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.

staring out to sea, not speaking. Then

finishing the movement, tilting his head

and vanilla. His hand cupping my cheek, his touch is soft,

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 at the waist, drawing

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

time since anyone kissed me in that way.

you put that down….” Emma drops the semi-rotted fish she is holding, letting it fall to the sand. Archie immediately seizes the initiative

knows I don’t want the car to

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

leaps up. “Scruffy.

it as far out into the waves as Ben’s long-armed throw can manage, and persuaded the dogs to

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

that ice

smiles, his face transforms. He becomes an

bar, I juggle change in my pocket. “What are

not sure. What have

bitter chocolate and sour

that’s a bit powerful for me.” He

Of course you will….

but I think you’ll

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

But…. You’re nice….

Is ‘nice’

the beach again, eating cornets, licking away

a living, I mean?

of those dream jobs for a

“Something different?”

taken on as a concierge in one of

a

went

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

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

something about that too. She’s going

Well, maybe I’ll get to meet