The Delicious Sensuality of Texture

When I was a little girl, I had a favorite blanket that I always slept with. The blanket had a satin edging, and I would rub it on my upper lip to put myself to sleep. I found out as a new mom that a child’s upper lip is loaded with special touch receptors that help find its mother’s breast. Those receptors never go away. Maybe that’s why we like to kiss so much…and maybe explains why, to this day, I still test the silky softness of something against my upper lip.

Anyway, I was working on a love scene the other day, and I noticed the passages were loaded with descriptions of what my characters were seeing and saying, the noises they were making, even the scents in the room and on their skins. And yes, I was describing how Delsy and Nathan were touching each other. But I realized as I reread that section that I could load that room with textures – even make textures more a part of the sex play – and enhance the depth of the scene even further.

We all know how sensuous satin feels against our skin – that’s a given – but what about rolling a sweaty back onto cool crisp cotton for a change? What about the nubby froth of Berber carpet under our hero’s butt? Or a slice of unyielding marble floor? If our characters are in the middle of hot lovemaking, they might notice these sensations only fleetingly, but they would notice.

Then there is clothing. More sensation against the skin! Not just when it’s worn, but when it’s being removed. How about mentioning the raspy grab of too-tight denim or the sensuous abrasion of French lace against a nipple? And don’t even get me started on the tantalizing tease of a suede vest or belt.

Really, when it comes to textures, the sky is the limit. We can write about the feel of jewelry, feathers, scarves, neckties, water, food, drink and more. And here’s an idea: have fun testing textures on your own body. Have even more fun testing them on someone you like.

-Pepper
"Let's read something spicy!"