The stench of the chemicals he used to make his paints hit her as they entered the bedroom. The room was littered with sketches, print-outs and paintings. The cupboard door was open and revealed orderly stacks of paintings and drawings. There were some computer print-outs above the bed; two bore the inscription 'Salvador Dalí' and some others were pictures of family and friends. Before Salvatore deposited Hester on the bed, she noticed pictures of his parents, Fatuma, and Aisha, as well as the stock photograph off her own public computer profile. She thought she should give Salvatore a better picture of herself for future use.

She forgot about the pictures as Salvatore leaned over to kiss her. He was still standing while she sat on the edge of his single bed. She was surprised when he pulled away again; she had assumed that, consumed with passion, he would want to lie down on the bed with her. Instead, he was removing his shirt.

Hester thought he expected her to do the same, and started to reach for the zipper that would undo her dress. It wasn't the most practical article of clothing she had ever worn; it was done up by a zipper under the right arm which loosened the dress enough for it to be peeled off over her head. The last time she had worn the gown, she had been obliged to get her mother's help to remove it. She hoped Salvatore would help if she encountered difficulties now.

"No," he said when he realised what she was doing. "Leave it on for a while. It feels really good." He stroked the front of her dress, hesitantly fondling one breast. "I love this material. This must be what silk felt like."

Hester smiled shyly as something occurred to her. "I think it would be better suited to underwear, though."

"Hey, now there's an idea," said Salvatore with a grin. He leaned over to kiss her cheek. "I know you don't like the dress, but thanks for wearing it. I think it's really sexy."

"I'll bet you do," grinned Hester. Her mother always said that any woman was irresistible to a man as long as she was packaged right. Apparently, men usually didn't see beyond the artifices.

Salvatore didn't answer, though his pleased expression made it plain he appreciated the dress and was looking forward to peeling it off her. Hester decided that sitting bolt upright on the edge of the bed wasn't a sexy way of demonstrating her enthusiasm for their activities. She accordingly lay back on the bed...

"Ow!" she exclaimed as her head hit the wall. She straightened up a little and rubbed the bruised area.

"I should have reminded you -- the bed's not very wide," said Salvatore. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. Nothing short of brain damage would have made her interrupt this moment. Salvatore was going to make love to her and she was looking forward to it. She felt it was time she got some of this good sex all the movies and books raved on about.

Knowing so many of the possibilities as she did, Hester wondered which ones Salvatore was going to apply to her. Would there be some kind of oral sex involved straight away, or would he concentrate on basic intercourse for their first time together? Whatever happened, Hester was thankful she was no longer a virgin. She would be able to concentrate on the full experience without worrying about bleeding like a stuck pig.

Reassured about her health, Salvatore resumed his striptease. He had removed his shirt, revealing that he was hairier than she had expected. The hair was dark and curly, growing in a sparse cross shape on his upper chest, over his pectorals and down in a line towards his lower stomach. He wasn't as hairy as the actor Sean Connery, whom Hester had briefly admired as a young girl, but she remembered wondering what such body hair felt like and shivered at the idea she was soon going to find out.

She watched as Salvatore unfastened his trousers and pushed them down off his hips. He had a slightly undignified struggle with his shoes but finally straightened up with nothing but his underwear on. He was a thin man, but with lean, well-defined muscles which made Hester think he spent at least some of his time exercising. The hair on his chest extended down onto his legs. Hester reflected that it was strange to see him nearly naked when she was so used to seeing him dressed.

Salvatore moved closer to the bed and then sat down beside her. He was obviously desirous to get his hands on the material of her dress again. Hester would have let him, but she found the contrast between his nearly naked body and her entirely clothed one surprisingly exciting. It made her feel powerful in a strange way.

"Is that as far as you go?" she said, trying to make her voice sound sultry. She wasn't satisfied with the result, but Salvatore didn't seem to mind. The fact that she was looking at his underwear was probably enough to explain her intentions.

