Can I Kiss You?

It has come to my attention that a few of my friends do NOT like it when they're on a date and a guy asks, "Can I kiss you?" or even just says, "I'd like to kiss you now." I've actually heard that from various women over the years, that a guy shouldn't ask or say anything about it beforehand, he should just do it. But why? I guess for some women, asking makes him seem like a wimp or something, or it makes the moment more awkward, or ruins the moment. But I don't mind at all -- in fact, I think it's kind of sweet.

I also think that I personally do better with a bit of a warning. One of the first guys I met on Match.com last year was saying good-bye to me at Port Authority Bus Terminal after our first date, and after we hugged good-bye, I stepped away, he got this weird look in his eyes, and suddenly he was kissing me. I was VERY caught off guard, to say the least. It was the middle of the day (it had been a lunch date), and believe me, Port Authority is hardly the most romantic spot in the world, so I'm not sure what moment he was caught up in. But here's the best part: after that, he never called me again! One of my friends suggested he was testing to see if there was chemistry and decided there wasn't any. But maybe there would have been, if I'd been a little prepared!

By the way, if you're out of practice here's a web site with step-by-step instructions on how to kiss:
http://www.how-to-kiss.us/first-kiss-someone.html My favorite part: "Sounds like moaning and groaning should be mostly avoided, though the occasional smacky sound or mmmm is fine." ;)

What do you think? Should a guy ask for a kiss?