For those of you wondering, my favorite subgenre romance films and TV shows are all about having all the sexual tension but no sex – dare I say, the touch of a hand can be more exciting than a full-on sex scene? So, with that in mind, here are some of my favorite sex scenes from movies and television that involve absolutely no sex:
1.
IN Pride and Prejudice When Mr. Darcy is so moved by Elizabeth's touch, he shows us the infamous gesture:
2.
IN Abbott Elementary Schoolwhen Gregory tells Janine that he “takes all her recommendations seriously” because he “wants to know why [she] loves things.”
3.
IN Holeswhen Sam tells Kissin' Kate Barlow that he “can fix it”:
4.
IN Scandal, when Fitz asks Olivia to spend “one minute” together before they re-enter the campaign room:
5.
IN The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel when Lenny offers Midge “one last puff” of their shared cigarette:
8.
IN Casino Royalewhen Bond comforts Vesper in the shower after a huge fight:
9.
IN Dirty dancing when Johnny and Baby are rehearsing their dance and Baby bursts out laughing:
10.
IN Anyone but you when Ben helps Bee out of the jeep:
11.
IN Zorro mask, when Elena gets the better of Zorro during their fight:
12.
IN The Vampire Diarieswhen Damon replaces Stefan at the Founders Day dance and shares this moment with Elena:
13.
IN Killing Eve when Eve and Villanelle share this ~moment~ in the kitchen:
14.
IN Julie and the Phantoms when Julie dances with Nick but imagines she is dancing with Luke instead:
15.
IN To all the boys I've loved before when Peter K. leaves Lara Jean's room after meeting in the hot tub:
16.
IN Bridgerton, when Anthony and Kate are affected by each other's touch, and Anthony helps Kate line up the blow:
17.
IN Pretty Little Liarswhen Hanna rushes to Caleb in the shower to hide from her mom:
18.
IN X-Fileswhen Mulder gives Scully a batting lesson:
19.
IN The Mindy Project when Danny's secret gift to Mindy from Santa is him dancing to Aaliyah's “Try Again”:
20.
IN The sound of music when Maria and Captain von Trapp dance together:
21.
IN Stoker, when Charlie and India play the piano together:
22.
IN Red, white and royal blue, when Alex and Henry have a flirty pillow fight:
23.
IN Materialists, when Harry ~looks~ at Lucy like that, kissing her hand:
24.
IN Nobody wants thiswhen Noah comforts Joan after she begins to spiral:
25.
IN Summer when I became beautiful when Conrad wipes Belly's face after she eats a peach:
26.
Finally, in Maxton Hall when James comforts Ruby after rescuing her from the pool: