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“Who are you?” For a moment, I have a strange flash of intuition that this woman is my stepbrother’s wife-to-be—but I’ve only ever seen her in pictures, so I can’t be totally sure.
“I’m... Drew. It’s my sister’s wedding.”
Ah, identical twin. I remember my father telling me that. “Andwhyare you naked?”
“I left my bridesmaid dress at home. It’s sitting on my bed and... Dammit. I can’t believe I forgot it.”
“Presumably you wore something here this morning.”
She lets out a frustrated exhale as though my questions are a waste of her time. “There was an...incident. With a curling wand. I caught on fire.”
I’m sure it’s one of those female things that would make no sense to me even if she did explain it. I have no idea what a curling wand is or why it might burst into flames. She also doesn’t look burned, so I am thoroughly confused.
“Please drive,” she pleads. “I have to go back to my place and get the dress or my sister willkillme.”
I can totally imagine my stepbrother marrying a bridezilla. That would suit him to a tee. But this is not my fucking problem. I didn’t even want to come to this godforsaken wedding, and theonlyreason I’m here is because my dad told me he’d never speak to me again if I didn’t show.
Which means if there’s drama with the wedding party and he finds out I didn’t help...
“You seriously caught on fire?” I ask.
“Just a little bit of fire.” She bites down on her lip. Is a little bit of fire even a thing? “Do you think I’d be running out in the open with my lady bits on display if it wasn’t totally necessary?”
Hmm. Good point.
Her eyes dart toward the front of the building. Geez, her sister must be a real nightmare if she looksthatterrified at being caught.
“Where’s your place?” I say with a heavy sigh. I already regret coming—I donotneed more drama in my life, that’s for damn sure. But wherever my stepbrother is, stupid shit follows. Like he’s the Pied Piper of stupid shit. I should have known something wild would happen.
“South Melbourne,” she says, sagging back against the seat. “Thank you. You’re a life-saver.”
It’s not too far from here—fifteen minutes tops. Shaking my head, I back my car out of the spot I’d just pulled into and peel out of the venue. Given I was running late—procrastinating and trying to find an excuse to bail without burning my relationship with my father to the ground—nobody is coming in the other direction. Everyone else will have arrived by now.
We zip along the small, winding road that leads through the parkland and out onto a main road in record time.
The second we’ve cleared the trees, a green-and-white sign tells us South Melbourne is less than five kilometres away. I catch the half-naked woman relaxing somewhat.
“So, it’s Drew, is it?” I ask.
She looks at me with wary eyes. “Yeah.”
I don’t know anything about my stepbrother’s fiancée or her family—other than from the cheesy wedding announcement I read online. How Mike had foundanyoneto marry him was a mystery, let alone someone as smokin’ as Presley Richardson. And it turns out that genetic lotteriesdoexist, because there are two of them.
“You jumped intomycar,” I point out. “I’m allowed to ask a few questions.”
“You asked a few questions before we left the parking lot.” She purses her lips. “And shouldn’t you be concentrating on the road?”
For someone who was begging a stranger to help her not five minutes ago, she sure is bossy.
She lets out a breath and holds up one hand—her other still crossing her chest. “Sorry. I don’t mean to be a bitch, but this has been...a hell of a day.”
“Not the sunshine and roses the bride and groom would have everyone believe?” I raise a brow and pull my eyes back to the road as the light in front of us turns green. “Has your sister been driving you nuts?”
“My sister is a saint. What she’s put up with...” The sentence breaks off with an aggravated huff.
I know that sound. Have expelled itfrequentlyaround my stepbrother. He’s a man who inspires the kind of noises no words can convey. Given my father seems to think the sun shines out of his ass, I’m happy to have support from someone in the wedding party...even if she is half naked and clearly not organised enough to bring her bridesmaid dress with her.
“He’s not the easiest guy.” I choose my words wisely, because as much as I have strong feelings about Mike, I don’t want things blowing up in my face with the rest of the family. Again.
