Can you feel it?

Do I need to say more?

*sigh* That first kiss....

Your lips touch for the first time: The earth moves. The angels sing...or, at least, that's what you hope will happen, right? The reality is, anticipating that first smooch can be one of the most exciting and nerve-wracking moments in your dating life. So much hangs in the balance: Will your date like how you kiss? Will there be chemistry? Does this person even want to lock lips with you in the first place? And don't worry, there are plenty of ways to pull it off with ease, while letting your date know there's plenty more where that came from.

The most common question I get about first kisses is this: When should I do the deed? An understandable concern. No one wants to make the move too soon and get the dreaded cheek turn, and yet, wait too long and it sends the vibe you're not interested or that you lack confidence. So when should you dive in? Most women I've spoken to say it should happen on the first or second date...provided you don't wait until that very end when you're standing in their doorway. That's too predictable, awkward and likely to be framed by those "Umm, I had a really good time" comments. Instead, go for something sexier and more spontaneous. "A first kiss has to have something that's dynamic to it. Surprise me, catch me off guard. That's passion." And creativity, which earns bonus points, too. Women have told me about incredible kisses happening on the way into a restaurant (getting it out of the way early), across a dinner table, in a movie theater (during the opening credits), and just walking down the street, when the guy 'noticed' that there was a romantic full moon overhead.

Some people think that it's a guy's responsibility to initiate a first kiss. But what I've heard over and over again from men is this: They love, love, love it when a woman makes the first move. Guys love knowing that they're wanted, so I say, go ahead, girls, give him a break and go for it. One woman I interviewed did this with fabulous results. "After our third date, we stayed up talking until 4 am, and still no kiss!," she says. "So at the very beginning of our fourth date, I walked into his apartment, and instead of saying, `Hello,' I kissed him and we wound up making out for hours. Sometimes I wonder if I hadn't given him that first kiss if we'd even be together today. He assures me that he would have gotten around to it, but I am glad that I took charge. It gave me kind of a rush."

Sure, you want your first kiss to be passionate...but that doesn't mean rough or messy. As one woman put it, "The worst first kiss is an aggressive, overly wet kiss. If a guy plunges his tongue in my mouth and spreads saliva all around my mouth, I tell him that I have to be at work early in the morning to cut things short." Super-deep kissing communicates that you're overeager, which can convince someone to put on the breaks. Give the recipient some air, that way, they'll be raring for more. 'The one time I kissed a guy for the first time I made sure to pull away after a few seconds,' recalls one woman. "It was great, since it gave me a second to look into his eyes and silently ask, `Is this okay? You liking this?' before we dove back in. If we hadn't hit pause, I would never have known whether he was just kissing me to not be rude."

While a standard first kiss can be great, the men and women I've spoken with always remember - longingly - the ones that had an extra maneuver that heightened the romance factor. Usually, these are little moves that ramp up the kiss's sensuality. For instance, a friend of mine, recalls a great first kiss in which her guy "put his index finger gently on my chin to guide my mouth toward his - it was so sexy." And another friend, shares this moment: "My boyfriend first kissed me softly on my neck, worked his way up to my ear, and finally found my mouth - that pretty much blew me away." Guys also love this kind of thing: "One of my best-ever first kisses was when my date gently raked her nails through my hair; that get my nerve endings revved in an unexpected way." So feel free to add a little fillip like these.

So...that first kiss can be incredibly amazing. Just have to give it a shot. So....what are YOU waiting for?