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.

Then he turns to me. “Can I kiss

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

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

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

out to sea. “I wanted to do that the other night, but I thought maybe I’d be moving

anyone kissed

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

don’t want the car to smell of that on the way home.

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

up. “Scruffy.

manage, and persuaded the dogs

the bar further along the

good,” he replies, with the kind of smile that suggests that ice

face transforms.

bar, I juggle change in

sure. What have

bitter chocolate and sour cherry that’s

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

Of course you will….

a good man, but I

you. You want something you’re

But…. You’re nice….

‘nice’ what

wander along the beach again, eating cornets, licking away the dripping

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

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

“Something different?”

concierge in one of the office blocks in the

a change.

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

“My sister-in-law works there. What

be seeing people all the time. And the company has a good reputation for

something about that too. She’s going through their training program as

maybe I’ll get