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.

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

in towards him. He leans to me, finishing

and affectionate. He tastes of sunshine and fresh air, strawberries, and vanilla. His hand cupping

back 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

wanted to do that the other

long time since anyone kissed me in

fish she is holding, letting it fall to the sand. Archie immediately seizes the initiative

leap up. God knows I don’t want the car to smell

and Meg start to roll too, competing for the stinking

leaps up. “Scruffy.

By the time we have retrieved the fish, 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

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

good,” he replies, with the kind of smile that suggests that ice cream is just an

as he smiles, his face

change in my pocket. “What

What

a bitter chocolate and sour cherry

for me.” He sniffs.

Of course you will….

I think you’ll always choose the

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

But…. You’re nice….

‘nice’

beach again, eating cornets, licking

it you do?” he asks. “For a living, I

at all. I was a pastry 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?”

as a concierge in one of the office blocks in the new

certainly a change.

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

sister-in-law works there. What made you

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

something about that too. She’s going

Well, maybe I’ll get to