Sometimes “sexy” doesn’t have to mean naked and grinding against one another. Sometimes it is as being half-asleep and watching your lover shave and get dressed for work. It’s that little peck on the forehead. It’s that text message that says “I miss you” during the day.

Sometimes, “sexy” simply means romance.

And also nakedness and grinding against one another and having my nipples pinched until I scream and getting that head push and feeling his fingers deep within me…

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! Got some awesome winners to announce!

First, the winner of the Closer ToGetHer app is…

Pete! Who wrote: “My girlfriend lives in NY and I live in TX. We play online a lot, and this would help make things more interesting for both of us! I am glad you are doing this giveaway. Thanks.”

The second winner is from the Million Pageviews $50 Eden Fantasys giveaway back in January. The winner is…

SelectZen! Who wrote: “If I were to be lucky enough to win then I would buy this http://www.edenfantasys.com/dildos/strap-on-dildos/fetish-fantasy-elite-8-dildo A really nice fetish fantasy dildo for my partner. Once again well done on so many views.”

Thanks so much to everyone who participated in either giveaway. If you’re one of the winners, watch for an email from me (rori-at-betweenmysheets-dot-com) to learn how to claim your prize!

It’s not every day that I get to review something that I think is truly an awesome idea. And I think it’s safe to say that I’ve never reviewed anything that is both an awesome idea and under ten dollars.

Seriously, folks, the Closer ToGetHer app is pretty much the coolest thing ever. And I’m giving two copies away! (Scroll down for the giveaway.)

About the Product:

Closer ToGetHer (available for iPhone and Android) is an app that allows your partner to control the vibrations on your phone. It’s made to work with the OhMiBod line of vibrators, which are vibrators you can plug into anything with a speaker to have them buzz along with the music. Essentially, your partner taps his/her smartphone to create noise, which translates to buzzing when you have your vibe plugged in.

You both have to download the app for it to work. Once you do, the person who wants to be in control opens it, connects, and is given a unique ID. The person with the vibe enters this ID, which allows you to connect to the right person. The person simply taps the button on the screen to control the intensity of the buzzing.

Here’s a video that shows how it works:

See? Pretty cool, right?

Pros:

Dude, what’s not to love? This toy is awesome for every couple and downright amazing for D/s couples. I tried it out with the new man in my life (the Closer ToGetHer team generously gave us discounted copies), and it was amazing to allow him to be in control. For me, D/s is a mental thing as much as a physical thing. I love my OhMiBod, but the fact that he was in charge of the vibrations took things to a whole new level.

It’s also cool because he can take it to work and play with me (I work at home) whenever he wants, simply by tapping his phone. Or, if your main man is on a boy’s night out, weekend with his family, business trip, etc. this is a great option for a little discreet play. It’s much better than sexting.

The screen displays intensity level in percentage form, and the person controlling the vibrations can choose to have his/her phone vibrating as well, which makes it easier to understand what’s going on until you get the hand of it….and could be used for some mutual fun too!

Oh, and you can play solo as well. This is awesome as a couple’s tool, but if you’re single, that’s okay. You can control the vibrations yourself. It’s cool to make your own pulsing patterns and experiment to find that perfect sweet spot, rather than being at the mercy of the music.

Cons:

This isn’t a perfect app, but I do think it’s a really good start! I would love to see some of the same advanced functions the official OhMiBod app has, such as the ability to create and save buzzing patterns. Currently, it’s a little clumsy to use until you get used to it.

Because you plug your vibrator into the headphone jack, you also can’t really make calls while using it. I tried to call the man controlling things during (he understandably likes to listen), but I couldn’t figure out how to back out of the app to make a call without also disconnecting. Not sure what happens if you receive a call. I’m also not a super technical person, so take whatever I say with a grain of salt!

Once you disconnect from your partner, you can’t get back in a far as we could tell. That person also has to back out too to get a new id number. It would be nice to just be able to rejoin, or for you to be able to sign in with a user name or something so you didn’t have to enter a new number every time you wanted to play.

