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.

not speaking. Then he turns to me. “Can

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

and vanilla. His hand cupping my cheek, his touch is soft, his mouth pressed to mine in a gentle, almost

into me once more, but this time, his mouth

“I wanted to do that

kissed me in that way. He doesn’t just want a

down….” Emma drops the semi-rotted fish she is holding, letting it fall to the sand. Archie immediately seizes the

I don’t want the car to smell of that on the

stinking thing, then Scruffy joins in the melee,

up.

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

towards the bar further along the beach. “My treat. I owe you

with the kind of smile that suggests that ice

his face transforms. He becomes an attractive

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

sure. What

a bitter chocolate and sour cherry

me.” He sniffs.

Of course you will….

man, but I think you’ll always choose the

fair to you. You want

But…. You’re nice….

‘nice’ what I

again, eating cornets, licking away the dripping

it 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

“Something different?”

I’m being taken on as a concierge in one of the office blocks in the

certainly a change. Which

one that went up so quickly after the

he comments. “My sister-in-law works there. What made you pick that

on their front desk, so I’ll be seeing people all the time. And the company has a good reputation

the sis said something about

Well, maybe I’ll get to