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.

speaking. Then he turns

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

His hand cupping my cheek, his touch is soft, his mouth pressed to mine

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

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

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

the semi-rotted fish she is holding, letting it fall to the sand. Archie immediately seizes the initiative and starts

I don’t want the car to smell of that

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

leaps up.

persuaded the dogs to play in the water long enough to get rid of the worst of the smell, we are both

along the beach. “My treat. I owe you a coffee at the

kind of smile that suggests that ice

his face transforms. He

bar, I juggle change in my

sure. What have they

a bitter chocolate and sour cherry that’s

bit powerful for me.” He

Of course you will….

man, but I

to you. You want something you’re never

But…. You’re nice….

Is ‘nice’ what I

the beach again, eating cornets, licking away the dripping

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

a pastry chef. I know it’s one of those dream jobs for a lot of people, but I hated it. I’m starting

“Something different?”

one of the office blocks in the new part

a change.

Haswell Building. You know, the one that went up so quickly after the old headquarters got burned

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

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

sis said something about that

I’ll