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. “Can I

swaying in towards him. He leans to me, finishing the movement,

warm and affectionate. He tastes of sunshine and fresh air, strawberries, and vanilla. His hand cupping my cheek, his touch is soft, his mouth

leans into me once more, but this time, his mouth opens

looks at me again, then away out to sea. “I wanted to

to say to him. It’s a long time since anyone kissed me in that way. He

away. “Emma! Will you put that down….” Emma drops the semi-rotted fish

the car to smell of that on

roll too, competing for the stinking thing, then Scruffy joins

leaps up.

the time we have retrieved the fish, tossing it as far out 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

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

kind of smile that suggests that ice cream is just

as he smiles, his face transforms.

bar, I juggle change in my pocket. “What are

sure. What have

chocolate and sour cherry that’s

for me.” He sniffs. “I’ll have

Of course you will….

I think you’ll always

not being fair to you. You want something you’re never

But…. You’re nice….

‘nice’

wander along the beach again, eating cornets, licking

you do?” he asks. “For a living, I mean? If

know it’s one of those dream jobs for a lot of people, but I hated it. I’m starting a

“Something different?”

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

certainly a change.

went up so quickly after the old

“My sister-in-law works there. What made

be seeing people all the time. And the company has a good reputation for training, and especially for

“Yeah, the sis said something about that too.

maybe I’ll get to