Liv & Cash (The IT Girls Book 3) Page 5

  Over the sound of crashing waves, I suddenly pick up the loud drone of an engine revving closer. I’d booked this small strip of the beach a few miles away from Franco’s Burgers for the shoot, so no one else but my models should be headed this way.

  I climb up onto the pier and shade the sun off my face in time to spot a sleek, black motorcycle zooming into the nearly empty parking lot. The sexy bike skids to a halt beside my car and the man on it swings one strong leg over the side of it and turns toward me. I know before the tall, muscular figure even pulls off his helmet that it’s Cash.

  My heart leaps into my throat and I sway a little on my feet. Somehow, I manage to work up a smile despite the whirlwind of butterflies catapulting through me. To be honest, it’s harder to suppress a smile around Cash than it is to muster one. When he finally walks toward me, I feel as giddy as a teenager. Despite my efforts to be as cool as the expensive faux leather jacket straining over his tattooed and muscled arms, my head is spinning like a carnival ride. I wonder briefly why he wears faux? Mostly because I’ve never seen many Harley riders who don’t wear real leather. Then again, no devout vegan would wear actual leather.

  “Hey!” I call, hoping my voice doesn’t give away my shock as I give him a wave.

  Cash takes off one black glove to return my wave before removing his second one. His hair is effortlessly tussled from wearing his helmet in a way that is painfully unfair. How can anyone make helmet hair look so good?

  He makes his way down the boardwalk and hops into the sand beside me. He faintly smells of oil, sun, and cologne. It’s an intoxicating combination to be sure. My knees start feeling weak again and I lean back against the side of the pier to hide my quivering legs.

  “Hey, yourself,” he says, flashing me a grin before his expression grows slightly more somber. He digs his hands into his pockets. “I’ve got good news and bad news.”

  “Oh, no,” I groan. Of course, this photo shoot can’t go off without a hitch. That’d simply be too easy. “Let’s just rip off the Band-Aid. Start with the bad news.”

  He nods and without leaving me hanging for a second casually states, “The models aren’t coming.”

  “They’re not coming?”

  My voice comes out as a whimper as I repeat the words. It’s a good thing I’m already leaning against the sturdy boardwalk because if I wasn’t, I probably would have fallen right over.

  Cash rests a comforting hand on my shoulder, but his sizzling touch does little to make me feel any steadier.

  “No, they’re not. I just got off the phone with the agency before coming out here. Apparently, they got booked last-minute for a fashion show in the city. They’ve got an ironclad contract with that venue that states if the models are needed there, they have to go. There wasn’t much of a choice for anyone unfortunately, especially because the models were doing this shoot as a favor to Franco in the first place. They offered to reschedule for next week, though.”

  “Next week? We can’t wait until then!” I say. “We have to get this done today or else we won’t be able to meet our deadlines.”

  As I stand there feeling like everything is crashing down around me, a slow grin spreads across Cash’s handsome face.

  “Well, that’s where the good news comes in. I had a feeling you’d say that, so no worries. You’ve still got a model.”

  Confusion wells inside of me at the same time Cash slips off his jacket and tosses it behind him on the boardwalk. Before I can even blink, he reaches over his shoulder with one hand to grip his shirt and pull it over his head.

  An ocean wave loudly roars up the beach just in time to hide my astonished gasp.

  As if Cash wasn’t enticing enough fully clothed, without his shirt he’s so stunning that someone could put him in a museum and call him a masterpiece. He’s a hunky work of art crafted with rock-hard abs and expertly emblazoned tattoos that slither across his tan chest. The sparkling California sun reveals no flaws whatsoever.

  “Wh-what are you doing?” I eventually sputter.

  He blinks and then cocks his head as if the answer is obvious. “Modeling. I mean, I’ve never done it before, but it can’t be too hard.” He gestured at the fully loaded garment rack. “Those are the clothes, right?”

  When I nod wordlessly, he jogs over to take a look at everything I’ve brought. Just as he had with my portfolio, he takes his time inspecting every article of clothing before nodding and looking over his shoulder at me. Fortunately, I’m still too flabbergasted at his abrupt suggestion to be openly gaping at him when his emerald gaze sweeps over me.

