Ahh, the cock ring. It makes your erection that bit harder and your orgasm that bit more intsense. Add in the potential for extra clitoral pleasure for her, and what's not to love?
Too often, rings are associated either with cheap, gooey plastic, or the S&M full cock-and-ball Leatherman end of things. Let me introduce you to an elegant, even Renaissance, example - the latest device from Lelo, Oden 2 (£104.95. At sextoys.co.uk). Fifty per cent more powerful than the first Oden model, Oden 2 is a sleek and elegant beast in smooth black silicone. Imagine curling one finger in to your thumb to make a circle - and you have the rough shape of the thing. The "thumb" end vibrates. Screwed into the thumb is a tail part that curls round the base of your shaft, and can be pulled open for easy access. The Oden 2 also comes with a second tail end, which is a ring that cannot be pulled open; this requires slightly more skill in putting on, but has the advantage that no matter how arobatic your loving, it won't ping off...
Well, assuming you are doing this at least in part for your more beautiful half, you'll naturally want positions where the Oden snugly nestles into her. So, cowgirl, or perhaps Asian cowgirl - in which she straddles you, taking her weight on her feet, rather than her knees. (If you are gifted with an exhibitionist lover, who is perhaps a minx for a power trip, think to enjoy this in front of a full-length mirror; it will be a trip for her to watch herself hover over you, choosing the pace, tourturing and delighting you - and you might enjoy the view too.)
Scissors is also an excellent position to make the most of the toy. Begin with her on her side, with her upper leg raised; you then kneel between her two legs to take her, with her upper leg now wrapped around your hip. With the Oden 2 rotated to press on her clitoris, try alternating long, slow thursts with holding yourself deep inside her and letting the pattern of vibrations shudder through her. Note that the Oden 2 has a remote control (which has considerably better range than the earlier version), so as you remain pinned together, you can ramp up the vibration patterns; it is also waterproof, so all of the above can be done in the bath.
When she's had her fun, you may find that by rotating the toy you can position it to maximise your sensations as it reverberates through your balls. Lastly, some general points on ring ettiquette. If you're using the closed ring tail end, you may wish to apply some water-based lube such as Liquid Silk (£9.99 At Lovehoney. lovehoney.co.uk) to ease the removal process. Equally, make sure that you have dry hands when you stretch it to put it on (having it snap into your cock is not so hot). And don't leave it on for more than 30 minutes - you want to keep the blood flowing.
Original article published in GQ, in March, 2014
