Choosing Her Lover

*****

‘An Illusion of Happiness’

A Tale of BDSM Erotic Romance

And the Meeting of Strangers

Part Two

An Illusion of Happiness

As I stroll across the sands, a familiar figure jogs towards me, a small dog trotting alongside; a terrier that looks as though it has been assembled from a junkyard of other dogs.

As the runner approaches, he angles my way. Drawing close, he pulls to a stop, huffing.

“Hi, Kirstie,” he says, “I was hoping I’d run into you. How are you?”

His face is severe. Ben is not an unhandsome man, but his natural expression is unsmiling, which detracts from his looks, making him appear austere, perhaps even puritanical.

And is that just an appearance….? Or is that really the man?

“Hi, Ben. I’m good. You?”

“Yeah, I’m great. Mind if we join you for a bit?”

“We?”

He nods down toward his dog. “Scruffy wants to make friends….”

True enough, Scruffy is making moves on my Meg, who rumbling low, curls up a lip, unimpressed by this rag-tag terrier.

“…. and he’s not the only one.”

“I’d love you and Scruffy to join us. I was about to have some coffee actually.” I hold up my flask. “Want a cup?”

“Great idea.”

Sitting on the dune, close to each other, we sip coffee. The wind blowing into our faces sends my hair streaming over my shoulders. It feels very comfortable, very natural.

out to sea, not speaking. Then he turns to me.

him. He leans to me, finishing the movement, tilting

and affectionate. He tastes of sunshine and fresh air, strawberries, and vanilla. His hand cupping my cheek, his touch is soft, his mouth pressed to mine in a gentle, almost

this time, his mouth opens over mine, and he pulls me in tightly to him, holding me at the waist,

then away out to sea. “I wanted to do

to say to him. It’s a long time since anyone kissed me in that way. He doesn’t just want a

provide my excuse to break away. “Emma! Will you put that down….” Emma drops the semi-rotted fish she is holding, letting it fall to the sand.

knows I don’t want the car to smell

Meg start to roll too, competing for the stinking thing, then Scruffy joins in the melee, and chaos

leaps up. “Scruffy.

Ben’s long-armed throw can manage, and persuaded the dogs to play in the water long enough to get rid of the worst of the smell, we are both

I suggest, waving vaguely towards the bar further along the beach. “My treat. I owe

with the kind of smile that suggests that ice cream

as he smiles, his face transforms. He becomes an attractive

change in my

sure. What have they

and sour cherry

bit powerful for me.” He sniffs. “I’ll have

Of course you will….

but I

want something

But…. You’re nice….

Is ‘nice’ what I

along the beach again, eating cornets, licking

“For a living, I mean? If you don’t

one of those dream jobs for a lot of people, but I

“Something different?”

being taken on as a concierge in one of the office blocks

a

Building. You know, the one that went up so quickly after the old headquarters got burned

he comments. “My sister-in-law works there. What made you pick that

I’ll be on their front desk, so I’ll be seeing people all the time. And the company has a good reputation

his eyebrows. “Yeah, the sis said something about that too. She’s going through their training

I’ll