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.

speaking. Then he turns to me. “Can

in towards him. He leans to me, finishing the movement, tilting his head to

of sunshine and fresh air, strawberries, and vanilla. His hand cupping my cheek,

a moment, holding my eyes, then he leans into me once more, but this time, his mouth opens over mine, and he pulls me in tightly to him, holding me at the waist, drawing

breaks away, he looks at me again, then away out to sea. “I wanted to do that the other night, but I thought maybe I’d be moving

time since anyone kissed me in that way. He doesn’t

dogs provide my excuse to break away. “Emma! Will you put that down….” Emma drops the semi-rotted fish she

the car to smell of that on the way home.

Meg start to roll too, competing for the stinking

leaps up. “Scruffy.

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

ice cream?” I suggest, waving vaguely towards the bar further along the beach. “My treat.

that suggests that ice cream is just an

as he smiles, his face

juggle change in my pocket. “What are

not sure. What

bitter chocolate and sour

that’s a bit powerful for me.”

Of course you will….

man, but I think you’ll always

you. You want something you’re never going

But…. You’re nice….

‘nice’ what

eating cornets, licking away the

it you do?” he asks. “For a living, I

one of those dream jobs for a lot

“Something different?”

concierge in one of the

certainly a change.

know, the one that went up

sister-in-law works there.

doing. I’ll be on their front desk, so I’ll be seeing people all the time. And the

eyebrows. “Yeah, the sis said something about that too.

maybe I’ll get to