He licked his lips nervously. "Do you want to tell me what to do?" he said in a low voice.

Hester wondered if this was an overture for something kinky. That was way out of her league; she'd read stories in which the partners controlled each other in various ways, but even though some of them had appealed to her, she didn't have the confidence to try it out for real, with Salvatore, right now.

"I wouldn't know what to say," she said with an embarrassed smile. She wondered whether he would be disappointed, but Salvatore showed no particular emotion.

"Don't you worry. You just tell me if you want me to do something, and I'll lead for all the rest." He paused and stroked the front of her dress. "You want me naked don't you?"

"Isn't that the general idea?" she laughed.

"Okay..." He stood up again. He hooked his thumbs under the elastic band of the nondescript white jockstrap he was wearing; pulling outwards and downward to slide the garment over his genitals and down his legs. Even with the underwear still on, Hester had been able to tell that Salvatore was aroused; evidence of this now sprang free with an undignified bounce.

Following her gaze, Salvatore looked down at himself and grinned sheepishly. "Not the most dignified piece of human design, is it?"

"It looks good to me," she said, unable to take her eyes off that part of his anatomy.

Not that she was a good judge in the matter. She hadn't exactly scrutinised Michael's private parts when she had slept with him. In fact, the only impression she had got of his penis was when it actually touched her inner thigh as he prepared to have sex with her. Salvatore's looked very much like the one pornographic image she had once seen posted on a bulletin board, so it wasn't too much of a shock. She wondered if it really was 20 centimetres long, as Nthati had implied at Malcolm's that afternoon. Upon observation, Hester decided Nthati had probably exaggerated. But whatever size it was, it looked impressive.

Salvatore sat down on the bed again. "Well, there you go, I'm now completely naked. What are you planning to do to me?"

Hester swallowed nervously and wondered what he expected from her. Most of the stories she had read, written by men, suggested that the first thing a woman did when she saw a naked man was put his penis in her mouth. That didn't appeal at all.

Fortunately, Salvatore seemed to have decided to take matters in his own hands again. He kissed her deeply, sending shivers through her entire body as he ran his hands over her breasts and stomach. He kissed her cheeks and neck, and then brushed the palm of one hand over Hester's breast, caressing it lightly until the tip rose and pressed against the taut material.

"I just love this dress!" he murmured comically, as he put his lips where his hand had been.

Hester didn't answer. She was aroused and felt so relaxed that some of her self-consciousness faded. Returning the favour of his caresses, she ran her hands over Salvatore's bare skin. It was soft and warm, and hairless on his back and shoulders. Salvatore had shifted his position so that he was kneeling on the floor beside her, and Hester could only reach halfway down his back as she stroked him.

She stopped when she realised he was removing her shoes. He kissed the sole of one of her feet, making her jump with the unexpected tickle. Salvatore looked up to grin at her; seeing him so pleased, Hester felt a great warmth in her heart. For some reason, she had always assumed that a woman couldn't be excited by the sight of a naked man, but that evidently wasn't true. She thought Salvatore just as beautiful with nothing on as when he was dressed.

He was now rolling up her dress, placing the occasional kiss on her legs and thighs. Hester was pleased that her mother had reminded her to shave her legs and underarms; she never did this usually, since neither part of her anatomy was visible when she wore her uniform. Hester was unfortunately very hairy and the task had been lengthy and painful. She hoped she wouldn't have to shave every time she and Salvatore made love.

She could see that Salvatore had reached her hips. He was gently stroking her thighs and stomach, tracing the contours of her underwear. She initially assumed that he was waiting to completely remove her dress before taking off the underpants, but was surprised when he began to pull them off straight away. He was in an awkward position beside her legs, because Hester was lying diagonally on the bed. Evidently unsatisfied with this arrangement, Salvatore lifted Hester's hips so that she was lying length-wise. Hester also helped by manoeuvring herself further up until her head was on the pillow and Salvatore had room to sit on the end of the bed. During this procedure, she was acutely aware that she was effectively naked from the waist down, and that Salvatore probably had an excellent view on her private parts as she shifted her position. She didn't know what he was seeing, never having seen it herself, but he evidently found it fascinating, because he seemed unable to take his eyes off that part of her.

