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.

sits, staring out to sea, not speaking. Then he turns to me. “Can

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

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

for 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

breaks away, he looks at me again, then away out to sea. “I wanted to do that the

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

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. Archie immediately seizes the initiative and

car to smell of that on the way

the stinking thing, then Scruffy joins in

leaps up. “Scruffy.

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

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

the kind of smile that suggests that ice cream is just

his face transforms. He becomes

change in my pocket.

sure. What

bitter chocolate and sour cherry that’s

for me.” He sniffs.

Of course you will….

man, but I think

want something you’re never going to get

But…. You’re nice….

Is ‘nice’

again, eating cornets, licking

asks. “For a living, I mean? If you don’t mind me

dream jobs for a lot of people,

“Something different?”

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

certainly a change. Which

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

“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.

about that too. She’s going through their

maybe I’ll