Just as kisses are the portal to erotic life in a new romance, they're the life support system of erotic passion in long-time love. They are the signature of passionate contact, the way we say we'd like to make love. But kisses aren't just the key-card to erotic passion. Once having entered the realm of sexual intimacy, they have a power and beauty all their own. They sweeten and deepen the sexual encounter, make it more playful or tender, more full of feeling.

Daphne Rose Kingma, 101 Ways to Have True Love in Your Life