Ching-Mai wondered if he really thought she was beautiful, or if he could ever think of her as beautiful when she was naked: to her eyes she was skinny and only half grown, whereas Ali's own body was as near perfection as God could make. But there was nothing she could do to change matters from the way they were.

Ali reached up to the lapels of the robe and gently eased it back over her shoulders: the silken interior rubbed lightly against the hot skin of her arms as it slipped down. Her partner -- her partner! -- leaned forward and nuzzled against the crook of her neck as if he was paying homage to some religious relic.

"Ching-Mai, I've been in love with you ever since the day I first saw you," he whispered.

She arched her back in satisfaction at hearing his pledge, sure it was genuine. "And you, Ali. When I first saw you I knew what Juliet felt when she saw Romeo."

"But you're not going to die, my Juliet. I'm going to make you live like you've never lived before."

Ching-Mai trembled and kissed him again as his fingers slipped around her back, up and down her spine, and then unhooked her bra so deftly it seemed to fall apart at his very touch. She blushed as she saw his eyes looking down at her bared nipples. And not only was her flesh openly exposed to his eyes, so was the effect he was having on her body.

"Beautiful, so beautiful," he whispered. "They deserve to be stroked like the finest pieces of porcelain."

Ali turned her round and slipped sideways in one quick movement which put him behind her, a hand taking hold of her right breast as he pressed his lips against her neck again.

"Isn't this more exciting than being in a library, Ching-Mai?"

"Yes ... yes. But I should be studying!"

"Study most of the time, if you must. But Ching-Mais have to come out of their cages sometimes or they would never know how wild they can be."

Ching-Mai felt herself giggling at the idea of her being a Ching-Mai. But the touch of Ali's hand rubbing her nipple certainly had her ready to behave like a wild animal.

"Did Confucius say that?"

"No, Confucius, he say that a girl's panties are like Great Wall of China. Impressive to look at but never stop strong man from going where he has to go."

She didn't giggle then but spoke simply: "And you're strong, aren't you, Ali?"

"Yes, my sweet one, I am strong."

His hands proved him right, softly but undeniably turning her so that he could tug down the waistband of the only piece of clothing she had left on.

"Well, well, look at what I've found to play with on my honeymoon. A perfect little tail. A piece of ass that would be totally wasted just being sat on, especially in a library. This belongs in a bikini and on a beach where it can drive all the guys wild."

Ali slapped her gently on the right buttock as though he was as proud of it as she should be. Then Ching-Mai gasped in excitement as he pulled the rolled up panties down her legs. All the pretence was finally over, she was completely naked and there was no turning back.

"You do love me, don't you, Ali?"

He chuckled and pulled her towards him again, mock growling at her as she had earlier done to him: "How could I not love a girl as beautiful as you, little Ching-Mai? Aren't you the most wonderful thing I've ever seen? All you need to be perfect is some special treatment from your trainer. Let's see is this makes you purr ... "

Again, his strong fingers on her breast. But that was as nothing compared to where his other hand was touching her. Ching-Mai gasped as if she was sliding into a tub of too hot water, unable to believe how skillfully her lover was manipulating her most secret parts. He seemed to know what to do for her even better than she knew it herself. But where her fingers had to be the whole orchestra this was only the overture to what was to come.

"Oh, Ali!"

Her nails reached up and behind her to scrape the back of his neck.

"I can't hear you purring yet, Ching-Mai. Perhaps this will do it."

The finger in between her inner lips found her blood gorged rosebud: found it and tickled it as delicately as a concert pianist beginning a maestro's performance.