Once she was lying more comfortably, Salvatore continued to remove her dress. He soon found the zipper and undid it so that the dress could be pulled over her shoulders. She smiled at him as he carefully dropped the garment on the floor.

"So here we are, naked at last," she said in a low voice.

"Yeah." He paused, his eyes running over her bare body. "You are absolutely gorgeous. God, I want you so much."

He kissed her passionately, so passionately that it made her weak in the knees. His hairy chest tickled her breasts, making her shiver as he ran one hand down her body and in between her legs. She groaned automatically, not because the touch was particularly pleasurable, but because its intimacy surprised and excited her. Salvatore was now kissing her breasts, obviously enjoying them to the full as he continued to caress her intimately. Then Hester felt something else, an erotic warmth that seemed to radiate through her body as if she had just drunk a glassful of vodka. It didn't feel natural, but it felt very good.

"Oh, what's that?" she murmured, her eyes closed so that she could better concentrate on the sensation. "It feels great!"

There was a short silence, and then she heard Salvatore's voice. "Um, that's probably my good vibes."

Hester opened her eyes. Salvatore was now sitting up in the bed; she could see that he was bothered, and despite her arousal, she wanted to know why. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want to seduce you," he said. "I know how these vibes work; they make the person I'm with so turned on that she doesn't know what she's doing. I don't want to do that to you."

Hester sat up and put her arms around him, kissing the silky skin on his back. "Oh, Sal. I know what I'm doing, you dork. I really want to make love to you. I've thinking about it for months!"

"Months?"

"Yes." She smiled wickedly since he couldn't see her. "I think it's really cruel to lead me on like this and then stop just because you have scruples about your 'vibes'."

"Oh... Okay." He paused and seemed to be thinking about something. "I know this isn't the most romantic subject of conversation, but do you use contraception?"

That was blunt to say the least, but at least he was thinking straight. "Yes, I get my shots," she told him.

Salvatore grinned. "Hey, cool, so no mac for Cazzo tonight."

Hester laughed as Salvatore pushed her back on the bed again. She felt the warmth pervade her more strongly this time, as if Salvatore was now deliberately focusing his 'vibes'. The sensation made her hypersensitive to everything he did to her. Every kiss on her skin seemed to get her afire, and it only took a short moment for his intimate caresses to make her writhe involuntarily. Watching Salvatore, she could tell he was even further aroused by her reactions.

He placed his hips between her legs and lay down on top of her, manoeuvring himself into position. Hester was surprised to feel some resistance as he tried to penetrate her; it wasn't painful, but Salvatore seemed to be having difficulties keeping a steady course.

"Shit," he cursed as he apparently slid out of position. "They never say anything about this in the movies, do they?"

"No," agreed Hester, who was puzzled by this turn of events. "What's wrong?"

Salvatore was kneeling in between her legs and looking down, obviously continuing his penetration manoeuvres. "It's sometimes a bit like trying to thread a needle. You're pretty tight and, ah, very turned on, and things have become a bit too slippery down here. It'll be an advantage in a minute, just not right now."

Hester was amazed. All the films she had seen suggested that all a man had to do was lie on top of the woman and all the pieces would fit automatically. In fact, that was very much what had happened between her and Michael. It had never occurred to her that things could get 'too slippery', or that she would still be 'pretty tight' even though she wasn't a virgin.

It was only a few seconds before she forgot all about this train of thought. "Oh!"

"There we go."

There they went. Salvatore stayed still for a moment and kissed Hester again. Then his hips began to move in regular thrusts. The vibes became stronger as Salvatore's own pleasure increased, and to feel both her own sensations and the feedback from her lover's emotions coursing through her body soon made Hester more excited than she ever remembered feeling in her life.

