Page 9 of Death on the Rocks

Recognising the voice, Lily automatically looked up.

“Oh, hello!” he said, catching her eye.

“Hi.” She ignored the other two sets of eyes on her. “Kit, wasn’t it?”

“Yes. I don’t think I caught your name.” He held his hand out and Lily introduced herself.

“You’ve met my girlfriend, I take it…” He indicated the barmaid. “Seren.”

Lily smiled awkwardly.

“I met Lily earlier,” Kit said. “Checking out the site of the old ice cream shop.”

“I loved that place,” Seren said, before being interrupted by her friend who leaned in Lily’s direction.

“I’m Keira,” she told Lily.

“My brother’s girlfriend,” Kit added.

“It’s quite the family get together,” Lily remarked.

“Hardly,” Keira said. “The place would be heaving if all Kit’s family was in here. There are loads of them. You can’t throw a stone on this island without hitting a member of the Treneary family.”

“You should really stop throwing stones at my family,” Kit said dryly, earning himself a punch on the arm from Keira.

“Anyway,” she said to Lily with a gentle grimace. “Sorry if we were talking loudly before…”

“You weren’t, but I may have been eavesdropping a little.”

“Sorry about these two,” Kit said. “They’re a right pair of gossips.”

“We don’t usually gossip like that,” Keira said, causing Kit to choke on a laugh.

“We don’t!” She aimed a playful elbow at his ribs. “But it’s not every day a hot copper turns up on the island. It’s caused quite a stir. Especially as he seems intent on sleeping with every single woman he meets.”

“Is he hot?” Kit asked, with a comical frown.

“He’s pretty easy on the eyes,” Keira said. “But don’t tell Noah I said that.”

“I suppose he’s sort of classically handsome.” Kit raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t think women were into that these days.”

“Classically handsome men?” Seren said, the corners of her lips twitching. “No. I don’t think women like that at all.”

“I thought rugged good looks were all the rage.” Kit lifted his chin a fraction. “If you’re telling me classically handsome is back in, I might have to rethink my haircut.”

Beside him, Keira snorted a laugh.

“What’s so funny?” he demanded.

“Nothing.” She beamed and reached out to pinch his cheek. “You’re so cute.”

“Hey.” He swatted her hand away. “That’s what the old ladies tell me. When I take the seniors from the nursing home out for a train ride, all I hear is how cute I am. I assumed it was bad eyesight that made them mistake my rugged good looks for cuteness.”

Keira opened her mouth to comment then pressed her lips together at the last moment.

“Seren likes my rugged good looks, anyway,” he said firmly.

“I do.” Seren’s smile was full of affection. “Very much.”

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