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. “Can I

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

and warm and affectionate. He tastes of sunshine and fresh air, strawberries, and vanilla. His hand cupping my cheek, his touch is soft, his mouth pressed to mine in a

once more, but this time, his mouth opens over

breaks away, he looks at me again, then away out to sea. “I wanted to do that the other night, but I thought maybe I’d be moving

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

break away. “Emma! Will you put that down….” Emma drops the semi-rotted fish she is holding, letting it fall to the sand.

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

too, competing for the stinking thing, then Scruffy

up.

waves as Ben’s long-armed throw can manage, and persuaded the dogs to

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

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

his face transforms. He becomes

change in my

What have

and sour cherry that’s to die

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

Of course you will….

a good man, but I think you’ll always choose the

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

But…. You’re nice….

‘nice’ what I

again, eating cornets, licking

do?” he asks. “For a living, I mean?

mind at all. I was a pastry chef. I know it’s one of those dream jobs for a lot of people, but I hated it.

“Something different?”

I’m being taken on as a concierge in one of the office blocks in

certainly a change.

Building. You know, the one that went up so quickly after the old

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

front desk, so I’ll be seeing people

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

Well, maybe I’ll get to meet