According to heart-throb Robert Pattinson, the success of the Twilight movies comes from hinting at - but not showing - steamy encounters between characters.

"[Fans] like that moment before… the kind of tipping point before it goes over," Rob explains in a recent interview with a US news channel.

"I mean, everybody likes that," he adds. "That's the best part, for a relationship."

Still, the handsome actor says the films shouldn't be overly conservative when it comes to romance.

"If there was a hard and fast decision by both [Bella and Edward] saying, 'Yeah we're going to remain virgins our entire lives, it's never going to happen,' I don't think it would be as popular a series," Rob says.

Eclipse, the third instalment, premieres in the UK on July 9.