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.

sits, staring out to sea, not speaking. Then

finishing the movement, tilting his head to the side as his lips brush

and fresh air, strawberries, and vanilla. His hand cupping my cheek, his touch is soft, his mouth

this time, his mouth opens over mine, and he pulls me in

sea. “I wanted to do that the other night,

kissed me in that way.

Will you put that down….” Emma drops the semi-rotted fish she is holding, letting it fall

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

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

leaps up. “Scruffy.

time we have 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,

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

the kind of smile that suggests that

smiles, his face transforms. He becomes an

the bar, I juggle change in

What

and sour

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

Of course you will….

a good man, but I think

you. You want something

But…. You’re nice….

‘nice’

beach again, eating cornets, licking away

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

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 in a couple

“Something different?”

in one of the office blocks in the new part

certainly a

know, the one that went up so quickly after the

sister-in-law works there. What made you

enjoy doing. I’ll be on their front desk, so I’ll be seeing people

the sis said something about that too. She’s going

maybe I’ll get to meet