Steamy or Sweet or To The Sheets?

Do you like emotional & physical interaction between characters in a romance book to show they love each other, or not? There doesn't appear to be a set publishing industry standard for describing heat levels in novels. This leaves it up to the author to define their own writing and the reader to be okay with it. Many authors, publishers, and contests describe the level of physical interaction with terms like sweet/clean, low/med/high heat scale, steamy, or with symbols like peppers or flames.

Sweet makes it clear that there is no sexy time on the page. I've read books where the emotionally connected couple didn't even kiss until the wedding. I've also read high-heat passionate love that made my toes curl. I don't want to "yuck anyone's yum." Perhaps mine fall somewhere in the middle. More importantly, I don't want readers to be surprised. But books aren't labeled, right?

Here's my take on writing intimate scenes. I imagine the characters are thinking about the other's attractive qualities, and when they get a chance to act on their desires, they do. Consent is sexy. I call my writing "To The Sheets." It means the intimacy may be an open bedroom scene, but it leaves what happens under the sheets to the reader's imagination. It's not a true "fade to black" like in PG movies because there's intimate physical contact. Make sense? You tell me. I label my own writing as "low to medium heat." I'd love to know if you think this is fair. Help me pick how many peppers or flames I need.

I welcome sincere, constructive discussion about this topic without degrading authors who write at either end of the scale.