  “These outfits are killer! I’d wear these any day. My old man is going to be so impressed. You ready to get this photo shoot going?”

  “Um, of course,” I mumble in a voice that only shakes a little.

  I grab my pricey digital camera, glad to hide my scarlet face behind it as I push up my sunglasses and hold it to my eyes.

  For the next few hours, Cash struts his sexy stuff up and down the beach while I snap picture after picture. He claims not to have ever done this before, so he must have been a model in another life because it seems to come effortlessly to him. He’s as happy in front of the lens as Sutton and Kali are. I’m beginning to wonder if I’m the only person in the whole world who turns into an awkward turtle the moment someone tries to snap a photo of me.

  When we’re finished, I start to put my camera away but he quickly takes it back out of the bag.

  “Not so fast,” he says with a grin. “What about the women’s wear?”

  I jerk my head up in surprise. “You’re going to model that, too?”

  Cash bursts into laughter. It’s strange now when I think back to how gruff and tough I thought he was when we first met, but he chuckles with startling ease. It’s a beautiful melody, too, and never fails to flood me with warmth.

  “No way. I mean, I’m sure I could definitely rock a miniskirt, but I think your fans would rather see you wearing it. We’ll trade. I’ll take the pics while you pose.”

  A tense wave rolls up my spine, leaving me as rigid as a wooden plank. My eyelashes flutter wildly.

  Me?

  Model?

  Heck, no!

  “Do you even know how to work the camera?” I ask, praying he doesn’t so I don’t have to do this.

  Cash lifts the camera to his face and peers through the lens at me. He snaps a few practice shots and then lowers the device to grin at me again.

  “I know enough,” he says. “Don’t look so scared, Liv. You said yourself that we need to get these pics done. I may not be as talented as you are with the camera, but you’re so gorgeous that it won’t matter. Besides, people are into more candid shoots these days. I looked it up.”

  His smile widens and his green eyes gleam proudly.

  I swallow a startled squeak, blushing yet again at his unexpected compliment.

  “Go get changed,” he says. “I’ll wait here.”

  Unfortunately, there’s not much room for argument.

  I reluctantly head over to the clothing rack and grab the first outfit—a distressed faux leather miniskirt and a cropped tee with Franco’s logo on the front. I steal a quick look over my shoulder at Cash. He flashes a buoyant thumbs up. This is definitely not how I imagined this photo shoot would go, and these clothes are so outside my usual repertoire. I’m a billowy blouse and long, flowing skirt kind of girl. I don’t own anything that clings this tight to my thighs, but I don’t have much of a choice. We desperately need to get this done to keep our launch on track.

  I slip into the nearby restroom and change into the clothes I got off the rack. I don’t even look in the mirror when I’m done because I’m worried that if I do, I’ll lose all my nerve. Then, nervously tugging the tight skirt lower down my legs, I escape back onto the beach.

  “There she is,” Cash says. “Wow! You look great. Show off the goods, Liv!”

  I can tell Cash is doing his best to hype me up, and the gesture is so sincere and sweet tha
t I can’t help but smile. I know he’s merely complimenting me to be nice, so I don’t let his words go straight to my head. Or, at least, I try not to. My heart, on the other hand, isn’t exactly going along with the plan. It skips beats left and right as Cash whistles at me.

  Making my way out toward the blue water, I do my best to copy some of Cash’s poses. I twirl along the edge of the pier, recline on some rocks nearby, and then kick around some sand. My own modeling session winds up being much shorter than Cash’s, but I’m pretty optimistic that we’ve got some good shots.

  As the sunlight starts to fade, I reach for the camera, but Cash again shakes his head.

  “I want to show you what I got first,” he says.

  He sidles up next to me and flicks through the photos on my camera.

  I’m so surprised at how I look that I don’t even recognize myself. Cash had continued snapping photos even while I was moving from one pose to another and in some of the pictures, my auburn hair is billowing in the breeze and my gaze is shyly pointed right at Cash. I’ve never seen myself smile like that before. My heart thrums in my chest even when I try to keep the simmering thrill fizzling through my soul at bay.