Conclusion:

While I do think the $9.99 price tag might be a little steep, it’s a lot cheaper than a new sex toy! For couples in D/s relationships, especially those who are long-distance or travel a lot, this is the perfect app to have to keep things fresh and fun.

If you’re single…well, it’s okay. It’s definitely cool to control your vibrator, but the official OhMiBod app is only 99 cents and has a lot more functionality. The major downside to the official app though, is that it’s only currently available for iPhone users. Of course, it also doesn’t allow you to connect with another person, so Closer ToGetHer definitely has the official app beat for couples!

GIVEAWAY

Awesome news – the wonderful people at Closer ToGetHer want YOU to try out their new app! So, we’re giving away two copies to a lucky winner – one for you and one for your Valentine (or a friend). To enter, simply leave a comment telling me how you plan to use the Closer ToGetHer app. Does your sweet take long business trips? Will you play from work? Is it going to be a fun part of your D/s adventure together? Are you excited to try the solo functions? Maybe you have an awesome idea for using it – tell us all about it and you’re entered to win!

But hurry – this is a VERY quick giveaway! The winner will be announce tomorrow at 8 PM EST so you can use it for Valentine’s Day if you want!

The Small Print:

• You must be 18+ or of legal age in your location to enter, since the prize is an adult product.
• Comments on this post will be closed on Feb. 14, 2012 at 7 PM EST, so you must enter before then.
• Only one entry per person (but you and your sweetie can both enter).
• You must use a valid email address when leaving a comment so I can contract you. Winners must respond within 3 business days or a new winner will be chosen.
• The winner will be chosen using Random.org.
• This app is only available for iPhone and Android smartphones. You can choose which version you want.
• You must provide your own OhMiBod. This giveaway is for the app only.
• If you want the iPhone version, you will be provided a free download code. If you want the Android version, you will be reimbursed for the purchase.
• Void where prohibited.

This is officially my 500th post here at Between My Sheets. And 500 posts later, I’m a very different girl. Different good and different bad.

Different good because I have a more clear understanding of exactly what I want in a man. Different bad because the thought of that in my life scares the crap out of me.

The truth is, over the last several years, I sometimes feel like I’ve been beaten down by life again and again. One by one I’ve watched my friends get into serious, successful relationship with wonderful people, while I’ve always been denied that special thing that everyone wants – someone who loves you back.

Someone who says, “I love you too” and really means it. Someone who doesn’t “fall out of love” with you when things get tough. Someone who you can trust.

500 posts later, I don’t know if I can trust people anymore, at least in the context of love.

This past weekend proved that I can trust someone to dom me…but that kind of trust isn’t hard for me. I mean, I like to think the best of people. I’ve certainly been dommed by several guys since starting this blog. I like to think that any guy I’m with will not hurt me on purpose. It’s the “not on purpose” kind of hurt that worries me. Since my 2006 disaster with the asshole who really was trying to hurt me:

• I dated a very nice man who loved me, but we grew to find out that we don’t want the same things in life.
• I dated D, who choose his ex over me.
• I dated V, who paid more attention to his video games than to me.
• I put trust in (though never dated) The Cowboy who ran away as soon as shit got real, after promising he never would.
• I started casually seeing D again, and after much pushing to get me to love and trust him, he chose another girl over me.
• I “dated” MM, who promised to work through his marriage problems, but in the end, just wasn’t strong enough to leave.

And though this all, I casually dated other guys as well – all guys who hurt me, even though none of them meant to.

I’m bitter. I’m sad. I’m fucked up.

The trust of the matter, is that I still blame these men. I don’t like it, because I don’t know that it’s fair to blame people for things that they didn’t necessarily control…but I do. And I’m not without fault. No way. I’m far from the perfect person. But here we stand, 500 posts later, and I’m not sure I’ll ever be in love again. At least, not that wonderful, innocent happy love I used to feel, back when I was in high school or college.

I used to feel that love when I was with someone else. Now I only feel it when they hurt me. When another guy breaks another promise, that’s when I feel it in my belly and know that my love is being rejected again.

