Tipsy Tuesday

I came across this while I was cleaning out one of my home office filing cabinets in preparation to move to a new place next month. It's the 12 Stages of Intimacy according to author Linda Howard.

You can use these stages to build sexual tension in your books, as well as in love scenes.

1) Eye to body. That old once-over--except it happens in a fraction of a second, and usually only a few significant details are absorbed--and attraction either occurs or it doesn't.

2) Eye to eye. Contact with a stranger across a crowded room. Eye contact is sustained only between intimates. Our first instinct is to look away. If a stranger continues to stare, it's usually considered an act of aggression.

3) Voice to voice. Small talk.

4) Hand to hand. Demands a certain degree of trust. Hand to arm--to guide a woman across a streeet, for example--is just the man's excuse to get his hands on her. ;)

5) Arm to shoulder. Body contact, i.e., a hug.

6) Arm to waist (or small of back). This is sexual in nature--men don't do this to other men. (Well, straight men don't.)

7) Mouth to mouth. Full frontal contact during a kiss.

8) Hand to head. During a kiss--requires major trust.

9) Hand to body. Breast, shoulder, chest.

10) Mouth to breast. Hopefully takes place in private!

11) Hand to genitals. Hmm. We all know where this can lead!

12) Genitals to genitals. Face to face body contact is different than in other animals. It's not just opposable thumbs that sets us apart...!