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.

sea, not speaking. Then he turns to me.

finishing the movement, tilting his head to the side

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

pulls back for a moment, holding my eyes, then he leans into 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

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

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

semi-rotted fish she is holding, letting it fall to the

knows I don’t want the car to

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

up.

manage, and persuaded the dogs to play in the water long enough to get rid

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

kind of smile that suggests that ice cream is

he smiles, his face transforms.

the bar, I juggle change in my pocket.

What have they

do a bitter chocolate and sour

me.” He sniffs. “I’ll have the

Of course you will….

man, but I think you’ll always

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

But…. You’re nice….

Is ‘nice’

eating cornets, licking away the dripping

asks. “For a living,

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. I’m starting a new job in a

“Something different?”

as a concierge in one of the office

certainly a

went up so quickly after the old headquarters got

place,” he comments. “My sister-in-law works there. What made you pick

I’ll be on their front desk, so I’ll be seeing people

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

maybe I’ll get