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.

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

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

warm and affectionate. He tastes of sunshine and fresh air, strawberries, and vanilla. His hand cupping my cheek, his touch

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 tightly to him, holding me at the waist, drawing me in

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

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

“Emma! Will you put that down….” Emma drops the semi-rotted fish she is holding, letting it

don’t want the car to smell of that on

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

leaps up.

tossing it as far out into the waves as Ben’s long-armed throw can manage, and persuaded the dogs to play in the water long enough to get rid of the

along the beach. “My treat. I owe you a

that suggests that ice cream is

as he smiles, his face transforms. He becomes an

the bar, I juggle change in my

sure. What have

chocolate and sour cherry that’s

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

Of course you will….

man, but I think you’ll always choose the

being fair to you. You want something you’re never going to get

But…. You’re nice….

Is ‘nice’

beach again, eating

asks. “For a living, I

at all. I was a pastry chef. I know it’s one of those dream jobs for a

“Something different?”

one of

certainly a

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

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

their front desk, so I’ll be seeing people all

said something about

Well, maybe I’ll get