Liv & Cash (The IT Girls Book 3) Read online

  I bite my lip and peer out of our studio to see if I can spot a cute little gray bunny jumping about, but she’s nowhere to be seen.

  “I know.” I sigh. “She’s been acting a little strange lately.”

  Both of my best friends share a concerned look.

  “What do you mean, strange?” Sutton asks, forgetting all about her flawless makeup.

  “I don’t know,” I admit. “Just…like…extra tired. She’s been sleeping a lot and isn’t her usual active self.”

  “I’m sure she’s fine,” Kali says reassuringly, climbing to her feet and putting her arm around my shoulder. “Living with Coco and Georgie can be exhausting, I bet.”

  Sutton nods. “Kali’s right. She probably just needs some extra bunny beauty sleep.”

  “I hope so,” I murmur.

  Honestly, I wasn’t so sure. I’ve never seen my baby act this way. To say I’m worried about Chanel is putting it mildly.

  Outside the studio, a strange noise abruptly resounds down the hall. A baffling mix of choking and heavy breathing, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. The sound is so bizarre and startling that it makes all three of us immediately stop what we’re doing and freeze in place.

  For a second, we all just stare at one another. Then, when the odd sound echoes a second time, my friends and I dash out of the studio, following the noise all the way into the living room.

  “It’s coming from under the couch,” Sutton says.

  Both George and Coco are hovering near the source of the sound. George whines, his tail between his legs as he snuffles against the bottom of the couch with his nose. Coco seems equally worried. She sticks a long, silky paw beneath the couch and meows loudly.

  I drop to my knees, peeking underneath the sofa to spot a gray ball of fur.

  “It’s Chanel!” I cry out, reaching my arm beneath the couch to gently pry my precious bunny free from her hiding spot. “Come here, baby. That’s it.”

  As I climb up to my knees and sit back on my heels, cradling Chanel in my arms, she begins to cough loudly. My heart pounds against my chest and I gently hug her close. This is the first time I’ve ever heard her make such a sound, and I hate every second of it.

  “I need to take her to the vet!” I shout, jumping to my feet and hurrying across the room.

  “It’s Sunday,” Sutton says, following me. “The vet is closed.”

  Chanel lets out another strangled cough.

  “There’s an emergency vet open 24/7 on Palm Street,” Kali says, falling into step beside Sutton. “Someone is always there.”

  I have no idea how Kali knows that, but I’m glad she does. I only slow down long enough to grab my purse from the counter in the kitchen on the way to the garage.

  “Are you sure you’re okay to drive? Maybe we should go with you,” Sutton suggests.

  I glance over my shoulder at her and Kali as I open the door. I appreciate their offer, but I don’t want to waste even a second waiting for them to grab their purses and keys. “I’ll be fine. I’ll text you when I know something.”

  Once in the car, I settle Chanel in my lap and start the engine, then back out of the garage and race down the driveway. The vet Kali mentioned is on the other side of town and I drive way faster than I usually do, desperate to get my poor bunny some help. Tears well in my eyes every time she starts to hack.

  “Hang on, baby,” I plead with her as I finally pull into the parking lot of the emergency vet.

  Cradling my beloved bunny, I jump out of the car and race in to the small brightly colored building. The lobby is empty and I make a beeline for the counter. Unlike the regular vet where Kali, Sutton, and I always take our fur babies, there isn’t a receptionist sitting behind it.

  “Hello!” I call desperately. “Hello, is anyone in here? My bunny is sick and I need help! Please!”

  The words are barely out of my mouth when the door behind the counter opens and a man rushes over to me.

  I blink.

  Cash?

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Even through the hot tears blurring my vision, I’d recognize his broad-shouldered figure anywhere. Despite the fact that he’s dressed entirely different than he was at Franco’s, the man is still unmistakable.

  Instead of faded jeans and a T-shirt, the bad-boy biker is dressed in a blue button-down, black slacks, and a fitted white coat, his sleeves pushed up to reveal his tattooed forearms. I’ve never in my life thought a lab coat could be sexy, but Cash is definitely wearing that jacket and not the other way around. Then again, his body is so chiseled that he could make a potato sack look amazing.