I can’t remember the last time someone told me they loved me and honestly, truly did. I think maybe…spring 2008? Four years? It’s a long time to go without being loved.

And this may be kind of weird, but we also don’t say I love you in my family. My dad said it to me when he had his heart attack and we weren’t sure he was going to make it – that was maybe 7 or 8 years ago. I can’t remember my mom ever saying it. She might have said it when I had a little breakdown on the phone with her a few years ago after all sorts of bad things happened in my life. I can’t remember. Is that horrible? We just never said it growing up and now it feels weird to start. There’s not a single doubt in my mind that my parents love me, we just don’t say it.

No matter thought, because that’s different from romantic love anyway. And I do think the last time someone romantically loved me was D in early 2008.

I want to feel that feeling again, but the only way I know how is through pain. Fitting for a submissive I guess. I think, whenever I get close to feeling love, even puppy love at the beginning of a relationship, I don’t let myself believe it’s real or that it could be real. The only way I believe it is after I’m in pain because it’s over. At that point, the love hurts too much to deny.

And as much as I miss love…I also don’t know if I even want it anymore. I have a wonderful life without it. In general, I’m a happy girl. That’s more than I can say of myself when I was ever in a relationship in the past. So maybe love just isn’t for me. Maybe I need to readjust my dreams of that perfect life with the picket fence and the husband and the kids and the dog and just admit that this is my life and I’m already living my dream.

This life stuff is hard. Most of all, though, I worry about hurting other people while I figure it out. There’s a very nice new dom in my life, and even though I’ve told him that I want to move slow, things have been moving really quickly. It’s fun right now, but part of me worries that some day, he’ll look at me and say I love you and I’ll look at him and not be able to say it back. And not just because I’m not there yet, but because I’ll never be there. I don’t want to break his heart, because I don’t want to make him what the broken hearts in my life have made me.

As usual when I ramble on about life, I don’t have a good way to wrap up this post other than to say that we can maybe write this one up to lack of sleep. But I hope you’ll stick around for another 500 posts, and in any case, thanks for being here with me right now.

Curled up in his arms, we watched TV together, him laughing into my hair at the funny bits and occasionally kissing my neck with a light peck. Lazy Sundays are the best, when you don’t have to worry about doing work or answering emails. The kitchen was torn apart from making lunch and our clothes were strewn all over the bedroom floor from the night before and we just didn’t care. All that mattered at the moment was his hand on my breast, slowly and softly pinching my nipple occasionally as we lounged together

“I wish I didn’t have to leave,” he breathed into my ear, biting it gently.

“Mmmmm,” I moaned and stretched, not want to think of him leaving. Not wanting it to be Monday again. The weekend had played out like a fantasy and I had the bite marks to prove it.

His hand wandered between my legs and I parted them slightly, allowing him full access to my already-wet pussy. Or maybe still-wet pussy. I don’t know. We had played so hard and both orgasmed so many times in the past two days that it was hard to keep track.

“Naughty girl,” he said with a smile, a finger in me, exploring my wetness. “So hot and wet already. Naughty, naughty girl.”

“You make me that way,” I breathed back, his finger feeling glorious in me and already making me squirm. The man has talent with those fingers, enough to make me greedily want to cum all over them again. And again. And again.

He plunged a second finger in, this time moving faster. Fuck, how can I be so close to cumming already? Me, the girl who always finds herself hard-pressed to get off with a new guy, especially when he’s not rubbing my clit. But he fingers me harder and faster, all the while holding me tight from behind and telling me what a naughty, dirty slut I am.

Three fingers now and I’m gasping. My pussy is drenched and his hard cock is pressed against my back.

“You want to cum for me?” he grunts into my ear. “You want to cum all over my fingers you fucking slut?”

“Oh god yes,” I say, barely able to form works.

“You’re a naughty little whore. Say it.”

“I’m a naughty…little…whore…”

“Tell me how much you want to cum. Beg me.” Faster, harder, deeper, his fingers pump my pussy and he bites my shoulder.

