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.

sea, not speaking. Then he turns to me.

finishing the movement, tilting

vanilla. His hand

this time, his mouth opens over mine, and he pulls me in tightly to him, holding

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

to him. It’s a long time since anyone kissed me in that way. He doesn’t

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

knows I don’t want the car to smell of that on the way home. “Archie. Stop

stinking thing, then Scruffy joins in the melee, and chaos breaks

leaps up. “Scruffy.

manage, and persuaded the dogs to play in the water long enough to get rid of the worst of the smell, we

suggest, waving vaguely towards the bar further along

with the kind of smile that suggests that ice cream is just an excuse for

he smiles, his face transforms. He becomes an attractive

in my pocket.

not sure. What have they

do a bitter chocolate and sour cherry

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

Of course you will….

I think you’ll always

being fair to you. You want something you’re

But…. You’re nice….

Is ‘nice’ what

the beach again, eating cornets, licking away

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

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

“Something different?”

as a concierge in one of the office

a change.

know, the one that went up so quickly

comments. “My sister-in-law works there.

sort of thing I enjoy doing. I’ll be on their front desk, so I’ll be seeing people all the

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

maybe I’ll