Q&A: (A Story) Is it appropriate for us to have sex, or should we wait longer?

Published October 19, 2011 | By Bman

Question by gabyml915: (A Story) Is it appropriate for us to have sex, or should we wait longer?
A year ago in August, I met this man at my old job. We would see each other but go our separate ways at first. We started small talk around the Holidays when he got a temporary promotion (we were originally both sales associates). He got his old position back later on and we started working in the same area and talking more often around February. We got to know the basics about each other but he never asked me out, he would just hang around me at the register. In June my coworker/best friend had a bonfire and he was invited. He came to the bonfire with his best friend and introduced us. He sat next to me and we talked a little. It was when he was leaving this bonfire that we experienced our first hug. A week later, another friend held another bonfire. He didn’t really know her but he came alone and sat next to me. We talked a little but mostly just sat in silence while everyone was being loud. We learned that we’re both usually quiet in social settings. Later we made plans to go to the movies. We hugged again and he left,.
A few days after that I invited him to eat lunch with me on our lunch break, and he accepted. We ate lunch together and it was really fun, although another female coworker sat with us and kind of ruined the moment. A week after, I left the job, but we still had plans to go to the movies. We met there, and he paid for the movie. After that we went to a restaurant and he also paid for our food. We hugged awkwardly and then went our seperate ways. We met a week later at a Panera, and then walked around the plaza to a video game store and then looked around. We hugged and made plans to meet the next day but that day came and we found out he was busy.
The next week came by, and we met at a sushi place and he paid for our food. We then met up at his place and watched a movie. We didn’t do anything, not even a kiss. I just hugged him before I walked out the door but then he walked me out and he hugged me again.
At this point, things were still up in the air. Around the end of July, a former coworker of ours had a pool party for her boyfriend’s party and invited the both of us. My best friend who I met at that job was there when I arrived, and so was the guy. He said hi to me and continued having fun with his friends, but would stare at me from time to time. My best friend brought me into the bathroom and told me that she took a walk with him and he told her that he liked me. Later on during the party I got a little drunk and sat by the pool while girls in the pool and I were talking. He came out of the house fully clothed with a beer in his hand and cuddled me by the pool. We were so hugged so close that a girl swam over and asked us if were were together. It took us a minute to answer but then he said that “it seemed about right”, then he kissed me. It was a little awkward since I didn’t really know how to kiss yet. He put down his beer and hugged me closer. We later went into the kitchen and we shared a piece of cake so I would feel better. We then started making out in the middle of the kitchen. Everything around us disappeared at that moment and I felt as though it was just me and him at that party. After we finished kissing, he said “It just feels right.” and held me close. 30 minutes later he had to leave with his friend and kissed me goodbye.
The next day, we met at an ice cream place but ended up at his place because it was too hot outside. We finished the movie that we had been watching there previously and then started making out again. He took me to his room, we started making out on his bed. He told me to tell him to stop if I was getting uncomfortable. He managed to get my shirt off, but after a little more kissing I had to stop. I wasn’t ready. I told him this and he said “You’re right, I don’t want to f*** this up.’ The fact that he didn’t pressure me made me so happy. I put on my shirt while he stroked my shoulders. We walked to the living room and sat down and watched a Pixar movie together. I got on his lap, and we kissed at random points of the movie. When it was over, we made out some more until I needed to go home. We kissed goodbye and I went home. He texted me the next morning and that night and it was a three hour long conversation.
Yesterday, which was the last time I saw him, we made plans and I drove to his place, then we went in his car to go eat dinner. We had a great conversation about our families and people at his job. We drove back to his place and watched TV, where we pretty much made out the whole time, until I needed to go home again. He didn’t even mention going to his room, except one time when we couldn’t find the living room remote so he said we could watch tv there. His friend (who of course left soon after) found the living room remote so we ended up watching tv there.
He knows exactly where to kiss me and how to touch me, and when he holds me I feel like we fit together l
I’m 19 and he’s 22.
I am absolutely ready to sleep with him, what worried me is doing it too soon in the relationship. I don’t think he likes me only because he’s physically attracted. We have a lot in common and we can have many conversations that are not sexual AT ALL. I am very responsible and would always make sure we were using proper contraception.
We’re both virgins and neither of us have ever had a boyfriend/girlfriend.