  “Look at that,” Cash murmurs. “No one is going to be able to resist buying these clothes with you showing them off. Don’t you see how great you are, Liv? You’re a natural in front of the camera, even if you don’t realize it.”

  I glance up at him and our gazes collide. The faint fizz in my core explodes into fireworks.

  I know I can’t let myself fall for a bad-boy like Cash who wouldn’t look twice at me if we weren’t forced to work on this project together, but I can’t stop thinking about how good it feels to have him gaze at me this way. It was the first time I truly enjoyed being in front of the camera instead of hiding behind it. No one has ever made me that happy or willing to be noticed before. I’ve always been so content letting others bask in the spotlight instead of allowing myself to enjoy it occasionally, too.

  When Cash’s green eyes are on me, I feel like a shooting star soaring through the sky. It’s going to hurt like crazy when I crash back down to the earth.

  CHAPTER NINE

  In his faux leather jacket and faded jeans, Cash’s broad-shouldered figure slips through the growing darkness beside me like a muscled shadow. We don’t say much as we load up all the photo shoot supplies and clothes into the trunk of my car. Evening gracefully inches across the West Coast and even the ocean has gone still and serene.

  “Look at that,” Cash suddenly says, pointing across the sand toward the white-capped waves in the distance.

  Intrigued, I squint through the dark. “I don’t see anything.”

  Cash chuckles and lightly cups the sides of my face to gently turn my head in the right direction. There, between the sprays of ocean water, a small pod of dolphins breaches the sea. Their sleek silver skin glimmers even through the shadows and churning water. The sight of such beautiful animals in the sparkling sea under the vast, darkening sky is so gorgeous that it steals my breath. Dolphins aren’t exactly a rare sight when you live on the beach, but it never fails to leave me speechless anyway.

  Cash’s rough fingertips slowly glide away from my face, but his touch leaves a trail of deliciously warm goosebumps prickling down the nape of my neck.

  We both lean back against the closed trunk of my car, gazing at the ocean long after the playing dolphins have vanished. The lights in the parking lot finally flicker on and we can at least see one another now.

  “I never get tired of seeing that,” muses Cash.

  To make sure my trembling knees don’t give me away, I slide up onto the trunk of my car, but Cash remains leaning against it. My gaze sweeps over his strong jaw and broad shoulders but when he turns slightly toward me, I swiftly pretend to still be looking out at the ocean.

  “Is Chanel still doing well?” he asks.

  I smile. “Yes! The meds you gave her really helped.”

  “I’m glad.” He grins. “I’m not going to lie. I was kind of hoping she might join us for the photo shoot.”

  I laugh. “Actually, it turns out that for a beach bunny, Chanel is not a big fan of sand.”

  He chuckles along with me before his brows lift slightly. “Oh, I can’t believe I forgot to mention this earlier. My dad is expanding his vegan menu.”

  My jaw drops and I almost slip off the trunk of my car. “Are you serious? I can’t get enough of Franco’s veggie burgers! Please tell me he’s going to make vegan chili cheese fries!”

  “I know he’s definitely considering it, but I’ll make it a priority to be sure they end up on the menu.”

  Cash winks at me, making my heart skyrocket right through my chest. I grip the edge of my trunk to make sure I don’t swoon. It’s just unreal, how gorgeous this guy is.

  “I can’t wait to see what the new items are,” I say. “I was surprised the first time I went to Franco’s to see how many plant-based foods he already offered. It hadn’t struck me as a dining spot that catered to vegetarians or vegans.”

  Again, Cash chuckles before playfully rolling his eyes. “Tell me about it. At first, he hated the whole idea of anyone who would choose not to eat meat. My dad is old-fashioned that way. You know the type. But I warmed him up to it over time. For my tenth birthday, he surprised me by adding veggie burgers and switching to vegetable oil for frying all his foods. That was back before it was trendy and he got some flak from his customers for it, but he didn't care. He’s a good father that way.”

