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.

Then

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

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

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

again, then away out to sea. “I wanted to do that the other night, but I thought maybe I’d be moving too fast,”

to him. It’s a long time since anyone kissed

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 initiative

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

and Meg start to roll too, competing for the stinking thing, then Scruffy joins

leaps up.

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, sweaty

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

that ice cream is

he smiles, his face transforms. He becomes an attractive

I juggle change in my

What have they

and sour

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

Of course you will….

I think

to you. You want something

But…. You’re nice….

‘nice’ what I

again, eating cornets, licking away the dripping

it you do?” he asks. “For a living, I mean? If you don’t mind me

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

“Something different?”

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

a

went up

sister-in-law works there. What

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

eyebrows. “Yeah, the sis said something about that too. She’s going through their

Well, maybe I’ll get to meet