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