“Oh please, oh god, please. I want to cum all over your fingers. Don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t stop.”

“Do it. Cum for me.”

“Dont…stop…”

He doesn’t. And I’m cumming. Hard and loud, I’m cumming all over his fingers, writhing in his arms.

“Mmmm.” He wraps his arms around me. “You’re beautiful when you cum.”

It’s been what, five minutes? Ten maybe? Give me a minute and I’ll be ready to go again, wanting him deep in my mouth or my pussy, spurting hot cum all over my tits. But for now, it’s nice snuggled here with him, his arms protective around me. If only lazy Sundays never had to end.

The picture above is with permission from The Upper Floor, and awesome site if you love domination and discipline.

It’s only one week until Valentine’s Day. Have you picked up a gift for your sweetheart yet? And have you picked up something for romancing yourself a little?

I have the perfect gift option for you: Icicles No. 12

Erotic Toy Town offered me this Pipedream Products item to review, and how could I resist? It’s a beautiful dildo shaped like a rose in one of the materials I love most: glass. I know, girls. Glass sounds scarey. But it’s really not. It’s hard and cool and smooth and wonderful. And this one is so pretty you can almost leave it setting out on your coffee table and your guests wouldn’t even notice!

Again, I love glass dildos and Icicles is the best manufacturer out there, at least that I’ve come across. So let’s take a look at this product and whether or not it is right for you for Valentine’s Day…or any day you want a little romance in your life!

About the Product:

Icicles No. 12 is a clear, pink glass product that is around and 7.5 inches long, most of which is insertable. It has the wider flared based, so you can use it anally as well as in your pussy, but if you’ve never had a glass toy before, go slow, no matter what hole you choose to violate! Glass doesn’t have any “give” like a plastic-based product, so it feels really hard in you.

Because it’s make of glass, this product is safe and hypoallergenic. It can be cleaned with just about any regular toy cleaner, or you can boil it. You can even put it in the dishwasher for sanitation. Just make sure you empty your dishwasher before your roommate gets home.

Icicles No. 12 is on sale right now with Erotic Toy Town for $36.99, so it’s a pretty sweet deal.

Pros:

I can’t tell you guys how much I love the glass. My pussy is downright addicted to the feeling of a cool glass toy inserted deeeeep inside me. It might not vibrate or pulse, but the glass more than makes up for it.

The beautiful design is definitely a pro as well. I’m not brave enough to leave it setting out, but the design makes it a perfect romantic but naughty gift. I would swoon if a man bought me this toy. Who needs a dozen roses when you have one rose that will give you a dozen orgasms? Hehe *naughty grin* And I have to say, the packaging is nice as well. Even though this toy won’t break the bank, it has a real luxury feel.

The shape of this specific Icicles is wonderful as well, at least in my opinion. I reviewed a few glass toys in the past, and some are just better than others, though I do enjoy all of them. I love the bulb created by the flower on this end, because it kind of mimics the head of a real penis. The smaller bulbs on the shaft feel super nice as well.

In addition to being easy to clean, you can also heat it or stick it in the freezer for some fun temperature play. Yum.

Cons:

The biggest con to this toy is the same thing I really like about it – it’s made of glass. With a glass toy, rough play can be a little dangerous. I like it rough, but in the wrong position, slamming this glass cock into your pussy is going to hurt. So proceed with caution!

I would have liked if it came with some kind of bag for storage. I think the packaging is classy, but it also bulky and a bit inconvenient. Or maybe I’m just lazy. :-p

Seriously, those are the only cons I can really think of. I mean, I guess the fact that it’s not a vibrating toy is a turn off to some, but I like some plain dildos as well.

Conclusion:

Should you pick up this sex toy? ABSOLUTELY. I think Icicles No. 12 has claimed my heart as “favorite glass dildo,” a title previously held by the Turquoise Twister. This is pretty much the perfect sex toy for Valentine’s Day, so definitely consider picking it up for yourself or your sweetie.

