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. “Can

me, finishing the movement, tilting his head

strawberries, and vanilla. His hand cupping my cheek, his touch is soft, his mouth pressed

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

looks at me again, then away out to sea. “I wanted to do that the other night, but I thought maybe I’d be moving

a long time since anyone kissed me

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

want the car to smell of that on the way home.

the stinking thing, then Scruffy joins

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 of the

suggest, waving vaguely towards the bar further along the beach. “My treat. I owe you a

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

his face transforms. He becomes an

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

not sure. What

bitter chocolate and sour cherry that’s to die

me.” He

Of course you will….

man, but I think you’ll

you. You want something

But…. You’re nice….

‘nice’

eating cornets, licking away

a living, I mean?

chef. I know it’s one of those dream jobs for a lot of people, but I hated it. I’m starting a new job in

“Something different?”

different. I’m being taken on as a concierge in one of the

a

that went up so quickly after

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

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

the sis said something about that too. She’s

I’ll