Dirty Addiction (Dirty 2)

That’s what I do. I fix people’s problems and turn them into something amazing that works in their favor. I own a PR firm that only takes on the biggest problems with the highest-profile clients. Over the past five years, I have turned the company into the best PR firm in the country. No one does it better than Carter Woods.

But Lily is going to be a challenge. First, I’ll have to convince her that her dreams haven’t completely been destroyed. That she can still become a senator from North Carolina. And that I can get her there. But it comes with a price. I’m not cheap, but Lily can afford the best. If she really wants this, then she won’t even bat an eyelash.

The interview is finally over, and I close the lid on my computer before picking up the phone.

“Ruby, can you come in here, please?”

“Be right there, Carter,” my assistant answers.

A second later, Ruby bursts through my door with a large smile on her face. Her body is practically jumping up and down with excitement as she stands inside my office. She clasps her hands together to keep from exploding.

I raise an eyebrow at her. She’s always a positive woman who is usually happy, but this is on a different level.

“Spill, Ruby,” I say.

“You finally watched the Lily Taylor interview, didn’t you?”

I nod, although I don’t know why she says finally; it aired only a half hour earlier. And it doesn’t explain her bubbliness.

She turns, ducking out of my office for a second, before returning with a thick file that she throws onto my desk. “This is everything I have on Lily Taylor. I cleared your schedule to make sure you have time to focus just on her for the next month. I have a flight for you this evening to Charlotte, North Carolina, and I booked a hotel room, although I’m sure you would rather stay with Logan. Just let me know, and I can cancel. I’m just so excited for you,” Ruby squeals.

I narrow my eyes, not understanding why Ruby is so thrilled. “It will be a big account. If we succeed, we will have clients lining up, wanting to work with us, but I’m not sure why you are this enthusiastic about it, Ruby.”

Her cheeks flush as she takes a step forward to my desk and begins flipping through the thick manila folder lying on top. She stops when she gets to a picture and points at it. My eyes drift down to the picture of Lily and me wearing our homecoming crowns after winning King and Queen. We were a perfect couple. If we had met later in life, maybe we would still be together, but we were far too young then for it to last.

I look back up at Ruby, who still has the goofiest smile I’ve ever seen on her face. “We used to date. So?”

“So? So, she is flawless. Just look at her! She’s beautiful, smart, ambitious. She’s your perfect match! This could turn into a romantic love story. You go save her reputation and career, all the while falling in love with your high school sweetheart. How awesome!” she squeals.

I look down at the picture of a woman I haven’t thought about in years. She would be ideal for me. My career has always come first and will always come fir

st. That’s who I am. But, if I found a woman who was just as ambitious as I was, then maybe it would work. I would finally have a woman who understood me. Who wouldn’t complain when I was at the office for far too long because she was, too. A woman who didn’t care if we had kids. And, if we did, she’d agree that a nanny was the best person to raise them. Lily could be that person.

I smile, still holding the picture. “Thanks, Ruby.”

She grins and leaves me alone. I grab my cell phone and call up Logan. He knows me better than anyone. He lives in Charlotte and won’t have a problem with me crashing at his place. And he’ll be the perfect wingman to help me get Lily.

I knock at the same time I throw the door open to Logan’s apartment. I’ve been down a handful of times but not as much as I would like. North Carolina is a nice place to get away to when I need to relax, but I prefer the hustle and bustle of a big city like New York. And Logan is a bartender. Not exactly bringing in the big bucks, so he usually comes up to New York when he wants to have a good time.

“The fun has arrived!” I holler as I step into his apartment.

Logan gives me a bro hug when he sees me, slapping me hard on the back.

“I didn’t expect to see you back here after last time,” Logan says with a chuckle.

I frown, thinking about the last time I stayed here and how it took my chiropractor a month to fix my back after sleeping on his horrible futon. “I couldn’t miss an opportunity to see you. But, if you haven’t bought an actual bed for your guest room yet, then I’m turning around and getting you one right now. I’m not sleeping on that twenty-year-old futon again.”

“Relax. My sisters already beat you to it and bought me a mattress for Christmas last year.”

Images of Victoria and Amber pop into my head. Amber is older than Logan and me, and she wasn’t around much. But Victoria…she was the annoying little sister that I never had. Logan and I loved torturing her. I haven’t seen her in years, and the few times I’ve been back to see Logan, we have both been too drunk to talk about how his family is doing.

“How is Tori doing?” I ask.

Logan smiles. “She’s been better. Just lost her job. But I wouldn’t call her Tori. She hates that nickname.”

Tori never did have the career ambitions. She’s probably back at her mother’s house now, living the good life on the beach in California, until she finally decides she needs a little cash, like her brother, and gets a bartending job or something.

“Trust me, I don’t plan on seeing her anytime soon, so you don’t have to worry about me calling her Tori.” I pick up my suitcase. “You working tonight, or do you have time to go grab a drink?”