Salvatore didn't seem content to simply make love to her Alphan-style. After a while, she felt him pull her up so that she was sitting on his lap, her legs wrapped around his hips. The change of angle produced different sensations and Hester automatically grasped Salvatore's shoulders, digging her nails into his flesh when it all became too much. She leaned against him and he fell over backwards, so that he was now lying on his back with his head at the foot of the bed.

Hester opened her eyes and smiled at him. She was now straddling his hips; she felt strangely exposed, with her naked breasts hanging heavily on her chest. Salvatore seemed to enjoy the sight as he reached up to fondle them. Hester arched her back, knowing this would thrust her bust forward. She was surprised to find she was enjoying his attention; her breasts had only ever been a source of embarrassment and discomfort to her until now. They made her look fat when she was wearing her uniform and made any activity uncomfortable without a brassiere. She had always known that men would like them, but the fact that Salvatore liked them delighted her.

She leaned back a little further and closed her eyes as her change of position caused a brief increase of pleasure in her body. She slowly rotated her hips, seeking the sensation again. Having found it, she moaned and rocked her hips to repeat the stimulation. It returned consistently for a few minutes, but when nothing further happened, Hester suddenly remembered Salvatore and opened her eyes.

"Having fun?" he asked with a grin.

"Yeah. I am, as it happens," she laughed, embarrassed that she had nearly forgotten his presence.

"Well, I'm having a great time. I don't often get to lie back and enjoy the show."

"Oh, so that's what you're doing. I was wondering why you were so quiet."

She rocked her hips again and it was his turn to groan. His hands gently seized her hips and made as if to guide them up and down. Hester took the hint and followed the movement; she watched as Salvatore closed his eyes and licked his lips. It was gratifying to watch the man she loved so overcome with passion for her.

Still keeping the rhythm, Hester pondered that thought. Was Salvatore the man she loved? Hester wondered if she was really in love with this nineteen-year-old half-alien painter. She had assumed that the man she would someday fall in love with, the man she would marry and have children with, would be someone older than her and with a stable job in some respectable section of Alpha. The only thing Salvatore had in common with this dream husband was his swarthy appearance and hairy chest.

On the other hand, she thought, what was she looking for? Salvatore was kind and sweet, intelligent, apparently appreciative of her company, and well-endowed as all -- though she would never have placed that at the top of a list of requisites. And in any case, there wasn't much she could do if she was falling in love him.

Salvatore opened his eyes and looked at her, breathing heavily. "I... ah, I think I forgot something."

Puzzled, Hester frowned and tried to think what it could be. They had already discussed contraception so there was nothing she could think of. Salvatore grinned knowingly and manoeuvred Hester onto her back, so that they were both lying the wrong way on the bed, their feet on the pillow.

"I meant to show you something," was the only explanation he gave. "I can wait a bit longer."

He kissed both her breasts again, sucking gently on the nipples; the change of pace had Hester thoroughly mystified. None of the stories she had read had ever mentioned such a sudden change of direction. Fortunately, the stories did give her a clue as to what Salvatore's intentions were when he started to trail kisses further down, onto her stomach and then between her legs. Hester was delighted; though she had never felt compelled to find out more by herself, she had heard that a lot of good could come from some stimulation in the right area down there. This was obviously what Salvatore was planning to give her.

"Oh..." she murmured, closing her eyes and arching her back. This did feel good; not at all as she had imagined, but very good nonetheless. Like a soft burning sensation that seemed to build up and then die down in waves. Hester relaxed, congratulating herself on finding such an attentive lover. She could get used to this treatment, she realised, and she also decided that Salvatore was worthy of all her love. Handsome, intelligent, a good...

"Oh, God!" she suddenly exclaimed, as the sensation changed completely. Hester grasped the sheet and let out a most undignified howl as every nerve in her body seemed to catch fire, radiating a debilitating heat from her loins seemingly to the tips of her toes. "Oh, my God," she repeated, her body shivering momentarily as the sensation died down.