  In my arms, Chanel lets out a weak cough and I desperately hold her out toward the handsome, green-eyed veterinarian.

  “She’s been coughing like this the whole way over here. Please tell me you can do something for her!” I beg.

  Cash quickly takes Chanel from me, cradling my tiny baby to his broad chest with a delicate care that should be impossible for such a big, rugged man. He runs his hand over her head and down her long, silky ears, then looks at me, his green gaze blazing into mine so intensely that my tears dry in my eyes.

  “Take a deep breath,” he instructs gently. There isn’t an ounce of impatience or belittlement in his husky, calm tone, and his earnest expression conveys nothing more than sincere concern. “I’m going to take care of her. Everything will be all right. Let’s go into an exam room and I’ll take a look.”

  For some reason, I find myself believing Cash implicitly. I manage to take a few shallow breaths, but my heart keeps pounding hard against my ribs as I hurry around the counter and follow him into one of the smaller rooms off the short hallway.

  Cash’s rough fingertips are exceptionally tender as he probes Chanel’s tiny tummy and peeks into her eyes and mouth. When he’s finished, he listens to her chest using the stethoscope draped around his shoulders.

  “Is she going to be okay?” I ask as he scoops her into his arms again.

  I move closer, putting my hand on his sleeve to turn him toward me a little so I can study my fluffy rabbit’s sweet face. Even though we’re at a vet’s office—which is her least favorite place in the entire world—she looks surprisingly content in Cash’s muscled arms. She’s relaxed a lot since our frantic drive here, and her black nose twitches contentedly.

  “She’s going to be fine, Liv,” he assures me with a small, sideways smile that makes my heart skip a beat.

  I blink, caught off guard that Cash even remembers my name. We’d only chatted for a few minutes and I’d just assumed that the meeting would be entirely forgettable. Or does he remember me because I made such a big fool of myself?

  When I continue to gape at him in stunned silence, he chuckles. “You don’t recognize me, do you? I’m Cash—Franco’s son. We met the other day.”

  I don’t know what’s more shocking. The fact that he’s a biker by night and a veterinarian by day, or that he would even suggest I forgot him and not the other way around.

  Face flushing, I brush my long, auburn hair behind my ear.

  “Of course, I remember you,” I say hurriedly. “I just didn’t expect to see you here.”

  He winks, his grin broadening to reveal a set of perfectly straight white teeth that would make a supermodel envious.

  “This might be a shock to you, but I don’t flip burgers with my dad. After high school, I went to college to become a veterinarian. I work at a veterinary hospital in Bel Air, but I volunteer here a couple Sundays a month.”

  I’m speechless again. Not only does he love animals, but gives up his free time to volunteer at an urgent care clinic on the weekends. Could this guy be any more perfect?

  “Do you know what was wrong with Chanel?” I ask.

  It’s only then that I realize I’m still clinging to his white jacket. I release my hold on him slowly, feeling my face burn hotter. Thankfully, Cash doesn’t mention that.

  He softly caresses one of Chanel’s long, fuzzy ears and she nuzzles aga
inst his touch, then lets out a tiny yawn that makes a chuckle rumble through Cash’s chest.

  “It’s just allergies,” he announces with a grin. “She’ll be back to her usual self with a little medicine. I see this a lot around this time of year. I’ll get some meds for you, and you can give them to her as needed.”

  A wave of relief surges through me so powerfully that my knees almost give out. I sag against the metal exam table, resting my forearm on the polished surface so that I don’t embarrass myself by collapsing to the floor.

  Cash holds Chanel out to me. When I take her, she cracks open one sleepy eye as if to complain about being out of his embrace. I kiss her little nose and thank my lucky stars that she’s not seriously ill.

  “I’ll get that medicine for you,” Cash says.

  Opening the door that leads deeper into the clinic, Cash vanishes inside to tug at some drawers that I can’t see.

  “I'm sorry for rushing in here like a psycho,” I say, cradling Chanel in my arms and slowly rocking from side to side. “I didn’t mean to yell like that.”

