Thank you all once again. It's been a while and we've both learnt much. He to slow down and not take the orgasm denial too far (yet? ....eek!), and me to just tell him how I feel, then shut up and trust that he will make the right choice -- to push me but not beyond what I can take. Thankfully, I've never felt the inclination to take advantage of the safeword thus far -- guess it was just paranoia and confusion on my part.