Marina is jealous of Justin's relationship with the glamorous operatic diva, Bella Conti. But now she realises that she can use his submissive tendencies to her own advantage . . .

'Are you in love with her, Justin?'

He turned away, his cheeks colouring. 'I don't know. I've never felt anything like this before. I mean, I was already a big fan of hers, as you know. But to be invited to her villa, to have her giving me private lessons. I can't tell you how that makes me feel.'

Marina thought of how she'd felt, at first, with Luigi. He wasn't of Bella's calibre, of course, but he was still famous in the rarefied world of opera. And she'd had sex with him, of sorts. She gave a small smile. 'I think I can understand, a little.'

'Can you?' He kissed her cheek. 'Do you know what it's like to worship the ground someone walks on?'

Impelled by some mischievous, yet powerful, spirit Marina got to her feet. 'Show me!'

'What?' His face looked up at her quizzically, making her want to smile, but she remained stern and aloof. 'Show me how you would worship me if I were Bella. Pretend I'm her.'

Justin stared at her incredulously. 'I can't.'

'Yes you can. Close your eyes and picture her. Imagine what you would do if you were with her, just the two of you, alone.'

'But I don't know. It would be up to her. I mean . . .'

Suddenly Marina realised that he needed her to take the responsibility, wanted her to tell him what to do. She gave a faint smile and lifted her skirt up to her waist. Justin's eyes widened in a mixture of alarm and arousal as he saw her neatly trimmed pubic hair with the outline of her vulva beneath.

'Close your eyes!' she commanded him. 'Then kneel down, and open your mouth.'

She saw him kneeling like a supplicant on the carpet before her and a heady wave of delight rushed through her. Slowly she approached him until her mound was on a level with his face. Could he smell the traces of musk below the soap? She began to regret her attempt to clean herself in the loo.

Justin looked faintly ridiculous kneeling there with his mouth open, as if he were about to receive the blessed sacrament. Perhaps he was, in a way. She spoke softly to him, her words hanging in the air like tempting fruit. 'Justin, I want you to use your tongue on me, to give me pleasure. Do you understand?'

He nodded, evidently too confused to speak. She came closer, parted her swollen labia with her fingers and thrust her steamy pussy towards his moist lips. When they finally made contact he gave a shuddering sigh and was soon thrusting his tongue into her with complete abandon. Marina stroked the dark thatch of his hair, encouraging him with gentle firmness, pressing him close.

After his earlier diffidence, she was surprised by Justin's eagerness to perform cunnilingus on her. He was good at it, too. His tongue flicked back and forth over her still-erect clitoris with rapid, light friction that was guaranteed to bring her to a swift climax. She felt the dizzying spiral begin and rocked back on her heels, almost tumbling over as the final spasms of orgasm took hold, rocketing her into instant bliss. Her moans seemed to excite him because, as the echoes of ecstasy died away in her, she could hear him groaning too.

Collapsing onto the carpet she took him into her arms, cradling his head against her chest. 'Did you like that?' she murmured. He gave an incoherent moan. Feeling unbearably hot she untied the straps of her dress at the shoulders and let the bodice fall until her breasts were bare. Justin gave another loud moan and tilted his head towards her, his eyes pleading. She smiled and lifted the heavy globe towards him.

The dark pink nipple was semi-tumid, full of soft ripeness. Marina pinched it into a stiff peak and placed it between his lips, enjoying the rapid return of her desire as his lips and tongue went to work on it, licking and sucking until fierce shivers of sensation were zipping down her spine, rousing her again. She slid down until she was flat on the floor with her dress scrunched around her waist exposing her above and below.

'Lick me again down there,' she told him. 'But keep pinching my nipples and stroking my breasts. Make me come again, even better than last time.'

It was what he wanted, to be told what to do. Suits me fine Marina thought, smiling to herself, as his dark head descended once more. The touch of his tongue on her overheated vulva was exquisite, cool as balm and yet inflaming her at the same time. She lay back with a contented sigh and waited for the delicious cycle to resume.

Justin was indefatigable. He feasted on her like a glutton, bringing her to the edge time and again but then slackening so that she was left hanging there in tantalising torment. Marina wanted to beg him to finish her off but she knew that the longer she held out the more intense her orgasm would be, so she let him subtly take control of her libido. Meanwhile his fingers tweaked and plucked at her aching nipples, compounding her unsatisfied longing.

Then, when she thought he was set to go on all night and she would die of frustration, he plunged one finger inside her while continuing to lick her clitoris and the unstoppable rise towards oblivion began. Marina squirmed with unfettered delight, her vagina convulsing over and over as his slim finger rubbed against the cushioned walls. She was on fire from head to toe, revelling in the prolonged climax that had her bucking and moaning through what seemed like several long minutes. Heedless of where she was or who she was with, scarcely conscious of her own identity, she rode the slowly diminishing waves of her orgasm until the tremors finally ceased and she was left utterly spent, a throbbing mass of molten flesh.

Flopping back onto the carpet, Marina relaxed completely and was soon dozing. When she came to and sat up Justin was lying on the bed with his hands behind his head and his eyes closed. She crept over to join him and, for a while, they just lay there embracing. Outside she could hear the sounds of Rome's frenetic traffic but inside the room they seemed to be in a bubble of calm, with a little sunlight creeping through the slats in the blind and onto the floor.

Marina gazed at the ornate plaster work on the ceiling and a profound sense of joy filled her, a feeling that it was so very good to be alive. She wanted to communicate that thought to Justin, but she was afraid of breaking the spell. So she lay there for minutes more, listening to the soft rhythm of his breathing, synchronised with her own.

It was Justin who broke the spell first. Without saying anything he rose from the bed and went into the bathroom to take a leak. While he was absent Marina felt unaccountably sad. She'd just experienced the best orgasm she'd ever had, but with a man she scarcely knew. And how weird it had been to play the dominatrix like that, to make him do it to her. Now that it was over she felt a pang of regret, wishing he'd overpowered her instead, but it was no use wishing for the moon. Probably this was the only sexual encounter they would have. She'd been hot for him and he'd been full of frustrated lust after seeing his beloved Bella. It was the classic eternal triangle, and if she thought otherwise then she was in for a fall.