Summer's End by Harper Bliss Page A

sexy you are with your tight t-shirts and aloof air?” They sat in the shade by the pool. Marianne had called in both of her helpers and instructed them to take care of business today.
    “Excuse me?” Marianne’s smile had certainly grown wider—as opposed to her t-shirts—and her mannerisms more inviting. Emily had believed her to be quite attractive from the moment they’d met, but now, when she sat with one leg slung over the other, her upper body jammed into a faded black Blondie t-shirt—no bra—and her hair wet from the shower, she looked stunning.
    “I don’t think you realise how hot you are, so I thought I should tell you.” Emily shot her a grin.
    “How terribly nice of you.” Marianne lifted her sunglasses onto the top of her head. The traces of last night’s tears had disappeared and her skin glowed with renewed vigour.
    “I just wouldn’t want you to feel old and unattractive because you’re officially over forty now.” She knew she was rambling, making silly conversation to avoid being alone with her thoughts. She felt she had inadvertently stumbled onto someone important here at The Red Lodge, and although her flight back to Bangkok and then to Heathrow wasn’t until next Monday—two more nights with Marianne—a sense of dread had already taken root.
    She could hardly start talking about the future with Marianne after two orgasms together, nor could she claim to have fallen head-over-heels in love—not out loud anyway—so she had resorted to teasing her.
    “No need to worry about that.” Marianne kicked the side of her foot against Emily’s ankle under the table. “But thanks, anyway.”
    “Do you know what else we should do for your birthday?” Emily felt like a hyperactive child, but she couldn’t stop herself. She scanned Marianne’s face for any signs of annoyance, but was only met with tenderness and those smouldering brown eyes.
    “What?”  
    “Get positively plastered.” Emily couldn’t think of any other way to chase away the malaise in her gut. Well, she could, because what she really wanted to do was take Marianne back to bed, but maybe this morning had just been a one-off for her. Emily didn’t really believe that herself, but she couldn’t be certain. Also, with last night’s confession still fresh on her mind, she felt she needed to let Marianne take the lead.
    Marianne regarded her intently. “Okay,” she said after a while. “But not here.”
    Emily had not expected Marianne to agree with her proposal so quickly.
    “Let me arrange something. I know the perfect place.” She shot up out of her chair, squeezed Emily’s knee—a gesture that melted her core like an ice-cube left in the sun—and headed inside.

    An hour later they sat on a towel on a tiny deserted beach, dropped off by Dao’s husband who was a taxi driver with the promise to pick them up after sunset, and a cooler full of beer by their side.
    In London, Emily always drank wine, but in Asia it was often expensive and nothing tasted better than a cool beer after an afternoon in the scorching hot sun.
    “If we’re lucky, it’ll be just us all day.” Marianne grinned at her. “A bikini top is not required and skinny dipping is allowed.”
    “Let’s drink to that.” Emily took a swig from her beer. It tasted even better today.
    “Let me set up this umbrella first and rub some sunscreen on your skin. Three months here doesn’t make it less British.”
    Emily took off her tank and bikini top, lay down on her belly, and waited for the cool lotion to be applied to her sensitive skin.
    “You’re a proper little madam, aren’t you?” Marianne joked as she straddled her behind. “How many nannies and servants did you grow up with?”
    Emily didn’t want to think about her childhood, nor home. She just wanted to focus on Marianne’s hands on her skin. Just being near her aroused her to the point that her bikini bottoms felt drenched all the time.
    Marianne made light work of