Woman:

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth--
for your love is more delightful than wine.
Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes;
your name is like perfume poured out.
No wonder the maidens love you!
Take me away with you--let us hurry!

My lover is to me a sachet of myrrh resting between my breasts.

How handsome you are, my lover!
Oh, how charming!
And our bed is verdant.

I slept but my heart was awake.
Listen! My lover is knocking:
"Open to me . . . my darling, my dove,
my flawless one."
My lover thrust his hand through the latch-opening;
my heart began to pound for him.
I arose to open for my lover,
and my hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with flowing myrrh,
on the handles of the lock.
I opened for my lover . . .

Man:

How beautiful your sandaled feet,
O prince's daughter!
Your graceful legs are like jewels,
the work of a craftsman's hands.
Your navel is a rounded goblet
that never lacks blended wine.
Your waist is a mound of wheat
encircled by lilies.
Your breasts are like two fawns,
twins of a gazelle.
Your neck is like an ivory tower.
Your eyes are the pools of Heshbon
by the gate of Bath Rabbim.

Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel.
Your hair is like royal tapestry;
the king is held captive by its tresses.
How beautiful you are and how pleasing,
O love, with your delights!
Your stature is like that of the palm,
and your breasts like clusters of fruit.
I said, "I will climb the palm tree;
I will take hold of its fruit."
May your breasts be like the clusters of the vine,
the fragrance of your breath like apples,
and your mouth like the best wine.

Woman:

May the wine go straight to my lover,
flowing gently over lips and teeth.
I belong to my lover, and his desire is for me.

Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame.
Many waters cannot quench love;
rivers cannot wash it away.4

Wow! Straight out of the Bible's "Song of Songs"! With this as their bedtime reading, no wonder those with strong faith also have strong feelings! In fact, university studies have shown that total sexual intimacy (intercourse) before a total commitment (marriage) creates several problems.

1. It weakens trust between partners. A partner may wonder, If he can't wait for sex until marriage, how can I be sure he will be faithful to me after we're married? In fact, studies show that those who have more than one sexual partner before marriage are more likely to have extramarital affairs.

Perhaps this distrust leads to further conflicts. For ten years, Dr. Nancy Moore Clatworthy, a sociologist from Ohio State, has been researching couples who have lived together.5

Dr. Clatworthy's survey asked questions about "finances, household matters, recreation, demonstration of affection, and friends." In every area, the couples who had lived together before marriage disagreed more often than couples who had not.

2. It lessens the importance of sex as a symbol of commitment. If you know that several other women have worn your fiance's engagement ring, it won't be as special as if you and that special guy went shopping for it and picked it out just for you. The same is true--only on a much intense level--with sexual intercourse. If you or your partner have had sex with just one other partner, then intercourse can't be as a unique expression of your love. (You can have "protected" sex, but there's no condom for your heart and soul!)

Dr. Clatworthy also observes, "The finding that surprised me most concerned sex. Couples who has lived together before marriage disagreed about it most often."6

Dr. E. Mansell Pattison, chairman of the Department of Psychology at the Medical College of Georgia, believes the lack of commitment is the reason sexual relationships are the most common break up factor. In marriage, couple have time to work through sexual problems (and sex is never problem free!). But, in a live-in situation, the partners can simply go looking for other willing partners.

Sex and commitment can't be separated. The research shows that total intimacy without total commitment leads to concerns of breaking up, often "extreme unhappiness," and more disagreement--especially about sex. As a result, Dr. Paul Pearsall claims "Super sex requires super love, a love that is possible only in a relationship that lasts . . ."7

3. It lessens the degree of intimacy. According to Leo ("Gimme me a hug!") Buscaglia, living together is "pseudo-intimacy, a caricature of an intimate relationship."8 And, again, researchers agree. While there may be good intercourse, there is little intimacy. It's impossible because both partners know very well that they're on trial. At any moment--for any disagreement--the other can walk out with little legal recourse. So, one is always conscious to be on their best behavior. Sort of like an extended date. (And the possibility for emotional and physical abuse is much higher since live-in's will tolerate traits in each other that they wouldn't accept for one minute if they were married with a lifetime ahead of them.)

Live-in's may experience sexual intimacy, but only in a life-long, committed relationship can couples enjoy personal intimacy.

4. It lessens the degree of happiness in the relationship. A question on Dr. Clatworthy's survey asked about the couple's "usual level of happiness." One possible answer was "extremely unhappy." The only couples checking that answer were the one who had lived together. Want to guess how may of those who didn't live together before marriage checked that box? None, again!

Doctors Kenneth Stewart and David Olson's survey of over 17,000 couples verifies Clatworthy's findings. "Almost two-thirds (64%) of cohabiting couples fell into the low satisfaction group, whereas [the same percentage] where both partners lived alone [before marriage] fell into the very satisfied group." The researchers also found that "couples that live alone before marriage seem to have the best premarital relationship, which we have found is also predictive of later marital success."9

5. It lessens the commitment itself. According to the Ohio State University study, couples who lived together and then got married often fantasize about breaking up. Guess how many of those who didn't live together before marriage checked that answer. None! And two out of three live-in relationships did not end in marriage--they just ended.

Sociologists Jeffery Jacques and Karen Chason of Florida A & M did not find one couple who felt living together prepared them for a lasting relationship. The researchers found the average live-in commitment lasts nine and one-half months. (At least most marriages that end in divorce last over six years.)

Dr. Clatworthy concludes, "For people who are in love, anything less than full commitment is a cop-out. Many girls have found, to their sorrow, that they lost the best partner they might have had by living with him."10

And so, sex and dark brown hair are beautiful in the context of marriage and scalps. But something quite different under uncommitted circumstances.

Secret 3: Concentration