Free Big Girl Playing in Paris: Big Girl Series Bk4 by Aubrey Rose

 
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER ONE
     
     
    “You can’t just quit school!”
    “Why not?”
    “Because you can’t!”
    “That’s some very interesting logical reasoning you have there, Julian.” Shannon crossed her arms.
    “Because if you quit, you’ll never get your degree.”
    “I’ll just take a year off! Not even a year! A semester! Only one semester.”
    “Look, I know how this happens,” Julian said. “You say that now, and then you’ll say it again next year—”
    “Just because your mom didn’t go back to school doesn’t mean I won’t,” Shannon snapped.
    Julian’s silent fuming filled the small room. Shannon’s suitcase lay on the bed, half-packed.
    “You asked me to come with you,” Shannon said, her voice lowering dangerously. Her fury was beginning to match her disappointment.
    “I want you to come,” Julian said. “But I wasn’t thinking. This is more important.”
    “You don’t get to decide what’s more important!” Shannon threw a shirt across the room, where it hit the wall and fell softly to the floor.
    “Well, that was anticlimactic,” Julian said matter-of-factly. “You should try a glass vase next time.”
    “Straight at your head.” Shannon plopped down next to her suitcase, tears filling her eyes.
    Julian came over and wrapped his arms around her.
    “Shannon, I’m sorry,” Julian said. “I wasn’t thinking when I opened my big mouth. But I don’t want you to quit school just to follow my stupid band around.”
    “I’m going to tell Alex you called Wilder Side stupid,” Shannon said, wiping her eyes.
    “Then he’ll kick me out of the band and nobody will get to go to Europe,” Julian teased. “Hey, hey. Shannon. Look at me.”
    Shannon blinked hard. Julian reached up and brushed a lock of red hair behind her ear. His fingers tickled slightly, and she winced.
    “Shannon, there is nobody I’d rather be with than you. But you said yourself that this was an important semester.”
    It was true. Shannon had a big photography project due to her advisor by the end of the semester, the beginning of her senior thesis to outline, and a ton of other stuff to get done. But now Julian was going to be in Europe on tour with Wilder Side, and her roommate Brynn was leaving to go to an internship in Budapest. Shannon had never felt so alone in her life. So abandoned.
    “I don’t want you to go without me,” she said, tears spilling over her dark red lashes. “I don’t want to be apart.”
    “We’ll still be touring when you go on break,” Julian said. “I’ll buy you tickets to fly out then. It’s not that long to wait.”
    “It’s long enough.” Shannon knew Julian was right, but she didn’t have to like it.
    “Then we’ll just have to make the most of our time before I leave.” Julian kissed the side of her neck and slid one hand along the bottom edge of her skirt, sending a thrill of excitement down Shannon’s body. God, he was incredibly sexy . She pretended to resist, leaning away as he moved to kiss her again.
    “Oh, so it’s like that, huh?” Julian teased.
    “Maybe,” Shannon said.
    “Maybe I’ll just have to tie you up and take you anyway I want,” Julian said. A wide grin spread over his face. How could she be mad at him when he looked at her with such desire in his eyes?
    “Maybe,” she said, wiggling happily as he clasped one arm tightly around her waist.
    “Fine, then,” Julian said. He swept the suitcase to the floor with his free arm, sending her clothes flying everywhere.
    “Julian !”
    “Shannon !”
    Shannon could only gasp as his strong arms picked her up and threw her bodily across the bed. She rolled to one side but he pinned her shoulders down with his hands.
    “Julian!”
    “Sorry, you asked for it.” He kissed her throat, tickling the base of her neck with his breath. Tremors ran through her body and she felt herself become instantly wet as he darted his tongue out to her skin. Oh god .
    Julian touched her