Sexy…With Your Clothes on ~ by Pat White
Sexy…With Your Clothes on
Ever since I was a kid I used to daydream…picture fantastic scenes unfolding in my mind. So as an author I tend to “see” scenes play out in my head like I’m watching a movie.
Some of the sexiest scenes in books or movies, in my opinion, involve intense emotions, friction, conflict, and surrender.
The other night I was channel surfing and I happened upon the famous Burt Landcaster/Deborah Kerr scene in From Here to Eternity. You know the one, the two of them rolling around on the beach, kissing and holding each other. (I tried not to think about where sand was ending up <G>). They were in bathing suits, sure, but it wasn’t just Burt’s handsome chest that made this scene sexy. These were two characters who risked their lives to be together and finally succumbed to their attraction.
Another favorite of mine (don’t laugh) is the scene in “It’s a Wonderful Life” when Donna Reed and James Stewart are standing in her mother’s entryway taking on the phone to Donna’s boyfriend. Remember the scene? Donna’s playing coy, trying to get close to James and, well, he loses it, telling her he’s not interested, doesn’t want to settle down and – WHAMMO – they’re kissing. And I mean really kissing! They’ve fought the attraction long enough and are just to weak to keep up the battle.
I’ll let you guess this third favorite. The heroine is a nanny to his many kids (I lost count) and the hero is set to marry another woman. Again, they are both fully clothed. (Sorry.) This scene is skillfully designed as hero and heroine stroll across the property, the moonlight outlining their silhouettes as they profess their forbidden love for one another. ::: sigh ::: I guess my point is, some of the best scenes I’ve read or seen on the big screen are exceptional because of the highly charged emotions, not necessarily because everyone’s naked. Although that’s fun too. <G> (If you have examples to share, bring ‘em on.)
In my January release, Soldier Surrender, Katie Anderson has to keep a hallucinating Gray Turner from exposing their location to the enemy. How does she do that? By kissing him, of course! But not because she wants to, oh no. LOL
What are some of your favorite sexy scenes? Do tell. It’s what we live for!
Cheers!
Pat White
Soldier Surrender, Intrigue 1/08, 4 Stars Review, RT Magazine
Saving Destiny, Nocturne, 11/07, Top Pick, RT Magazine
January 25th, 2008 at 1:40 am
Your third favourite sounds very much like The Sound of Music.
Have a lovely day! :-)
January 25th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
[…] come visit Naughty and Spice where we have guest blogger Pat White an RT Top pick writer (writes for HQ Intrigue/Silhouette […]
January 25th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
as an author I tend to “see” scenes play out in my head like
I do this too!!!
I recently wrote a scene where my heroine caught my hero staring, he blushed and she kept staring. They’re a hoot. Not sure how that’s gonna play out LOL
I can’t really think of any movies, but on TV….Totally Mulder and Scully. There was ALWAYS this undercurrent of sexual tension between them that you LIVED for. Ohhhhhhh I so wanted Mulder to kiss Scully!!! Am I the only one?
And…and…and…I get that same vibe in the Terminator series between the two young lead characters. Maybe it’s my wishful thinking. I dunno.
There’s another TV show, the name escapes me but it has Mulder/Scully ……ohhhhh SVU! I know Stabler’s married but he and Benson always put off sexy vibes!
January 25th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Hi Pat!
Great topic! I just watched Enchanted and there’s a moment in the beginning when Giselle is telling McDreamy (I can’t remember his name in the movie, forgive me!) that when a man’s in love he should dance and sing, etc. Cos ya know, she’s from goofy enchanted land and yes, he thinks she’s crazy.
But later they’re dancing and he’s singing in her ear and she realizes he’s singing to her and it gave me chills. It was sweetly sexy.
January 25th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
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January 25th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Gawwwwwww Karen! I am so not a chick flick movie but I LURVE that movie for the moments like that. I know I know I should be shot–or forced to give back my feminist card but it’s so Fairy Tale’ish (not to mention Robert DeNiro in drag)
January 25th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Great post, Pat! I agree! There’s so many scenes like that…hmmm. Let me think of one of my favorites. Oh maybe in When Harry Met Sally and they first kiss. When Sally is a complete mess and crying. Love that. LOVE IT.
January 25th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
I love It’s a Wonderlife, too. But how about the ending to Emma - Paltrow/Northam version - where they both think all is lost, but he finally becomes “My Mr. Knightly.” I Love Romance!!
January 25th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Pat,
Great blog–and something we need to think about in our books. One scene immediately comes to mind–it’s in SPEED where both Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves realize that he can get off the subway car, but that she’s trapped. He looks at her with such passion, wraps his arms around her, and then they sink to the floor to hold onto each other as the car flies out of control. I’d give anything to capture the heat of that look in words.
January 25th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
I see my books unfolding like movies too! The greatest compliment my CP gave me was to tell me she could totally see my newest release as a movie.
And “It’s a Wonderful Life”? I love love love that scene. So chaste yet so… sexy! I wracked my brain trying to come up with other examples, but fell short.
Great blog, Pat.
January 25th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Alexis/Pat –
Yes, that moment in SPEED is truly special. And I also agree, Amie, that the Benson and Stabler chemistry is awesome!