  Cash leans his head out to look at me. “Don’t worry about it. There’s usually someone at the reception desk, but it’s her daughter’s birthday today, so I told her I could manage. Besides, you care about Chanel. You were just worried.”

  He states that so matter-of-factly I can’t help but slowly smile.

  “I do care about her,” I say. “Chanel is my whole world. I love her more than anything.”

  Cash finishes grabbing what he needs, then comes back into the exam room, a grin on his handsome face. “Well, she’s in excellent health. You’re obviously a great bunny mom.”

  His sweet comment makes me blush—again.

  As if sensing we’re talking about her, Chanel cracks open one dark eye to curiously look around before falling happily asleep again.

  “You know, I got Chanel while I was in college,” I tell him. “I was living in the freshman dorm at the time and pets weren’t allowed, but I saw her peeking out from the window of a pet shop one day and I knew I had to have her. I felt like she was waiting just for me to come rescue her.”

  I pause with a wince and cut myself off. For someone who doesn’t frequently talk too much, it’s always embarrassing when I go off on a tangent to someone who couldn’t care less. This is especially the case with my sweet Chanel. I could talk about her for hours.

  However, Cash is gazing at me raptly, the bottle of allergy pills still in his hand.

  “So, you hid her that whole year?” he presses curiously.

  “For two years. I lived in the dorms my sophomore year, too,” I answer with a grin that earns me an amused chuckle from Cash.

  “You know what, that doesn’t surprise me one bit,” he muses as he gazes at me. “My first impression of you was spot on.”

  My jaw drops with shock and my heart begins to hammer against my ribs.

  What does Cash mean by that?

  Is it too much to hope I actually stood out in some way other than being embarrassing?

  I try to force myself to question him further, but I don’t have the courage.

  He slides the medicine into a small bag and holds it out for me. When I take it, he reaches into the pocket of his white lab coat and produces a small business card as well.

  “This has my cell number on it,” he says. “Call me if Chanel shows any other symptoms that worry you.”

  Hoping my face isn’t too bright a shade of pink, I take the card. My fingers brush over his palm, sending bolts of electricity surging up my arm.

  After we go to the reception desk and I pay, I slip my debit card back into my purse.

  “I’ll walk you back out to your car,” he says. “The road in front of the clinic can get a bit busy and I want to make sure you get out all right.”

  I nod, pulse dancing as he opens the door and allows me to walk outside first. He follows close behind and then falls into step beside me as he escorts me to my car. He waits patiently while I slide into the driver’s seat and settle Chanel on my lap, then he leans casually against the side of my car. Behind him, I spy a sleek black Harley parked near the side of the building. I know without asking that it belongs to the sexy, bad-boy vet.

  “By the way, my dad was going to call you on Monday, but since you’re here I can just tell you,” Cash says. “He loved your designs and the samples you left with us. He can’t wait to get this launch going. I just have to finish putting the contract together and then it’ll be yours to sign. Call when you girls are ready, okay?”

  I stare. Not only does he ride a motorcycle and care for animals, but he writes up contracts, too? It makes me wonder what other mad skills he has that I don’t know about.

  That’s when it hits me. Franco loved the designs and wants to collaborate with G&G!

  “Your dad loves the designs?” I practically squeak.

  Cash chuckles, his gaze holding mine and making my breath hitch.

  “Every one of them,” he murmurs. “I’ll see you around, Liv.”

  He steps back from the car and closes my door for me. As I pull out onto the road, my heart does a somersault. Every time I blink, I see Cash’s crooked grin and fiery green eyes, and I can’t stop glancing at the rearview mirror to watch his broad-shouldered figure fade into the distance.

  CHAPTER SIX

  The second I pull my car into the garage of our beach house, the inner door opens and three people hurry to meet me. Outside, the sun is slowly sinking below the horizon, its golden rays a mix of orange and pink as they reflect off the ocean surf.

  As the trio of people clamors closer to my car, Kali and Sutton lead the pack while Grayson strides a few steps behind.

