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 that 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.”
