It was a setup.

Matthew was burning up, the heat unbearable. His throat bobbed as he growled. "Get out!"

Lillian's face was flushed, and even with such a rebuke, she clung to him tightly.

"Matthew, it's unbearable. Help me... Please help me." Without a second thought, she tore open her collar, her arms entwined with Matthew's, her eyes dazed.

Matthew was disgusted to the extreme. He endured the discomfort and pushed Lillian away forcefully. "Get away. I'm not ...