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.

to sea, not speaking. Then he turns to me.

me, finishing

affectionate. He tastes of sunshine and fresh air, strawberries, and vanilla. His hand cupping my cheek, his touch is soft, his

more, but this time, his mouth opens over

away, he looks at me again, then away out to sea. “I wanted to do that the other night, but I thought

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

provide my excuse to break away. “Emma! Will you put that down….” Emma drops the semi-rotted fish she

want the car to smell of that on the way home. “Archie.

roll too, competing for the stinking thing,

up.

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

I suggest, waving vaguely towards the bar further along the beach.

suggests that

as he smiles, his face

I juggle change in my pocket. “What are you

What have they

chocolate and sour cherry

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

Of course you will….

I think you’ll always choose the

you. You want something

But…. You’re nice….

Is ‘nice’

along the beach again, eating cornets,

what is it you do?” he asks. “For a

those dream jobs for a lot of people, but I hated it.

“Something different?”

concierge in one of

a change. Which

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

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

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

eyebrows. “Yeah, the sis said something about that too. She’s going through their

I’ll