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

in towards him. He leans to me, finishing the movement, tilting his head to the side as

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 gentle, almost chaste

but this time, his mouth opens over mine, and he pulls me in tightly to him, holding me at the waist,

to sea. “I wanted to

a long time since anyone kissed me in that way. He

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

want the car to

roll too, competing for the stinking thing, then Scruffy joins in the melee, and chaos breaks

leaps up.

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

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

his face transforms.

juggle change in my pocket. “What are

not sure. What have

bitter chocolate and sour cherry

me.” He sniffs.

Of course you will….

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

being fair to you. You want something

But…. You’re nice….

Is ‘nice’ what

again, eating cornets, licking

he asks. “For a living, I mean? If

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

“Something different?”

a concierge in one of

certainly a change.

the one that went up so quickly after the old headquarters got

comments. “My sister-in-law works there. What

I’ll be seeing people all the time. And the company

sis said something about that too. She’s going through their training program

maybe I’ll get to