  “Is Chanel okay?” Kali asks worriedly.

  She and Sutton eye my bunny and me anxiously as I scoop Chanel up in my arm, then step out of the car.

  “She’s going to be fine!” I say, giving them a smile. “Apparently, she was just having some problems with her allergies, but Cash gave me some medicine to help her out.”

  Both of my beautiful besties do a double take as soon as I mention Cash. Their eyes go as round as saucers and their jaws drop.

  “Um, hold on a minute, babe,” Sutton sputters as I close my car door. “Did you just say Cash gave you meds for Chanel?”

  Grayson wraps one arm around Kali’s shoulder, then reaches over to gently caress Chanel’s soft, fuzzy head. Tall, with dark blond hair and brown eyes, he and Kali complement each other so well they look like they stepped out of the pages of a romance book.

  “Cash?” he echoes curiously. “As in money?”

  Kali laughs and playfully nudges her boyfriend in the ribs. They share a fleeting look of adoration and then Kali shakes her head.

  “Cash, as in Franco’s son,” she explains before shooting a teasing look at me. “He’s Liv’s newest boy toy.”

  This time it’s my turn to be shocked.

  “That is so not true!” I shriek.

  Sutton pouts and throws her arms up in the air. “Is no one going to explain what Cash was doing at the vet giving you meds for Chanel?”

  With Chanel in my arms and her medicine clutched tightly in my hand, I shake my head and march into the house, my BFFs and Grayson on my heels. George and Coco immediately rush over to greet us and I crouch down to let them see that their bunny friend really is okay. George and Coco sniff and nuzzle Chanel happily and she does the same to them.

  As I get to my feet, the aroma of frying chicken and cornbread hits me like a tidal wave. I stop in my tracks, savoring the smell. I might not eat meat anymore, but I still can’t seem to get a whiff of perfectly fried chicken without salivating at least a tiny bit. I’m a work in progress, I guess.

  In the kitchen, Boone is wearing one of Kali’s aprons and is flitting about like a hummingbird between flowers. He’s got what appears to be all of our pots on the stove and is happily bouncing between each one. When I walk in, the dark-haired, blue-eyed rugby player flashes me a grin ove
r his shoulder.

  “Hey there, Liv!” Sutton’s southern sweetheart calls. “I hope you’re hungry. I’m even frying up some tofu for you. Your little darlin’ doing okay?”

  “She’s doing just fine. Allergies,” I say, grinning back at him before heading upstairs to my room.

  Once there, I give Chanel her first dose of allergy medicine and then set her inside her hutch. Kali always likes to tease me about this size of the ginormous bunny home, calling it a castle. To be fair, she’s right. I’d definitely splurged on getting Chanel a hutch fit for the royalty that she is. Plus, I owe it to her after hiding her in my dorm for two years when I first got her. Chanel hops about, drinks a little water, and then nestles down on a fluffy pillow to rest. I pet her soft ears and push myself to my feet just as two pairs of footsteps hurry down the hall toward me.

  “Tell us everything,” Kali gushes, flopping down on the purple and blue paisley print comforter atop my queen-sized bed.

  Sutton quickly follows suit, nodding eagerly. “But start with why your sexy biker stud was hanging out around the vet’s place. Is that, like, the cool new hangout spot or something? Tell me you didn’t take whatever medicine he offered you from his saddlebag.”

  I can’t help but laugh as I climb onto the corner of the bed and sit criss-cross style. Tucking my long hair behind my ears, I mull over the details of everything that happened since the moment I ran into Cash.

  “Well, when I first went into the vet’s office, no one was at the front desk, so I started shouting like a crazy person saying that my bunny was sick and that I needed help,” I explain. “When the vet finally came rushing out from the back, that vet was Cash.”

  Sutton’s eyes go even wider than before. “The tatted-up bad-boy that you told us about is really a veterinarian?” she asks in disbelief.

  When I nod, she lets out a stunned whistle.

  “So…” Kali prods uncertainly. “Did you talk about anything else while you were there? Like, say, the fashion line?”