly. “Oz, when I’m breeding the pigs–”
“What you get up to in your private life is your own business, sweetie,” I say faintly, and Silas laughs loudly.
Niall carries on as if I’d never spoken. “When I’m breeding the pigs, if it doesn’t take the first time, I just make them tryagain and again. If I gave up at the first hurdle, the world would have no baby pigs.”
“You’re like a pig pimp,” I say admiringly.
Silas flings his arm around me and kisses the side of my face affectionately while he laughs, and I look at him out of the corner of my eye.What is happening here? His arm is round me as if it means nothing to stand there boldly and declare that he’s with me.Isn’t he worried aboutthings going badly?
He turns his head slightly and smiles at me. His eyes are warm and clear and untroubled.Obviously not.
“I’m taking Oz out this afternoon,” he says to Maggie. “So please don’t cook for the two of us.” He shoots a look at Niall and Milo. “In fact, don’t cook for them either. Take the night off.”
Maggie smiles and exits the room quickly before he can take it back.
“Lovely,” Niall snorts. “Fish and chips again.” He looks at Silas. “Where are you going?”
“Mind your own business,” he says serenely and Niall laughs.
“I just want to know so I don’t make the mistake of doing the same thing. I do want to get laid in the next millennium.”
“Surely your personality would interfere with that,” I say smoothly, and he laughs.
“I’m off. See you later.”
He moves through the door and Silas jerks. “Oh, wait a minute. I need a word with you about the top field.” He grabs me closer into his side. “Be ready at four,” he whispers. “Dress casually.”
“Why? Are we raiding another stately home?”
He laughs and kisses me lightly. Or at least I think he means to do it lightly, but as soon as our lips touch he groans under his breath and licks into my mouth. I raise my hands automatically and thread them through his silky hair, but Milo coughs and Niall shouts through the door, “Not at the breakfast table.”
Silas pulls back. His lips look full and slick. “Sorry,” he says breathlessly. Then he ruffles my hair and darts out of the room after Niall. Their voices echo down the corridor and then silence falls.
I turn to Milo. “Did that just happen?” I ask faintly.
He nods, looking slightly astonished. “It did. I’m quite surprised because he isn’t a terribly demonstrative person. I never saw him kissing David.”
“Notthat,” I interrupt. “Did he just ruffle my hair like I’m seven?” I raise my fingers to my head. “It took me ages to get this quiff straight.” I pause. “Although okay, let’s go back to what you just said. That was much more interesting.”
He grins. “Nope. You had your chance and it’s long gone now. The pair of you will just have to muddle along and I’ll watch.”
I shake my head and butter my toast. “You’re an enigma, Milo, I don’t mind telling you.”
“Why?”
“Because you seem so shy, but you’re actually not.”
He shrugs. “I was very shy as a child and had a really bad stutter. I’m better now. But if I’m nervous then it all comes back and I tend to get self-conscious and stuttery.”
“But why would you be …?” I stop. “Niall?”
