A couple who have slept with 20 other people between them since getting married twp years ago say their adventurous sex life is the glue that binds them.
Laura and Mike Leonard, both 28, from California, were wed in 2015 and have since pursued sexual relationships with other people – because they say one person isn’t enough to sate their desires.
Despite having a five-year-old son, full-time jobs and a mortgage, the polyamorous couple say their complicated love lives only serves to make their family home better – because they constantly communicate about who they’re sleeping with.
Laura and Mike Leonard, both 28, from California, insist they’re dedicated and loyal to each other despite regularly seeking out other sexual partners
Laura admits that one man isn’t enough to quench her sexual desires and that she currently has a boyfriend and a girlfriend alongside her marriage to Mike
In a bid to ensure that their son Ian, 5, isn’t affected by the new relationships they forge, they’ve agreed never to bring dates home.
And they say they’re only speaking out about their marriage because they want to highlight to couples the benefits that such an open relationship can have.
Laura, a customer service adviser, says: ‘Dating is part of who I am and that’s why I’ll always be polyamorous.
‘Mike and myself got married knowing full well that we’d never be 100 per cent exclusive to each other.’
Pictured on their wedding day in 2015: the couple say their love for each other never wavers but that they both have needs that leads them to explore sexually away from the marital home
Communication is everything: the couple, who are parents to a five-year-old son, say they work hard to keep their love alive and never let their son see them dating other people
She adds: ‘I’ve had around 10 sexual partners since we tied the knot and I tend to go on around two to four dates per month.
‘When I struggle to find dates, I used dating website What’s Your Price to find potential new partners.
‘Mike also goes on dates with other women and we openly discuss the sexual partners we have while married.’
Not cheating: Laura says being open in a relationship has nothing to do with infidelity because everyone is aware of the situation
‘I currently have Mike, another boyfriend and a girlfriend to share my time between.
‘I try to make sure I divide my time equally but myself and Mike have adult responsibilities like our house and Ian to consider.
Mike and Laura first met in college but it wasn’t until 2011 that Laura became polyamorous and later rekindled her relationship with Mike – and asked if he would consider living the lifestyle.
I can get jealous of Laura’s other partners but she does her best to ensure she divides her time between all of us…
‘I was open from the beginning, I didn’t want a monogamous relationship. I didn’t enjoy being exclusive to other partners, it’s great to get out the house and have fun with other people.
She says the couple haven’t looked back:
‘Mike has always supported my decision and although he doesn’t have any other partners at the moment, I have two.’
‘Being polyamorous has made our marriage stronger as we’re always communicating with one another.
‘Having sex with other people has nothing to do with us ‘being cheaters,’ we both just need more than one sexual partner to fulfil our needs.
‘That’s not to say we don’t get jealous of one another from time to time but that’s normal.’
Mike chimes in: ‘We have a great marriage and although I can get jealous of her other partners, she does her best to ensure she divides her time between us all.’
Ordinary: Laura says their marriage is conventional in lots of ways, with both herself and Mike holding down a full-time job and a mortgage
Laura says their relationships are very much exclusive and they don’t meet partners as a couple.
‘He doesn’t get involved in my other relationships, we have tried in the past but sexually I just seek other people on my own.
‘I have a girlfriend who has a husband and a boyfriend who I try and ensure I see as much as I can.
‘Me and Mike are happily-married and being polyamorous has only ensured we stay loyal to one another.
She says: ‘There’s a lot of people who call us cheaters or that we can’t be happy with our spouse but we are more than happy.
‘Polyamory isn’t for everyone, but I think if most people were themselves they’d realise that one single person cannot possibly give them everything they need.’