Make Your Next Date Night Steamier Than Ever

"It's not what we do when we go out, it's the ritual we perform when we get home. I peel off my clothes while my man runs a bath. Then he sits on the side of the tub and washes me from head to toe."

"To get our adrenaline going just before we go out, I roll up the carpet in the living room, dim the lights, crank the CD player to a mix of our favorite dance tunes and start dancing solo. My husband usually comes rushing in to watch me, and after a song or two he can't help but join in."

"My guy and I both love chocolate. We swear it heightens our senses. To make our date nights special, one of us usually surprises the other by picking up a few expensive treats at the chocolatier (like hazelnut truffles or cinnamon-flavored ganache). Then we feed them to each other. Starting the night with this over-the-top indulgence always helps set the scene for lots more hedonistic fun."

"We turn our living room floor into a romantic space by moving the coffee table off to the side so we have room to lay down layers of soft blankets. We cover the lamps with scarves, light scented candles and incense, and put fresh flowers in the room. We also keep chocolate-covered strawberries, a bottle of our favorite wine and a basket of massage oils nearby. For a few hours our ordinary room is turned into our own sensual play space."

"My husband and I felt obliged to check out a neighbor's performance in a production of Les Misérables at our local playhouse. To add some pleasure to the painful performance, we started passing sassy notes back and forth. They were about the wild things we wished we could be doing with each other instead of watching the play. I don't know who was more shocked — and turned on — by the secret sex suggestions, my husband or me."

"To add a seductive touch to our dinners out, I sometimes slip my shoe off under the dinner table while we are eating. I point my toes and slip them up my sweetie's pant leg, rubbing his calf and continuing with the conversation as if nothing is going on. After that he usually comes up with an excuse to get the check and whisks us home for some privacy."

"We always book an all-night sitter whenever there's a full moon. Why? So we can spend the night out in our boat on the river. The water is beautifully lit by the moon, giving us the perfect atmosphere for skinny-dipping."

"On our last run-of-the-mill date night (dinner at a local pizza joint), my husband got a little creative by bringing along a book called The Art of Kissing: Book of Questions and Answers. We had a laugh reading about unusual kissing styles (like the 'electric kiss,' which is done by rubbing your feet back and forth on a carpet before you touch lips) over dinner, and then had a sexy night trying them out once we got back home."

"We have a standing appointment with a masseuse from our gym every Friday night at eight in our home. She meets us for personal massages in our living room, where we take turns choosing soothing music to play in the background and talking about the upcoming weekend. The relaxing pressure of the massage helps put us back in touch with our bodies: the ultimate preparation for the late-night private time in the bedroom that is always sure to follow."

"My husband keeps a sketchbook (left over from an art class he took in college) in our night table. Neither one of us is a great artist, but that never stops us from taking turns practicing our drawing while the other acts as a private model — in the nude."

"The date we think is the most romantic: dinner at a French bistro, where we order fondue. Between the waitstaff's European accents and all the finger licking and hand-feeding (which seems par for the course during this unique meal), we always end up having a sultry good time."

"A local hangout occasionally books a cover band my husband and I loved when we were first dating. Whenever one of us spots the listing in the paper, we make sure to plan a date and get there early enough to request a live version of 'our' song. Dancing to it together always brings us right back to when we first met."

"Our hottest date: dinner at a raw bar downtown. We order oysters on the half shell as an aphrodisiac and a bottle of champagne for elegance."

"We center a few stay-at-home dates around checking out the latest sex-advice book. Two faves: The Multi-Orgasmic Couple and The Good Vibrations Guide to Sex. Keeping this part of our life in tip-top shape takes just as much tending as raising our kids does — plus we have a huge amount of fun doing it. Who doesn't want an excuse to spend a few hours in bed with their husband, studying up on 'passionate' topics?"

"The main stars of our sexiest nights out: my red backless cocktail dress and a pair of strappy stilettos that he simply can't resist."

"I get my husband all pumped up for our date early in the week by sending him an electronic invite via sendomatic.com. Aside from giving him the time and location, I am sure to drop plenty of hints about the after-party in the bedroom: The anticipation really makes an ordinary night out much more alluring."

"We hold 'his' or 'hers' nights (which are set in motion when one of us lays out one of the cheesy monogrammed towels we were given as a wedding gift). If my husband lays out the 'hers' towel, for instance, he's in charge of planning a night that revolves entirely around me: from my favorite restaurant and entertainment (a game of pool) to what I love in bed! It's how we indulge our love for each other."

"We create our own version of a drive-in by hitting our favorite local fast-food joint, where we order burgers, fries, and milk shakes. Then the two of us take a ride to the most scenic site in our area, park the car, and chow down on our dinner in the front seat. For dessert: some good old-fashioned necking in the back seat till we can't stand it anymore."

"We hold a private cocktail party! I usually choose a recipe from my favorite bartending book, Paradise on Ice. I pick up whatever ingredients I need on the way home (say, some exotic fruits, like lychee, for a Bali Highball or fresh spearmint leaves for a classic mojito). Then I leave the cocktail shaker and strainer on the kitchen counter — along with an invitation for my husband to find when he comes home from work telling him to meet me in the backyard for drinks."

"I ordered a Lover's Spa Kit and surprised my guy by suggesting we spend our Saturday date night in the bathroom. Coconut-passion-fruit massage oil, a bubble bath, candles and a special loofah sponge were enough to keep us enchanted with each other for hours."