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

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

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

his mouth opens over

to do that the other night, but

say to him. It’s a long time since anyone kissed me in that way. He

my excuse to 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 seizes the

the car to smell of that on the way home.

stinking thing, then Scruffy joins in the melee, and

leaps up. “Scruffy.

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 long enough to get rid of the worst of the smell, we are both hot,

along the beach. “My treat. I owe

that suggests that ice

face transforms.

juggle change in my pocket.

sure. What

bitter chocolate and sour cherry that’s

bit powerful for me.”

Of course you will….

but I think you’ll always

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

But…. You’re nice….

‘nice’ what I

beach again, eating cornets, licking away the dripping

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

those dream jobs for a lot

“Something different?”

a concierge in one of

a change. Which

the one that went up

works

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

about that too. She’s going

Well, maybe I’ll