Read Big Girl Rocking in the Sunshine: Big Girl Series Bk3 for Free Online Page B

her hip and trailing his hand along the curve of her waist. He stopped there, his hold on her tenuous, his guilt overwhelming.
    “I’m scared,” Shannon said. Her voice whispered through the soft patter of the rain, and Julian leaned forward to hear her as she continued. “This is the first time I’ve been scared to lose you.”
    “No,” Julian said. “Not that. Never that.”
    “It’s what scares me the most.”
    “Shannon. Oh, Shannon.” Julian clasped his arms around his girl, his girl , pulling her into a warm embrace. Her skin goosepimpled under the chill of the rain and felt tense against his skin but then he pressed his mouth to hers and every discomfort in the world was swept up in the roiling thunder of their kiss.
    Cold drizzling rain pattered down, drenching them from the collar down. Bolts of electric heat flashed through Julian’s body when he felt Shannon’s hands slip around his waist. She was warm under his touch, her skin smooth like silk. Every part of him wanted to envelop her, to be with her. No doubt about it - she was the one for him. And now he felt like an idiot for letting his trust in her slip away from him.
    The crowd chanted in the background, and Julian saw Shannon’s face brighten as she heard what they yelled.
    “ A-lex! A-lex! A-lex! ”
    “Sounds like the troops have rallied,” she said, a secret smirk on her face.
     “What troops?” he asked. The audience had never chanted like this before. What had she done?
    Pat stood on the steps, waving. “Come on!” he yelled. “Time to play! Your audience won’t wait forever!”
    Julian gave Shannon one more kiss, then made his way over to the stage. Daniel waited on the steps with Pat, and both Alex and Asher came running over.
    “Asher, you can’t play like that!” Pat was aghast. “Your shirt is covered in blood!”
    “That’s how they know I’m hardcore,” Asher said, grinning. “I’m the only hardcore one out of all you jokers. Drummers are supposed to be hardcore.”
    “I’m sorry, man,” Julian said, hanging his head. “I’m a fucking idiot.”
    “Yeah, but I already knew that,” Asher said.
    “You’re in a good mood for someone who just got his face shoved in,” Alex said, pulling his guitar strap over his head.
    “I’d be happy even if a hurricane hits while we’re onstage,” Asher said. “I talked to Trixie!”
    “Trixie?” Julian asked. “Opening act Trixie? From Cheap Trix ?”
    “Yeah, that’s what Shannon was giving me advice about last night,” Asher said.
    God, of course . Julian felt like an idiot. “I’m sorry about all of this, man,” Julian said. “I should have trusted you.”
    “Guys, come on,” Daniel said, motioning towards the stage. His hair dripped, matted to his head.
    “Don’t worry Daniel,” Asher said. “You’ll get the girl someday.” Daniel rolled his eyes.
    “You hear my fans calling?” Alex said as they walked up the steps to a surge of screams and applause. He leaned over to Julian. “This is all your girl.”
    “What did she do?” Julian asked, but Alex just shook his head and beamed. Then they were out on stage and Alex raised one hand over his head into the rain. The audience went wild. A thousand camera flashes went off, and the sound of the crowd’s roar was deafening. Despite the storm and the cold and the delay, the audience thrashed with energy, pulsing toward the stage with eager anticipation.
    As the sound ebbed, Alex nodded back at Asher. The drummer raised his sticks above his head - with all the blood running down his chin, he really did look hardcore - and counted out the opening beats.
    “One-two-three-four!”
    Then the music filled the stage, crashing through the air, and all was right with the world.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER FIVE
     
     
    Shannon stood backstage with the band manager, listening to the show. As the final song wound down, so too did the downpour. Soon