Summer's End by Harper Bliss Read Free Book Online

stranger that had changed her life. And look at the pain that had caused.
    Marianne didn’t reach for a sleeping pill that night. Instead, before stripping off her wet clothes and going to bed, she walked to the window facing the ocean and looked for Emily. She could just make out her hunched shape at the edge of the garden—more a shadow really. As much as she tried, she couldn’t look away. Not this time.

    EMILY

    A knock on her bedroom door woke Emily from the lazy slumber she’d been indulging in for the past hour.  
    “Emily?” The sound of Marianne’s voice had the same shock effect as a bucket of cold water being poured over her sleepy head. “Are you awake?”
    “Yes. Just a second,” Emily groaned while scanning the room for a piece of clothing to cover herself with. Last night’s towel was the first thing she found. She quickly folded it around her naked body and padded to the door to open it.
    “Morning.” The unexpectedly bright smile Marianne greeted her with nearly floored her. “I’m sorry for disturbing you but it’s almost eleven and I just wanted to see if you were all right.”
    “I’m fine.” Emily suppressed a grin at the sight of Marianne’s AC/DC t-shirt, and the obvious absence of a bra beneath it. “Do you check on all your guests?”
    The lines around Marianne’s eyes crinkled up. “No. Just you.” She fiddled with her fingers before continuing. “Just so you don’t think I’m disappearing on you again, I’m meeting someone for lunch in town today, but I’ll be back after in case… erm, you want to talk or grab a beer together.”
    Emily couldn’t hide the smile splitting her face. “Thanks for letting me know.”
    “Sure.” Marianne lingered by the door a bit longer, as if wanting to say something else. “See you later.” She turned on her heels and sauntered off. Emily’s eyes followed her as Marianne crossed through the hallway and climbed the stairs. The same sensation that had stirred her blood in the ocean the night before descended upon her. Only, this time she wasn’t wearing any clothes underneath the towel and she could swear the throbbing between her legs vibrated throughout her body.
    She quickly shut the door and headed for the shower.
    After getting dressed, Emily decided to forego a late breakfast at the Lodge and returned to the fish restaurant where she had lunch the day before.
    While munching on more squid, kale with garlic and a spicy chicken dish—way too much for someone eating alone—she overlooked the ocean and wondered what it was like to cut yourself off from everything and everyone you once knew for years. She’d attempted to do the same the past three months, but she’d always been more or less in contact with someone from the homefront. She’d always been slated to go back. And her heart had opened itself to someone new much sooner than she’d anticipated after breaking off the engagement to Jasper.  
    She certainly hadn’t embarked on her solitary adventure to experience a holiday romance. She’d come to think things through. To evaluate. To finally be able to say the words. To confirm that she’d made the right decision. Her mission was complete. She had been ready to go back and then… Marianne had entered the scene.
    Marianne with the dark eyes and the equally dark past. Curiosity burned inside of her, but Emily knew she shouldn’t pry. Especially not now that Marianne had given her the smallest of openings.  
    She paid a ridiculously small amount for the food and walked back along the shore line—where the sand was wet and cool—to the Lodge.

    Emily found Marianne immersed in a book when she returned to the patch of beach on the backside of the lodge. Upon closer inspection, as she approached, she spotted the words Best Lesbian Erotica on the cover, which put her at an immediate loss for words.
    “Hey.” Marianne held one finger between the pages, but closed the book so the cover was now clearly in view. Emily