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.

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

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

his mouth opens over mine, and he pulls

again, then away out to sea. “I wanted to do that the other night, but I

what to say to him. It’s a long time since anyone kissed me in that way. He doesn’t just want a quick fuck.

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

I don’t want the car to smell

the stinking thing, then

leaps up. “Scruffy.

and persuaded the dogs to play in the water long enough to get rid of the worst of the

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

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

he smiles, his face

juggle change in my pocket.

not sure. What have they

and sour cherry that’s to die

powerful for me.” He

Of course you will….

good man, but I think you’ll always choose

I’m not being fair to you. You want

But…. You’re nice….

Is ‘nice’ what

along the beach again, eating cornets, licking away the

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

dream jobs for a lot of people,

“Something different?”

in one of the office blocks

certainly a change. Which

that went up so quickly after the old headquarters got burned

sister-in-law works there. What made you pick that

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

said something about that

Well, maybe I’ll get