What is sexy?

As a writer of erotic romance, I often wonder what people find sexy. When they hear the word, people automatically start thinking about what they find attractive about a person. I get a lot of responses for eyes, hair, ass...But these aren't the things that I'm talking about. I want to know what else, besides a partner's physical characteristics, that makes someone think sexy thoughts.

Tell me, what puts you in a seductive frame of mind? Is it a particular odor? Do you walk through a leather store just to inhale that raw scent? Does the smell of vanilla spice in the air make you feel all warm and receptive? How about touch? Are you a sensualist, reveling in the feel of certain fabrics or sensations? Do you spend a little too much time in a hot shower because the way the water runs over your skin makes you feel alive? Or maybe you love to wear silk because it glides across your body all cool and soft.

Perhaps, it's a certain taste that works on you. Does the mere hint of chocolate and whipped cream on your tongue send you into overdrive? Or maybe strawberries and champagne? Peaches and cinnamon? Or maybe you go for something a little spicier on the palate. Like a hint of cayenne pepper.

What about places? In a story, setting is very important. It sets the scene, seduces the imagination. Are there certain places that get your senses revving? A candlelit balcony in Paris, a deserted beach on Bora Bora...Even a toasty bedroom on a snowy night can be sexy. Perhaps your garden at home, all shining in the light of a full moon, turns your head to more passionate ideas.

Sound is sexy as all get out. Laughter does it for many people. The smoky sounds of a throaty laugh or a deep masculine chuckle. A good seductive drumbeat that echoes the pulse turns a lot of people on. Or the sound of rain, the rumble of thunder, a wild storm that will keep you inside with your partner for the day or night. Or perhaps a certain song? One that you remember playing in the background the first time you slow-danced or made out.

Sexy to me is the sound of rain, the scent of cinnamon, the feel of suede, the taste of warm apples and a cozy room at an out-of-the-way inn. There are many more, but I only have a certain amount of space and I want to know about you. What says sexy for you?