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.

sea, not speaking. Then he turns to me.

don’t reply, simply swaying in towards him. He leans to me, finishing the movement, tilting his head

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

once more, but this time, his mouth opens over mine, and he pulls me in tightly to him, holding

out to sea. “I wanted to do that the other night, but I thought maybe I’d be

time since anyone kissed me in that way. He doesn’t just want a quick

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

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

and Meg start to roll too, competing for the stinking

up. “Scruffy.

long-armed throw can manage, and persuaded

towards the bar further along the

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

his face transforms. He becomes

change in my

not sure. What

bitter chocolate and

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

Of course you will….

I think you’ll

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

But…. You’re nice….

Is ‘nice’ what

along the beach again, eating cornets, licking

you do?” he asks. “For a living, I mean? If you

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

“Something different?”

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

certainly a change. Which

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

sister-in-law works there. What made

sort of thing I enjoy doing. I’ll be on their front desk, so I’ll be seeing people all the time. And the company has a good reputation for training, and especially for promoting

eyebrows. “Yeah, the sis said something about

Well, maybe I’ll