He fell morosely on the bed .sx She came over and sat down beside him .sx How old are you ?sx Twenty-four- and fully grown as others can tell you .sx Well , I'm twenty-seven .sx Still young in years perhaps , but pretty old in hours I can tell you .sx If I thought you were really in love with me I'd never tell you , but as you're only in love with love I will .sx You're inexperienced and that's the truth .sx Thanks for nothing .sx Don't get huffy .sx Why do men always think they're great lovers by nature .sx To copulate is natural , to make love's an art .sx And I'm no artist ?sx On the contrary !sx All men are , but , like all artists , they need training .sx I'll roll up at the Polytechnic .sx Liszt and Tchaikovski were born geniuses but they had to learn how to read and write notes .sx Love's a natural act .sx So's singing and dancing- but they still need training .sx To a woman the preliminaries of love are the most important and that's where art comes in .sx You have to learn what women like before you can bring out the best in them !sx I'd have thought that pretty obvious .sx Don't be vulgar .sx Isn't it vulgar to want .sx . I don't know what things you do want !sx No .sx The body needs food- but you cook it to enjoy it as well .sx The body needs physical love for many reasons but prefers it served with attraction .sx What else can a man do ?sx Boy , are you kidding !sx Ah well , our love affair was short if not sweet .sx You mean you don't want me any more ?sx Don't tell me you're willing to sacrifice yourself again ?sx For answer she pushed him back against the cushions and brought her face very close .sx Don't you want to kiss my lips ?sx Anger and desire fought within him , blow for blow .sx Her red mouth came closer and brushed against his lips , light as a feather .sx Her voice came soft and sweet as a marshmallow :sx Just brush them like this and this .sx . and this .sx . you'll feel the blood pulsing .sx . don't attack a mouth as if you're dipping a mop into a slop-bucket .sx . always go much slower than you want to , it increases desire .sx . And Desire came up with a straight left and Anger staggered .sx . Her lips parted and the tip of a pink tongue came slowly out and caressed his mouth from corner to corner , deliciously slow , back and forwards , slipping in a fraction of an inch and out again to the rhythm of a drum that had started somewhere inside his head .sx Her voice was a gentle murmur , caressing him with words that were as sweet as they were naughty and nonsensical .sx Desire followed up with a couple of nasty rights to the face of Anger , who gave at the knees .sx Her head moved slowly , her lips and tongue spoke a language he understood without having learned it .sx Her tongue went in deeper and touched his own , gliding round it , pulling it in and letting it go .sx Desire uppercutted neatly and Anger took the full count .sx He looked up into her eyes and saw the immeasurable depth of eternity that God has put in there for man to lose himself in .sx He'd taken over now and was looking down at her as she lay on his bed .sx Her voice murmured on , soft and caressing as a kiss :sx Look at my throat .sx . don't you want to kiss it .sx . to follow its lines and taste my skin .sx . He forgot time and place .sx He , the master , was gently led along erotic paths which he knew existed , but had never trodden .sx He learned how to use his hands , how to adore that body without haste , how to caress every inch with his mouth as well , to creep down along her smooth muscles till he lost himself in a rapture of kisses in places he'd dreamed of , where life began to ooze and quickened his heart beat to a thunder .sx He looked at her .sx Head thrown back in a pool of hair , her blood-red lips parted and the beating of her heart in the full throat .sx Her mouth did things he thought no human being could stand without dying , but he went on living in an ocean of voluptuousness , that swelled and ebbed over him , under him , in him and through him .sx . He was having a ball !sx He twiddled the TV set with shaking hands .sx She sat calmly on the bed smoking a cigarette .sx His face was white with two red blotches .sx Hers was flushed and lovely .sx O.K. teacher !sx Was that any better ?sx You know it was !sx You don't need teaching , only a little coaxing .sx He sat down and ran his finger down along her spine .sx Do you love me now ?sx Like yesterday !sx I'm extremely fond of you .sx The fact that you're beginning to satisfy my physical wants does not change that .sx Before long you'll give me the satisfaction that'll set me rocking on my feet , but I'll still be only fond of you .sx But you wouldn't marry me ?sx No .sx I'm not your type .sx I'd make you miserable .sx I mean that .sx I'd very probably be unfaithful and that'd kill you .sx Then I'd be unfaithful too , to teach you a lesson .sx It wouldn't work .sx You'd do it to spite me .sx I would never do it for that reason .sx To me it'd be immaterial whether you'd retaliate or not .sx You'd go crazy if that situation arose .sx Pretty conceited , aren't you ?sx No , truthful .sx You're the faithful type .sx You'll marry a darned attractive girl and you'll never tell her of me , but you'll be grateful because you'll be able to give her all she wants by day and night .sx And that's a lot , considering that 60 per cent of all married women in the West never get full satisfaction .sx Mostly because 40 per cent never expect to get real pleasure out of it and are convinced it's their duty to suffer the husband , and 20 per cent because they never dare talk or do it by daylight .sx They don't dare tell a loving