What? Asking someone if you can kiss them is deeply erotic. It indicates respect and that you don't feel entitled to her body - something that women have had to navigate constantly from a young age. To me, asking a woman if you can kiss her demonstrates a lot of confidence and coolness. I love it when a man asks that.

And why are you referring to women as "they" as if women are another species or a commodity to manage? Women are people and no, they don't want you to read their minds. Most women do want you to pay attention to their body language and other cues because that indicates interest in what they want, not just what you want, but what most women really want is for you to communicate with them as a fellow human being who has her own preferences, autonomy, and ideas. These old-fashioned ideas of women as a prize that you acquire are not only silly but they're pretty dehumanizing. Please don't teach men to think like that.