A big fat thank you to Erotic Toy Town for sending me this sex toy to review! While you’re checking out Icicles No. 12, you can also check out other Icicles dildos and more toys to make this Valentine’s Day even more special!

I’m an avid online dater, and I’ve found a lot of cool guys that way. I’ve also had my fair share of run-ins with creeps. Today, I have a great guest post for you guys about online dating from Brianna with Best Adult Dating Sites. I definitely agree with all of her points, and even though this post is written with ladies in mind, guys – please be equally careful. ~Rori

We’ve all seen those ads.  You know…the ones showcasing the happy couples who smile, laugh and tell the story of how their picture-perfect romances began with a click of the mouse.  And as you sit there watching in envy, the horror sets in that you are spending a Friday night alone in front of the TV, shoveling unhealthy amounts of Ben & Jerry’s down your throat…so you can’t help but think, “Maybe online dating isn’t such a bad idea.”  But before you let the marketing tactics of the online dating industry get the best of you and send you running for your laptop, there are a few things that you need to know…

Online dating is a great method of meeting your match in today’s busy, hectic world.  However, there are crazies out there who use online dating as a means to hurt others who actually have the right intentions.  So that you don’t wind up in a situation that could leave you swearing off dating forever and heading to the convent, be sure to check out the following safety rules for online dating:

Safety Rule #1:  Don’t give away too much.  Okay, this is a tip you might’ve heard with conventional dating…but with internet dating, it’s just as important…especially when applied to the information you disclose.  It can be hard to resist when you’re communicating with a guy on the web who has a profile pic that looks like it fell out of a magazine, but if he asks you for personal info too soon, resist you must.  There’s no telling if that ‘hot guy’ is really who he says he is, so for that reason, when filling out your dating profile and interacting with fellow cyber singles, never give out the following details:  last name, home address, place of employment, phone number or financial material.

Safety Rule #2:  Take it slow.  When you find yourself clicking with an online match, it can be very thrilling and the excitement of meeting this person can take over…but if you rush into things with a guy you met on the net, you run the risk of running into some serious danger.  Once you’ve spent enough time through an online dating service getting to know a guy and you trust that he is legit, then it is okay to reveal more about yourself.  Then wait until you’re completely comfortable and confident that the guy is not a crazed, lunatic murderer topping America’s Most Wanted List before you plan a safe first date.

Safety Rule #3:  Plan a safe first date.  The time has come for your very first date with your online Prince Charming so you’re raiding your closet, you’ve spent a month’s rent on a hot new pair of shoes, and you’re maxing out your credit card on all the latest skin treatments at the beauty salon.  But as you’re crossing items off your first date prep list that will have your guy falling in love the minute he feasts his eyes on you, have you considered how to make it a safe first date?  Well, before you head out the door, don’t forget a spritz of perfume…and these first date safety tips:

• Whether you think he’s Prince Charming or not, tell him not to worry about picking you up in his horse-drawn carriage and hop in your own chariot.  For the first few meetings, never rely on transportation from your online man and be sure to hold your first dates in crowded, public places.
• It’s a given that you’re going to give your best gal-pal the scoop on your new guy…so don’t forget to fill her in on his name and where you plan on going with him.  Keep your cell phone handy throughout the date and call your friend upon your arrival home to let her know that you made it safely…and to dish about the date, of course!
• While on your date, it is important to remain observant—and not just observant of your date’s devastatingly good jawline or eyes that happen to be bluer than the Caribbean Sea—be aware of what is going on around you.  Keep an eye on your belongings and no matter how badly you think that Cosmopolitan is going to help calm your nerves, it is best to forgo the alcohol for the first few dates.

Safety Rule #4:  Listen to your gut.  Think back on all of the idiots that make up your dating history.  Don’t you always wish that you had listened to your intuition when it told you they were losers who weren’t worthy of your time?  Well, when it comes to online dating, your safety is your number one priority so it is imperative to always listen to that gut feeling.  If at any point during your online quest for love should a cyber-suitor make you feel the slightest bit uncomfortable, don’t be afraid to bow out, cut communication and tell the creep goodbye!

