Page 75 of The Matchmaker Club
“What?”
“That’s poison ivy.”
“Shit.” He hopped out with his hands still covering his family jewels and almost fell backward.
I ran to my trunk and threw him a blanket. “Wrap yourself in this. You definitely don’t want to put on those clothes.”
We got in the car, and I didn’t take a breath of relief until we were on the main road.
“So, I steal a kiss from Muffy, and your payback is poison ivy. Doesn’t seem like a fair trade.”
“That part was an accident and unintended.”
“Maybe, but if I get a rash on any parts I hold dear, you had better watch it.”
“Is that a threat?”
“It’s a promise, and I never make promises I don’t intend to keep.”
I don’t know why, but his words warmed me. I had a feeling he meant what he said… in all aspects of his life.
* * *
Lucas and I tiptoed through the front door and I shut it quietly behind us. Lainey was coming out of the den, so I nudged Lucas to go upstairs.
He ran up, and his foot caught the end of the blanket on a step. He just dropped it and went up the rest of the way in his birthday suit. I held my hand over my mouth to stifle a giggle.
Lainey came toward me and looked up the staircase. “Was that Lucas wrapped in a blanket?”
“Yeah, he went for a swim at Whittemore.”
A smirk settled on her lips. “With or without clothes?”
I shrugged, and she shook her head. “Just be careful with that.”
“With what?”
“Don’t forget who he isandwho his father is.”
I waved her off. “Nothing is going on between us. I’m just being a good hostess.”
“I know what Grandma Hattie wants you to do, but… be careful with that heart of yours. That’s more important.”
I swallowed. “I’m fine.”
Although that kiss had me feeling not so fine.
She brushed my cheek with the back of her hand. “Okay.”
Lainey headed back to the den, and I started the task of cleaning up a possibly infected blanket. With rubber gloves on my hands, I shoved the fabric into a trash bag and threw it down into the basement. By the time I came up, Lucas was coming out of the guest bathroom in gym shorts and a T-shirt.
“I took a quick shower. I didn’t see anything, and I don’t feel itchy, yet, so that’s a good sign, right?”
“Depends. Some people get a rash in a few hours, for others, it takes days.”
“That’s not the news I was hoping for.”
“Just don’t scratch, no matter what. We have calamine lotion in the medicine cabinet if you need it.”
