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.

sits, staring out to sea, not speaking. Then he turns to

towards him. He leans to me, finishing

sunshine and fresh air, strawberries, and vanilla. His hand cupping my cheek, his touch is soft, his mouth pressed to

then he leans into me once more, but this time, his mouth opens over mine, and he pulls me in tightly

breaks away, he looks at me again, then away out to sea. “I wanted to

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

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

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

for the stinking thing,

leaps up.

long-armed throw can manage, and persuaded the dogs to

the bar further along the beach. “My

suggests that ice cream is just an excuse for hanging around a while

as he smiles, his face transforms.

the bar, I juggle change in my pocket.

What have

a bitter chocolate and sour cherry that’s to

powerful for me.”

Of course you will….

good man, but I think you’ll always

You want something

But…. You’re nice….

‘nice’ what I

along the beach again, eating cornets, licking

it you do?” he asks. “For a living,

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

“Something different?”

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

a change. Which

Building. You know, the one that went

“My sister-in-law works

be seeing people all the time. And the company has a good

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

I’ll