Page 53 of Lipstick Kiss

“Have you heard of consent?” Luke asked.

“Erica did that to me,” Archer said.

“Oh yes, pot, you resisted kissing her for like ages.”

“Well, kettle, we kissed, and now we’re married. Just saying,” Archer said a little too smugly.

“All right, kids, play nicely. I need to get back and take the pastries out of the oven,” Jason said, patting them both on the back.

“Save me one,” Luke shouted out without turning.

Luke looked out across the lawn at the men working out, knowing full well any of them would jump at the chance of a drink with Freya, not just Pete and not just because of her heart-shaped bottom. She was everything a man could want.

“Why am I C&B manager?” Luke asked.

“That was the role divvied up for you. That’s what you went back to college to study,” Archer replied evenly.

“So it’s not because you don’t trust me?”

“What the hell are you talking about, brother? I’d trust you with my life.”

“Just not the client’s lives,” Luke replied quietly.

“What did she say?” Archer clipped out. “Cynthia. What did she say to you?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Yes, it fucking does. Jason, Daisy, and me. We all trust you. What happened that day was not your fault. When we had to divide this venture, it never occurred to offer endurance courses or space for athletes to come and train in privacy. We thought we would be doing weddings.”

“What happens if they need a medic?”

“You know they’ve got one with them. He’s sitting over there on a log. You met him, Luke.”

“I feel so useless, Archer. My role here just seems artificial.”

“You’ve only been back a month or so. It takes a while to assimilate into island life again. I struggled until I married Erica. You’ll find your groove. But get Cynthia out of your head. She is poison and is hell-bent on making everyone else as miserable as she is.”

“I’ll try.”

“If you’re in love with Freya, you should tell her. If she doesn’t love you back, then you can move on. But don’t make her wait, just in case she does love you. We know how life can end in a flash.”

“All right,” Luke said quietly.

“Luke,” Archer snapped in the only way a big brother could.

“I’ll tell her, kiss her, whatever, by the end of the weekend. I’ll make a move, and we’ll see.”

“Good. If she does love you, then get married, don’t fuck about. Let’s start making our own families up at the cottages and bring happiness back to these halls and fuck Cynthia Turner. Let her have the main house. The cottages and plenty big enough for us.”

“Right. On that note, do you think I’d be allowed to get into the study? Or is it only the eldest allowed in there?”

Archer pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and twisted off a key.

“That will let you in. I’m sure Bailey won’t bar the way if you have a key. All I ask is that it’s only you that goes in there. Let it just be family for now. I haven’t had time to look around, and while I trust Freya, if there are deep dark secrets in there, I’d rather know first.”

“That’s a deal. I’m looking for old maps of the island. Bailey said our great-great-great-grandfather mapped the whole island, and Cynthia won’t hand them over to the museum.”

“Are you still looking for those florins?”

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