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.

staring out to sea, not speaking. Then he turns

finishing the movement, tilting his head to

fresh air, strawberries, and vanilla. His hand cupping my cheek, his touch is soft, his mouth pressed to mine in

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

sea. “I wanted to do that the other night, but I

don’t know what to say to him. It’s a long time since anyone kissed

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

leap up. God knows I don’t want the car to smell of that on the way home.

and Meg start to roll too, competing for the stinking thing, then Scruffy

leaps up. “Scruffy.

into the waves as 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

further along the beach.

that ice cream is just an excuse for hanging

he smiles, his face transforms. He becomes an attractive

I juggle change in my pocket.

What have

chocolate and sour

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

Of course you will….

a good man, but I think you’ll

not being fair to you. You want something you’re

But…. You’re nice….

‘nice’

wander along the beach again, eating cornets,

you do?” he asks. “For a living, I mean? If you don’t

pastry chef. I know it’s one of those dream jobs for a lot

“Something different?”

taken on as a concierge in one of the office blocks in the new part of

certainly a

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

sister-in-law works there. What made you

seeing people all the

about that

Well, maybe I’ll get to