husband they only begin to like it when he's already had his fun and prepares for sleep .sx They don't dare tell him to find out what she wants .sx They don't know that tastes differ just as much in sex as in anything else .sx It's man's duty to find out and experiment .sx O.K. Now look in your tea-leaves again and tell me what's in store for yourself ?sx Have I never told you ?sx End of the year I'm marrying Mason , the sculptor .sx His affair with Charlie was the best period in his life so far .sx Sheila , who was a disconcertingly observant little pigeon for all her reserve and innocence , once hit the nail fully on the head when she said he looked as if he had everything he wanted in life except money .sx That was true enough- for a while that is !sx He'd thrown his pride to the wind and accepted Charlie's superiority in seduction .sx And it was hard to imagine a prettier teacher .sx Nothing gave him greater pleasure than to watch his improvements in her face , when she would genuinely sigh and toss her lovely head in sweet agony .sx To observe the colour rise in her cheek and hear her breath come faster , to see the slight beads of sweat come out on her glistening skin and see her move with uncontrolled rhythm .sx To have her twist in an attempt to receive a caress he was purposely withholding , to hear her deep-throated moan of full satisfaction and feel her shivering , clawing surrender .sx Not so dusty , she might say afterwards , drawing at a cigarette .sx It's a wow !sx he said .sx She kissed him motherly :sx You just wait till you teach the girl you really love .sx He didn't protest any more to say he loved her because he knew it to be untrue .sx Instead he said :sx Will that be better ?sx She nodded :sx It's man's nature to teach and to teach those we love is double pleasure .sx And she might add :sx And don't forget to leave the lights on .sx You lose half the fun when you fumble in the dark .sx She had many direct comments like that .sx Once she quietly pushed him back when he kissed her too fully and too soon :sx Oi , not yet , you oaf .sx What do you think my mouth is ?sx A billposter's bucket to be plunged in at random ?sx He'd learned to laugh when something went wrong or the situation became ludicrous , as when they were both caught in the raw when he'd forgotten to lock his door and Derek had walked in unexpectedly .sx They'd just had time to nip into the bathroom and stood there shivering for fifteen minutes while their guest was smoking a cigarette waiting for him .sx At last Derek got tired and left .sx Just in time , erupted Charlie .sx If he'd stayed any longer I'd jolly well have asked him to join us .sx I'm so darned cold I could do with two men .sx You perverted sex-maniac , you wouldn't dare .sx Show me what you can do and I'll tell you if you need help .sx Once he came back to the subject of her marriage and asked her why she was going to marry her sculptor .sx Because I love him , of course .sx What do you think ?sx But he's a lot older , isn't he ?sx I suppose so .sx What attracts you ?sx It can't be physical ?sx Of course not !sx I love him for what he is- he's so great I'm a bit scared of him- a woman must be a bit scared to be really in love .sx That's why you could never love me ?sx Correct , ducky !sx You just wait till you meet the girl who thinks you're a god .sx It'll make you feel like one !sx You think that sculptor's a god ?sx Perhaps , in a way .sx All I know is that I need him .sx He kissed the heart beat in her throat .sx But how about the physical side ?sx You're quite an erotic little beast ; can he satisfy that ?sx You youngsters always overestimate yourselves .sx You can take it from me that he can and does .sx But even if he were impotent I'd still love and want him .sx There are sides to me you'll never know .sx Don't you feel guilty living with me ?sx Often !sx Don't you ?sx Mary had married her bill broker some time ago and he now shuddered when he remembered the clinical weekends he used to spend with her .sx He often used to try to imagine her reactions if he had once treated her as he did Charlie , but his imagination failed .sx The efficient little Mary would probably have called it a shocking waste of time and told him to get down to business !sx Charlie , who was perfectly at home at all sorts of artistic circles , had amongst others wangled him a membership ticket for a small club for artists only .sx It was situated in the attic of a huge old-fashioned house and lit by candle-light , which made it seem very romantic through a glass of something or other and which made it impossible to check bills very carefully .sx Charlie and he sometimes went there for a meal and a dance .sx The food was good and the three men in the corner made just sufficient noise on a piano , an accordion and a set of drums , to enable the patrons to cling together and call it dancing .sx There was never any rock and rolling at the Chipsteak Club .sx Its members did not care for physical exercise .sx There were a number of hostesses who changed constantly .sx They certainly did not belong to the class of hostesses usually associated with small clubs ; on the other hand , many a member had often found them very amenable if given sufficient time- and attention .sx Charlie knew practically every one there , from the big Irish painter who sat glued to his corner every night from opening at eight till closing at one-thirty , to the latest addition to the staff of hostesses .sx These girls soon lost interest in him when they found he was neither a painter nor an assistant film-producer and left him alone to contemplate the motley lot from a corner .sx