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. “Can I

me, finishing the movement, tilting his head to

of sunshine and fresh air, strawberries, and vanilla. His hand cupping my cheek, his touch is soft, his mouth pressed to mine in a

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

he breaks away, he looks at me again, then away out to sea. “I wanted to do that the other

time since anyone kissed me in that way. He doesn’t

Will you put that down….” Emma drops the semi-rotted fish

car to smell of that on the way home.

competing for the stinking thing, then Scruffy joins in the melee, and

up. “Scruffy.

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

an ice cream?” I suggest, waving vaguely towards the bar further along the beach. “My treat. I owe you a coffee

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

as he smiles, his face transforms.

the bar, I juggle change in

not sure. What have

do a bitter chocolate and sour

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

Of course you will….

I think you’ll

You want something you’re never going to

But…. You’re nice….

‘nice’ what

eating cornets, licking away the dripping

is it you do?” he asks. “For a

those dream jobs for a lot of people, but I hated

“Something different?”

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

a change. Which

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

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

I’ll be seeing people all the time.

the sis said something about that too. She’s

I’ll