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 he turns to me. “Can

He leans to me, finishing the movement, tilting his head to the

vanilla. His hand cupping my cheek, his

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 me in

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

to say to him. It’s a long time since anyone kissed me in that way. He doesn’t just want a quick fuck. This man

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

to smell of that on the way home.

competing for the stinking thing, then Scruffy joins in the

up.

throw can manage, and persuaded the dogs to play in the water long enough to get rid of the worst

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

suggests that ice cream is just an excuse for hanging

face transforms. He becomes an

I juggle change in my pocket.

not sure. What have

a bitter chocolate and sour cherry

that’s a bit powerful for me.” He sniffs. “I’ll have the

Of course you will….

man, but I think you’ll

not being fair to you. You want something you’re never going to

But…. You’re nice….

‘nice’ what I

wander along the beach again, eating

a living, I mean? If you don’t

those dream jobs for a lot of people, but I hated it. I’m starting a new job in

“Something different?”

a concierge in one of the office

certainly a

one that went up so quickly after the old headquarters got

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

of thing I enjoy doing. I’ll be on their front desk, so I’ll be seeing people all the time.

about that too. She’s going through their training program as

Well, maybe I’ll