Page 73 of The Matchmaker Club

13

Payback

Whittemore Lake was the town’s official place for boating and swimming. Some fished in the far end of the lake, but this particular spot was cleaned out for kids to play on hot days. There was a dock leading out to the deeper end that the older kids would dive from. At night the lake was closed and off limits, but this wasn’t the first time I’d snuck out here. The moon was bright and made the leaves on the trees glow a shimmering silver. The water sparkled with movement as if swaying to the sounds of the crickets and katydids.

I’d come here often after Austin dumped me and broke my heart. There were times I couldn’t stand being on the estate because everything reminded me of him. This was one of the places that didn’t.

We went skinny dipping a few towns over. At the time I thought Austin was being adventurous, but I later figured out he probably didn’t want us getting caught here in town and his parents finding out.

“Is this where you swam naked?” Lucas picked up a rock and skimmed it along the water’s surface.

“No, but it’s safe to swim here.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Is it cold?”

“Yup.”

He let out a sigh. “You coming in?”

“Oh no. This is all you.”

“Well, a deal is a deal.” He took off his shirt and tossed it to the ground. The moonlight glistened over his skin and all that muscle flexed with every move he made. Heat flowed through me, and I flushed at the thought of gliding my hands over his shoulders and down his back.

He started to pull down his jeans, and I turned away. “Let me know when it’s safe to look.”

“It’s fine. I’m not that shy.”

“Well, maybeIam.”

When I heard splashing water, I turned to see Lucas running in, his butt stark white compared to the tanned parts of his body. I couldn’t help but laugh as he yelped through the cold.

He dove into the water and came up. “Damn, it’s freezing!”

“You’ll get used to it.”

He swam out a little deeper and looked back at me. “Sure you don’t want to come in?”

I picked up his shirt, then grabbed his shorts. “Nope, I have other plans.”

“What are you doing?” I could have sworn his face went a little paler under the moon.

“Just a little payback for stealing that kiss from Muffy.”

“You wouldn’t.”

I snatched up his boxer briefs and held them up. “Watch me.”

He started swimming toward me, and I made a run toward the wide trail and froze when I saw headlights pulling onto the road.

Shit.

“Lucas, swim under the dock now! I think it’s Hank or Frank.”

“Who?”

“Cop!”

He dove underwater, and I looked around for a place to hide his clothes. Just as the car was getting closer, I tossed his stuff into the woods behind a bush.