"Oh, my sex God, you mean." Salvatore stretched out again, half lying on top of her. His smile was a bit smug, but Hester didn't resent that; he had good reason for his smugness.

"That was what you forgot?" she asked.

"Hmm, yes. I usually do that first, but I got distracted when you commented on my vibes," he explained. He cupped her breasts with both his hands, evidently testing how much cleavage could be generated by pressing them together. "It occurred to me when you were using me as a hobby-horse that I should have taken care of you first."

Hester didn't like his disinterested tone of voice. She was also disappointed to find that the interlude for her benefit seemed to have put an end to their mutual lovemaking.

"I wasn't aware we were following a plan," she said coldly.

This remark distracted Salvatore from his observation of her breasts. He looked up at her face and, as per his usual habit, remained silent for a while.

"We... I want you to have a good time," he said finally. "I just find that my partners have a better time if I concentrate on them rather than what I want. I nearly forgot that this time."

"Can't you just make love to me without worrying so much?"

"I want you to enjoy it," he answered.

"Are you saying that I wouldn't if you just made love to me?"

"Not as much as a cunnilingus, no. Women's bodies don't work that way."

"Well, thank you for telling me how my body works," she said irritably. "Does that mean we're finished?"

Salvatore smiled good-naturedly and turned over on his side so that she could see down his body. "Do I look as if I'm finished?"

"Then what are you doing?"

"I'm waiting for this conversation to end so I can jump you, that's what!"

He immediately lay on top of her and kissed her neck, making her giggle by tickling her sensitive skin with his tongue. This time they engaged a lot more easily and Hester wrapped her arms and legs around Salvatore's body, instinctively trying to be even closer to her lover. His thrusts were faster and less considerate now; having completed what he evidently considered to be his duty towards her, he seemed to be pursuing his own ends now. Hester could feel his 'vibes' again, more intense than before, and she got so carried away by the physical and psychical sensations that she dug her nails into his back and bit his shoulder. Strangely enough, he seemed to like that; his thrusts came so fast and strong what each one was pushing Hester's head closer to the edge of the bed, until her head hung over it and all she could see was a stack of upside down paintings. She felt acutely aware of everything; his penis inside her, his hairy chest rubbing against her nipples, the dizzying feeling of her head hanging upside down, the intoxicating waves of psychic pleasure emanating from his Psychon mind as he approached his climax, the elating knowledge in her mind that this was Salvatore making love to her. The man she loved.

Then it was over. Sweaty and out of breath, Salvatore murmured something unintelligible and collapsed on top of her. "Oh baby," he said, his breath hot on her neck.

That seemed to be the sum total of his vocabulary right then, because he repeated it again before seizing Hester's head and pulling it up for a short kiss. When he released her, Hester let her head fall back over the edge; the slight dizziness seemed to prolong her pleasurable feeling of unreality.

"Stay right where you are," she heard him order. His weight was lifted off her body, leaving her feeling cold and lonely as he disappeared into the bathroom.

He soon returned with a towel. He used it to wipe his deflating penis and then bundled it in between Hester's legs. She was embarrassed when she realised she had no idea why he was doing this. She was debating whether to reveal her ignorance and ask, when Salvatore obligingly gave her a clue.

"There we go, no more leaks," he said, apparently talking to himself.

Hester felt very stupid, and was thankful she hadn't shared her stupidity with Salvatore. It wasn't as if she hadn't been through this process before, with Michael. Only that time, Mike had simply remained on the bed while Hester had to scramble into the bathroom to clean up the mess between her legs. She was again impressed with what a good man Salvatore was. Desirous to express her appreciation, she lifted her head and held out her arms.

With a delighted smile, Salvatore eagerly lay on the bed and rested his head on her chest. Hester embraced him, stroking his hair. The strain of keeping her head up was too much, and Hester lay back, sighing contentedly as he suckled on one of her breasts. She had never felt happier in her life.