The Art of Kissing

Kissing is something I truly enjoy. A simple light kiss on the cheek to a passionate, lingering kiss on the mouth and anything between or beyond... all of these kisses have their own value. None is any less important than the next. It just depends on what emotion you are hoping to convey.

I will attempt to explain my theory with a little story. A girlfriend of mine and I were discussing kissing one day not too long ago. She and I were not romantically involved, but we flirted with and teased each other fairly regularly. We seemed to possess the same opinion of kissing and how erotic even a soft kiss on the cheek could be - if the body language was right.

As we were talking over the science behind kissing, she surprised me by saying, "So, why don't you show me the evidence you have to support your theories?" Her eyes filled with that familiar teasing I had become used to seeing.

I looked at her in slight shock. She rarely ever surprised me with her playful audacity, but I definitely wasn't expecting this proposition. We continued to hold one another's gaze a few moments as I tried to figure out her intentions. I slowly extracted myself from my chair and crossed the short distance to stand in front of her. I had always wondered what kissing her would feel like....

Looking down at her as she looked up at me, I grasped her hand and slowly pulled her to a standing position in front of me. Our bodies still a good foot apart, I softly explained, "Well, in my book, there are six types of kisses." Her eyes were still dancing playfully as she nodded to acknowledge my comment.

Still holding her hand, I slowly pulled it to my mouth. "First," I breathed across her knuckles, "there is the polite kiss on the hand." I closed my mouth and gently pressed my lips into the backs of her fingers, all the while maintaining eye contact. It appeared to me she stopped breathing for a brief moment, but her eyes were still glowing, so I wasn't sure. I continued without much of a second thought.

I stepped closer, reducing the distance between our bodies by several more inches. Leaning towards her, our breasts nearly touched as I placed my mouth very close to her ear.

"Second," I whispered, my warm breath cascading softly across her ear and jawline, "is the friendly kiss on the cheek." Touching my lips lightly to the soft skin of her cheek, I allowed myself to linger for the effect. When I pulled back to meet her gaze, I noticed immediately that her eyes had darkened considerably and her tongue tip darted out to moisten her lips.

Continuing, I maintained the distance between us as my eyes travelled up and down slowly - studying her eyes and then her mouth. Up close, I deemed her lips to be the most delectable things I'd seen. Watching her watch my mouth, I said, "Third, is the simple peck on the lips," and reached up to gently cup her face with both of my hands. I quickly brushed my mouth over hers, purposely choosing not to linger, and pulled back again.

My hands still cupping her face, I paused to study her. Her expression was not easily discernable and seemed to me one of many thoughts and feelings all at once. The playful light in her eyes had changed to something else. I wasn't sure of my own thoughts, either. My skin was tingly, my body was warm and my head was swarming with dozens of images.

Clearing her throat quietly, she murmured, "And the fourth type of kiss?"

Grinning slightly, I gazed deeply into her eyes and said, "The fourth kiss is one of my favorites because it has the potential to lead into so much more."

My mouth on hers again, I pressed closer this time. The softness of her lips caressed my own. I concentrated a few moments on the contour of them and how perfectly our mouths fit... akin to two jigsaw puzzle pieces finding their matches.

Pulling away slowly, I opened my eyes and noticed hers were still closed. After a few seconds, she opened them and it was my turn to stop breathing. The heat in her eyes coursed through my body and radiated to my soul. There was definitely no turning back now. I was in too deep to even consider it.

Stepping further into the fire, I pulled her body flush against mine... hips and breasts pressing into one another. I snaked my left hand around her waist and my right to the back of her neck, burying my fingers in her soft hair and lowered my mouth to the right side of her neck. Parting my lips slightly, I placed soft kisses along the curve before trailing the tip of my tongue back over the same path. Opening my mouth a bit more, I began to suckle gently at the tender spot in the crook between neck and collarbone. She moaned softly and grabbed a handful of my shirt, tugging on it. I suckled just slightly harder to elicit a louder moan and drifted my left hand from her waist up the sweep of her back, my fingertips memorizing the shape through her shirt.

Tracing along her jaw, I slid my lips to her chin and again to the honey of her mouth. I lingered on her lower lip, gently sucking it into my mouth and drawing my tongue tip over it before kissing her fully, my tongue softly crashing into hers. I studied the smoothness of her teeth and the softness of her tongue as my hands began roaming over her body with more fervor, finding their way up her shirt and resting on the warm skin of her back.

I didn't want to end the kiss, but somewhere in my mind, I knew I had to. At least for the moment. I slowly pulled away. Our faces were still close as we gazed deeply into each other's eyes. Mustering my senses, I said quietly, "Those were the fifth and sixth kisses."

I stood there, waiting. Not exactly sure what I was waiting for, but I didn't move.

She nodded slowly, and whispered, "I definitely like those the best," before placing a hand at the back of my head and pulling my mouth back to hers...