Brianna Phillips is a guest post author who enjoys writing about safe online dating.  In addition, Brianna also owns Best Adult Dating Sites where she offers advice on dating and relationships to online singles. 

You take the good…that I have some interesting dates planned this weekend, that I have an awesome new sex toy to tell you all about, that I have new posts coming VERY soon, I PROMISE….

You take the bad…that the flu has been attempting to kill me, that last week I’ve had to completely wipe my computer and reinstall Windows, that I have the sucky task of rejecting someone who I think really likes me…

And then you have the facts of life.

Bounce that Dick from Jenna Marbles, one of my YouTube favorites. I seriously can’t stop laughing.

“Sorry that was racist, I’m bad at rap songs…Ha! No I’m not! I’m fucking awesome and shit!”

Seriously, how can you not be laughing right now?

I feel like it’s been forever since I’ve written about my life. I love giving advice and writing reviews and such here on Between My Sheets, but let’s be honest; one of the reasons I started this site was that I needed an outlet to just…well…talk.

Or write. Whatever.

Tonight, I need that outlet.

I feel like I’m a really, really weird place right now in terms of relationship status. I really liked the guy I was seeing earlier this fall, but it’s been a long time since he’s replied to any of my texts. I heard from him a few times then suddenly…nothing. I’m kinda done with that BS. I deserve better than someone who’s only going to call me every few months.

So since then…went out with an older dom who was nice, but there was really no common ground there. We both felt it. Our date was awkward at best, and even though I think he’s a nice person, we had nothing to talk about and our lifestyles outside of D/s are super different.

I also went out with a few vanilla guys. The first was pretty much the exact opposite of the dom I met. We have TONS in common, but I don’t know…just didn’t feel the spark. I didn’t feel submissive to him at all. He was from a vanilla dating site, and while I am definitely open to dating someone more on the vanilla side of things, I still have to feel that submissive spark. The awkward part of things, though, was that he was really into me. He kept trying to kiss me and hold my hand in the middle of dinner and such, and just didn’t get the hint at all. It was actually really annoying. If a girl tells you she’s not into PDA, that’s a good sign that she doesn’t want you to keep trying to kiss her at the bar. It was super awkward to tell him I wasn’t interested in a third date.

So then a met up with another vanilla guy. I’m kind of on the fence about him. We’ve been on two dates, and they were both nice. Not earth-shattering, but fun for sure. I wasn’t sure whether or not he was into me…and I’m still not sure. We went out last Thursday and the date ended in a kiss (that he initiated). I texted him over the weekend, but didn’t hear back. So not sure it he’s interested or not. I thought the kiss was really nice, but maybe he didn’t feel the same! This guy’s definitely not a dom in the whips and chains sense, but I think he’s dominant enough (in a vanilla way) that I can be happy.

There is another guy. I know, I know, pimpin’! I’ve been out with him once, and we have plans to go out again…over a week from now. We had fun, but there are a lot of life-ish things in the way. Our schedules clash. He lives kinda far away. He wants to settle down in the middle of the city (I want to move farther away eventually). He doesn’t have a car (public transportation is possible, but it takes a long time). He comes from a different culture (not a big deal to me, but a harder sell to my family, and they’re important to me). We have a lot in common and had a good time on our first date, but…we’ll see.

I’m strangely okay with not being in a relationship, but I don’t know that I’m okay with that, if that makes sense. Like, I feel happy with my life and my career is crazy successful right now, but I worry sometimes that if I don’t focus on my love life too, I’ll get caught up in my career and never really find true love. I know, I know, you just have to let it happen, you can’t force love. But at the same time, if I’m not getting out there and meeting people, it’s not going to happen at all. I don’t want to someday look back on my life and be sad that I never found time for love.

So I’m not really okay with being okay, as weird as that sounds.

We’ll see, I guess. Hopefully, there will be some sparks in my future. I miss being in love.