What about the movie Atonement. There are many “chemistry” scenes in that one between Kiera and James. ::: sigh ::: I’m thinking of one in particular when she touches his hand in the coffee shop and he stumbles as he stirs his coffee. Wow!
What are everyones favorites for the Oscars this year?
Pat, the movie freak!
January 25th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
hey Pat,
Very interesting post. I don’t see my stories play out as movie… it comes me in bits of dialog and internal thoughts with snap shots of images… kind of like looking at a photograph with captions.
I think my favorite sexual tension scene has to be from Love Actually… when Collin Firths character is dropping off the woman, his maid, for the last time on his trip and she kisses him. The look on both their faces is so steamy and mixed with a bit of sadness. Then he gets in his car and is so flustered he crashes into another car as he is pulling away.
Hugs,
Lacy.
January 25th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Sex, sex, sex - I just came from the Chicas and now this - y’all are trying to kill me, aren’t you.
Love that scene between Mary and George in It’s a Wonderful Life. Also the one from The Sound of Music. And the Speed one. Never cared that much for Burt Lancaster, so that scene does nothing for me.
While You Were Sleeping when Bill Pullman’s character brings the snow globe to Sandra Bullock and they’re so awkward with each other.
I’ll have to see Enchanted
January 25th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Oh, and on TV - Moonlight - the tension between Mick and Beth, *sigh*
January 25th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Bailey I forgot about Mik and Beth! They rock!!!!!!!!
January 25th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Pat I have no clue on teh Oscars…there’s so many I never saw!!!
January 25th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
I love Love Actually. Yummy.
January 25th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Mick and Beth in Moonlight are perfect together. The shower scene with their clothes on and then when she offers to let him feed when they’re in the cabin in the desert. *sigh* Wouldn’t it be nice to translate that tension onto the page!
Sorry, Pat, I haven’t seen many movies this year so I didn’t even recognize some of the titles when I heard the nominations.
January 25th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Great reminders Pat! My favorite love scene is at the end of the movie Pride and Predjudice with Keira Knightly and Matthew MacFayden when Mr. Darcy comes purposefully walking across the field towards Elizabeth after being awake all night, thinking about what to do. You can feel the electricity between them as he gets closer and the look on his face as he closes the distance between them is a mixture of surrender and agony if she doesn’t return his feelings….
Whew!!!
January 25th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Moonlight just rocks!
The tension there is so, so, so… He’s all protective and she’s all enamored with the idea of him being a vampire and what that would be like…Not to mention he saved her when she was little!
I love several of the scenes in Love Actually. The differences in how love can evolve, etc. The longing of Laura Linney’s character for her love interest is the one that gets to me though. She believes she’ll never have love because of her family. Love prevails throughout.
I’m a total chick flick lover.
I do “see” my scenes as I’m writing them. I can totally picture the actions, expressions, etc. I just can’t always seem to find the right words to convey the emotions to match my internal movie.
January 25th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
Hello,
I’m enjoying reading all these responses! Has
anyone mentioned Booth and Bones on “Bones”? I
just love the looks he gives her, even when she
is clearly in a physical situation with another
man! Oh, my goodness! ( I know, goodness has
nothing to do with it!!)
Pat Cochran
January 25th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
My favorite scene is the one in Gone With the Wind where Rhett is in jail and Scarlett goes to visit him. Rhett’s hands are balled in his pockets and you know he has this deep passion for Scarlett, but can’t show it. It’s powerful.
January 25th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
Patricia you’re right! I forgot all about them!
January 25th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Love that cover! Some of my favorite sexy scenes? My ultimate ULTIMATE is The Kiss scene between Daniel Day Lewis and Madeline Stow in Last of the Mohicans. When the song swells… Le sigh. It’s just lovely. Hmmm… Also Firelight. When the hero and heroine are standing on the beach and because the hero doesn’t want anyone to know that they’re at the inn together they cant touch each other. *sighs*
January 25th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
I can’t watch Last of the Mohicans. I read the book where the slit the heroine’s throat, and I was pissed for, oh, about a year.
I refused to see the movie since I knew they changed it to make it more romantic. BULL SHIT!
January 25th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
Shell! They always change the stories to make them more romantic. I don’t like James Fenimore Cooper to begin with though. Won’t go into why but I really can’t stand him.
Have you seen Scent of Green Papaya? That was another beautifully romantic movie. It was sexy and had not one sex scene.
January 25th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
I recently wrote a scene where my heroine caught my hero staring, he blushed and she kept staring. They’re a hoot. Not sure how that’s gonna play out LOL Amie. One word: MORE!
January 26th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Great topic!! Most people know that I think the scene from Before Sunrise where Ethan Hawk and Julia Delpy are in the listening booth is one of the hottest scenes ever! And they aren’t even touching. Also, Becoming Jane had some amazingly hot scenes when they were dancing.
January 26th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
I just watched Catch and Release. There’s this one scene when Jennifer Gardner’s character finds out her deceased fiance’s big secret. She knows the brother knows and goes to confront him. She ends up slapping him. She goes to do it again and he pins her to the wall. The few milli-seconds after that I was on the edge of the couch thinking, “I’d f*@k him if he ever man handled me like that.”
Great scene and I loved that movie.
January 27th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Okay. I TOTALLY want to see Catch and Release now. DAMN IT!