What Sex Feels Like...In a Threesome, When You're Cheating and More

• —Amanda,* 28, marketing professional, Boulder, Colo.*

…With a Virgin

When my boyfriend and I started dating, I asked him his number, and it was zero (which made my five seem like 50). My first thought was, He must be gay! How else does an adorable guy make it to his thirties without doing it even once? Answer: an all-boys education, a complete lack of game and a deathly fear of unplanned pregnancy. I found it all immensely charming.

One night we were making out PG-style when he whispered, "Do you want to?" Um, yes? We'd been dating for six months, and I was ready.* He* had been the holdout. But when he left to get a condom, I thought, Crap, I better make it good. After all, the guy had waited a long time for this. And I really wanted him to like it. He had seen enough dirty movies to know what to do. It was quick and not mind-blowing for me (I would eventually teach him how to please a woman), but he was sweet and grateful, and had a huge smile on his face for hours. I only wish I'd made it special for him—had I known then that he was going to be my husband, I'd have at least lit a candle!

• —Alison, 29, stay-at-home mother, Knoxville, Tenn.*

…After You've Lost 80 Pounds

When I was at my heaviest, my fiancé and I would have sex maybe once a week. This was my choice. He'd been with me before I'd gained the weight—which started with the freshman 15 in college, and continued after that—and eventually, I'd gained so much, I was convinced he couldn't be interested. He never said a word, and he always wanted me, but I'd refuse. When we did have sex, it was lights off—let's get it over with.

But when I started losing weight, I noticed that the lower the number on the scale dipped, the higher my libido climbed. I peeked down while making love one night after I'd lost 25 pounds and thought, Wow, I'm looking good, instead of my usual, Is he staring at the inner tube around my waist? Before, I'd never let my fiancé go down on me; after I'd lost 60 pounds, he asked if he could, and I said, "Go for it." He was thrilled with my transformation, and so was I—but not just the physical one. It didn't matter what I weighed; just learning to stop the loop of negative thoughts made my life better. Take morning sex: It used to seem like the most embarrassing thing imaginable—sunlight through the window exaggerating every flaw. Now that I feel good about myself, it's just a really fun way to wake up.

• —Jen, 28, loan coordinator, Thiensville, Wis.*

…When He Has a Security Detail

I was dating an actor and went with him to an appearance on Live! With Regis and Kelly. Alone in the green room before his segment, we started to fool around. Even though he's a big guy, he had bodyguards, and they waited right outside the door. Knowing they could hear us added to the rush. I saw on the monitor that the segment before his was wrapping up, so we fiercely—and as quietly as possible—finished. Then off he went, his entourage in tow. The guards never let on that they knew what happened, and my guy gave a great interview. Of course I took credit.