In the January 1986 issue of Cosmo, we asked women to spill the details of the best sex they've ever had. Unsurprisingly, these Cosmo readers—even back in the '80s—had high standards when it came to bedroom antics, and weren't afraid to ask for what they wanted. From tales of underwater hookups to trysts in the snow (brr, yes, really), these steamy stories do not disappoint.
- “Call me a groupie, but my hottest sex happened with a star. I met a movie actor at work, and instead of being coolly professional, I figured what the hell and set my sights on something more personal. Sure enough, we wound up in his hotel suite. He phoned downstairs and told the switchboard not to put through any calls; then, he led me into the bedroom. I knew I wasn’t the first he’d seduced with his charm and fame, but I didn’t give a damn. I still get shivers thinking I went to bed with him…” —Flo, 27, publicist
- “Underwater! Well, almost underwater. We were at his summer place, skinny-dipping in the pool, when suddenly we began embracing. Wow! The undulating water, our slippery bodies, everything so smooth and wet…” —Marisa, 25, theatrical agent
- “Best sex ever? The night my married loved announced he was getting a divorce. Our affair had been going on for three years, and I was at the end of my rope. Nothing will ever equal the sheer joy—the thrill—of the moment he told me he’d finally decided to call his marriage quits. And that profound happiness soon translated into profound passion…” —Gloria, 30, sales executive
- “My steady beau and I went to an X-rated movie—my first—and, although I hate to admit it, our passion that night was X-rated, too!” —Georgette, 22, department-store buyer
- “Standing up. Something about leaning against the wall, while he thrusts himself inside me, set off an endless string of orgasms.” —Sue, 19, singer
- “Oh, this was kicky—and a little kinky! My man and I were at a party—a real crowded, noisy bash—when suddenly, we looked at each other and knew we were having exactly the same thoughts. So, we sort of slipped away and found an empty bedroom upstairs. We locked the door, made fast, furious love—all the while aware that at any moment we might be discovered—and returned to the mob scene fifteen minutes later.” —Cyndi, 26, guitarist
- “The most explosive series of orgasms I’ve ever had happened during a night when we had no intercourse. I’d forgotten my diaphragm, but my lover and I couldn’t keep our hands off each other. So, to play it safe, we did everything but. Think of it: three hours of foreplay. I can’t remember when I’ve had such a delicious time.” —Lianne, 26, dental technician
- “Are you ready? I had sex in the snow! I was on a ski trip, and the instructor was so hot I never even felt the cold. We just snuggled up under a big spruce tree and kindled our own fire…Surely the best sparks I’ve ever ignited!” —Donna, 28, copywriter
- “With light blazing. It was the most erotic thing, watching him touch all the right spots on my body, looking and feeling at the same time.” —Carol, 21, sales trainee
- “This is so terrible, so bitchy: I had my ultimate sexual thrill with a girlfriend’s boyfriend. She was out of town; he and I went out for a friendly dinner. By dessert and coffee, it became obvious that we were dying to go to bed with each other. We went back to his apartment and didn’t stop till morning. I guess our passion was fueled by the very nastiness of the thing.” —Lydia, 25, receptionist
- “The time intercourse went on for two-and-a-half hours.” —Pamela, 30, cosmetics demonstrator
- “Sex was good with my boyfriend—I never had trouble reaching orgasms or anything—but it wasn’t great. One night, I decided to tell him explicitly what I liked. I told him how to kiss my breasts, when to touch my clitoris, at what point to go inside me. I wish I’d drawn that kind of blueprint before, because I lost count of all the convulsive climaxes I had.” —Francine, 23, hairdresser
- “I hate to admit it, but the best sex I’ve had in a long time was with a stranger I picked up in a singles bar. It was the weeks before my period—a time of the month when my sex drive is running in high gear—and my body, if not my psyche, needed someone. I swallowed a few gin and tonics, turned my brain off and my libido on, and let things roll. I don’t remember his last name—don’t think I ever learned it—but I do remember the seven orgasms I had that night.” —Katie, 26, secretary
- “I’m not into hardcore S&M or anything, but I really liked it when my lover acted rough one night. He didn’t hurt me or scare me, but he did show me who was boss. I felt out of control, swept up in whatever he was doing, and that was the greatest turn-on.” —Yvonne, 20, bank teller
- “I had my most terrific sex reliving a teenage experience: I made it in the backseat of a convertible at a drive-in movie!” —Nancy, 36, nurse
- “I just found out I was getting a promotion and a big salary boost. I felt so proud of myself, so cocky and accomplished, that sex with my boyfriend that night was the best-ever adventure!” —Patricia, 26, marketing researcher
- “The first time someone performed oral sex on me still stands out as my most exciting experience in bed.” —Brenda, 24, airline hostess
- “The day I found out I wasn’t pregnant…My period was three weeks late, and I’d progressed from mild jitters to outright terror. When I finally saw that everything was okay, I put in my diaphragm, gave my boyfriend a big, long hug, and went wild from sheer relief!” —Teri, 22, data processor
- “After a Rolling Stones concert! Rock ’n’ roll revs me up!” —Amanda, 18, waitress
- “My best sex happened after a marathon run. I was all sweaty and high on fresh air and exercise. All he had to do was touch me and I had an orgasm.” —Vicki, 21, tennis instructor
- “As a goof, my lover and I went to one of those honeymoon resorts with a heart-shaped bed and sunken tub in every suite. Only, guess what? The joke was on us! Sex has never seemed so…well, sexy as when you’re surrounded by mirrors and rolling around on a bed just for the sensual pleasure.” —Randi, 24, administrative assistant
- “My wedding night!” —Marie, 51, housewife
