Sex Is Best When You Are With Someone You Love

“With casual sex, cuddling is usually off the table, but when you’re with someone you love or care about, it’s a necessity. This brings you even closer together and makes the overall sexual experience that much more meaningful.”

— Angelica Bottaro, bolde.com

“Having sex with someone you love feels like you’ve ‘found’ something. There’s a real sense of discovering something that was missing before, a completeness that you don’t get from random hookups or even with long term lovers that you’re not in love with.”

— Luke, thoughtcatalog.com

“Women who loved their sexual partners also said they felt less inhibited and more willing to explore their sexuality.”

— Rick Nauert, psychcentral.com

“Since you’ve already had lots of sex together, and are likely going to have a lot more, each individual occasion doesn’t carry nearly as much pressure.”

— Jessica Blankenship, thoughtcatalog.com

“You don’t care if the lights are on or off when you’re naked together because you make each other feel confident in all circumstances.”

— Mélanie Berliet, thoughtcatalog.com

“When you're with this person, you don't need a reason to stop faking orgasms because every one is real. Your sexual soul mate always makes sure you get what you need, even if that means they have to wait their turn.”

— Autumn Jones, romper.com

“It feels more like a team activity than a competition. You’re not doing something to the person or at the person but rather with the person.”

— Julia Austin, madamenoire.com

“Nerves are non-existent. This person you love—with whom I'm assuming a sturdy foundation of trust is already in place—has seen you at your most vulnerable.”

— Beca Grimm, bustle.com

“You're both down for giving oral sex. Because sharing is caring, and you're as keen to please each other as you are to please yourselves.”

— Zara Kenyon, cosmopolitan.com

“You say ‘I love you’ when you’re having sex, and frequently when you’re not.”

— Mathew Guiver, buzzfeed.com

“Sex happens naturally. You don’t have to force it or schedule it.”

— Holly Riordan, thoughtcatalog.com

“He will kiss you all over. He will not jump straight to the act. In fact, he will spend more time exploring your body and finding that one tiny birthmark. You can feel his passion and his love with his shower of kisses.”

— Reshu Manglik, khoobsurati.com

“You never feel pressured to do anything you're not 100 percent hot for in bed.”

— Emma Barker, cosmopolitan.com

“When you're making love, you become your most genuine and raw self, but it's a core part of you that exists every day. That love. That feeling.”

— Alex Alexander, yourtango.com

“Lovemaking is about your lover’s mind, body and soul, the whole person, not just her body.”

— Christina Antonyan, thoughtcatalog.com

“You think less. When it’s over, you realize you were almost in a meditative state—your brain turned off, and it was awesome.”

— Julia Austin, madamenoire.com

“Neither of you feel embarrassed by some of the less than sexy sex noises.”

— Zara Kenyon, cosmopolitan.com

“You check in regularly with each other to see if the other person is sexually satisfied overall, and if they have any future requests. You withhold judgment during all sex related chats.”

— Mélanie Berliet, thoughtcatalog.com

“When you give yourself to someone you love, there’s a level of trust that you just can’t get during casual sex. Trust in the bedroom is important because you feel safe and secure when being vulnerable with each other.”

— Angelica Bottaro, bolde.com

“When you’re with the right person, you aren’t having sex in order to fulfill a primal need. You’re having sex, because you can’t imagine wasting another second apart from your partner. You don’t want to wait any longer to press your lips and thighs and hips together.”

— Holly Riordan, thoughtcatalog.com

“The thing I noticed the most about having sex with someone I loved for the first time was that there was real humor and happiness involved. Like, we joked and smiled the whole way through”

— Nathan, thoughtcatalog.com

“When you have sex with someone you love, you’re not busy thinking about how you’re going to sneak out of their bedroom and ignore their texts the next day. You’re thinking about how much you care about them. About how your bodies feel like they belong together.”

— Holly Riordan, thoughtcatalog.com

“He knows exactly what you like because he's made the effort to learn your body. He has a very particular set of skills, and he will look for your clitoris, he will find your clitoris, and he will make your clitoris orgasm.”

— Emma Barker, cosmopolitan.com

“Aside from all the sweaty love you're making, you know that if you say stop at any moment, your partner is going to stop. Immediately. No questions asked.”

— Autumn Jones, romper.com

“You can try new stuff! You might feel a little nervous to attempt a different position or experiment with toys (which you should def do) with someone you don't feel emotionally connected with. When you know someone completely, fully has your back and is going to protect you, you can let your physica…”

— Beca Grimm, bustle.com

“You prioritize sex with your lover when thinking about your daily schedule.”

— Mathew Guiver, buzzfeed.com

“You enjoy making them climax as much as climaxing yourself.”

— Holly Riordan, thoughtcatalog.com

“You don’t have to look or feel your best to have great sex because even when you’re wearing old sweats, sick with a cold, or droopy-eyed following a long day at work, your partner manages to make you feel attractive.”

— Mélanie Berliet, thoughtcatalog.com

“When you’re with the right person, sex won’t be the same twice. Some days, it’ll be rough. Animalistic. And other days you’ll take things slow. You’ll touch each other gently and whisper about your love as you rock back and forth.”

— Holly Riordan, thoughtcatalog.com

“There's no rush. You can take your time, hang out, have sex until you pass out, at which point you can (and should) order post-coital delivery grub, obvs.”

— Beca Grimm, bustle.com