  “Wow. So, have you always been an animal lover?” I ask curiously.

  “I went vegetarian when I was eight. Dad threw a fit, as you can imagine. But I was playing with our German Shepherd, Harley, one day—also known as my best friend—and I realized that when you come down to it, there aren’t many differences between dogs, cows, and pigs. I haven’t had a beef burger or slice of bacon since. Harley inspired me to become a vet, too. Dad and I didn’t have much money growing up—his restaurant was a lot less popular back then—but when Harley got sick, my dad spent nearly every penny he had to keep that dog around as long as possible. Because of that, Harley lived a great, long life, and I decided I wanted to help other pets the same way our vet helped Harley.”

  Cash turns his head to gaze out at the ocean again. He smiles to himself, obviously embracing the fond memories of that time. He speaks with such gentle, frank sincerity that it makes my heart melt even more.

  “You aren’t what I expected at all,” I murmur offhandedly.

  My face flushed when the inner thought escapes my lips, but Cash softly chuckles. That only makes me more flustered, of course.

  “I’m going to take that as a compliment,” he quips teasingly.

  My face coloring even brighter, I nod and clumsily try to explain myself despite the fact that I trip over my words.

  “I mean, I just…” I hesitate, then start again. “When I first met you and saw your tattoos, then learned that you were Franco’s son, I sort of assumed you would be this rough and tough biker with a bad attitude who lived off bacon and beef jerky and, oh my gosh, why can’t I stop talking?”

  I clap both my hands over my lips to finally bring my embarrassing outburst to a stop.

  Pure amusement gleams in Cash’s emerald eyes. His face is lit up brighter than the moon now.

  “To be fair, you’re not what I anticipated at all, either,” he says. “When my dad told me that I was going to have to meet with a beauty influencer to talk business, I was preparing myself for the worst. I assumed you’d be disinterested and entitled, but you came off so modest and hardworking and, man, those designs you came up with were great. You really meant it when you said you wanted to encapsulate the vibe of my old man’s burger place. Afterward, I did some research on Glossed & Glammed, and I just kept getting more impressed. G&G really isn’t all that bad for a beauty brand.”

  “All that bad?” I echo teasingly, arching an eyebrow and folding my arms.

  Cash is so
generous with his kind words that it makes delighted warmth flood my whole body. I’ve never had anyone speak to me like this. Cash truly sees me in a way that no one else ever has.

  Does he even realize the way this makes me feel?

  Is he really saying all of these sweet things to be nice or could he have a crush on me, too?

  Am I insane for thinking that?

  “When I looked up G&G,” Cash continues, “I honestly expected some vapid posts about makeup and fashion and whatever, but I was surprised how much you and your friends color outside the lines. I see you guys promoting all kinds of charities and spreading positive messages and I think that’s pretty rad.”

  I nod, suddenly feeling shy again when I contemplate Cash scrolling through our feed. He has to have noticed how infrequently I appear in the pics, not that he’s mentioned it.

  “We try to do something good with our platform,” I tell him. “It’s been important to us since the beginning.”

  “I like that,” Cash murmurs thoughtfully.

  Night is falling faster and faster now. I know we should both get out of there, but the last thing I want is to say goodbye to Cash. I have to come up with some way to make sure that I see him again—and soon.

  “When I print out the pictures of the shoot, do you want me to bring them by Franco’s for you to take a look at?” I ask, proud of myself for being bold enough to even offer that simple proposal. “Or the veterinary hospital where you work?”

  He clears his throat, eyes briefly shifting away from me.

  “Actually, I’m headed out tomorrow afternoon, so it’ll be hasta la vista to LA. You can text the pics to me, though.”

  “You’re leaving tomorrow?” I whisper, feeling like I’ve just been sucker-punched.

  Cash nods. “Yep. Dad is all set to take the reins on the collaboration, though. It’ll be great, Liv. Really.”

  Am I imagining the fact that his tone is morose even though he’s still smiling? The street lamp is behind him, and with the shadows, it’s too dark for me to really study his expression. I can hardly see any of his face aside from pearly teeth and bright green eyes.