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 he turns to me.

don’t reply, simply swaying in towards him. He leans to me, finishing

hand cupping my cheek, his

mouth opens over mine, and he

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

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

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 and

knows I don’t want the car to smell of that on the way home.

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

leaps up. “Scruffy.

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, sweaty

along the beach. “My treat. I owe you

kind of smile that suggests that ice cream is just an excuse for hanging

smiles, his face transforms. He

in my pocket.

sure. What

bitter chocolate and sour cherry that’s

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

Of course you will….

but I think you’ll always choose

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

But…. You’re nice….

‘nice’

the beach again, eating cornets, licking away the dripping

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

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

“Something different?”

different. I’m being taken on as a concierge in one of the office blocks in the new part

certainly a

new Haswell Building. You know, the one that went up so

works there.

so I’ll be seeing people all the time. And the company has a good reputation for training, and especially

eyebrows. “Yeah, the sis said something about that

I’ll get to meet