The senses allow us to stay in touch with loved ones, whether they are sitting next to us or ten thousand miles away. They are where emotions begin and end. There is no absolute answer. It depends on the ages of the people and the situation why they are embracing. In general, few things are as powerful as eye contact.
Most animals make eye contact only when they want to mate or attack.
That is why the best way to get close to a wild animal is to not make eye contact with them at all so you don't appear threatening. When we are being intimate, we pour our gaze into the other's eyes, but there are times when we exchange intense glances filled with emotion and meaning not in the name of love or sensuality, but for reasons that span the range of other human emotions. Even humans get uncomfortable if they hold each other's gaze too long. One of the people has to look away. There is an understanding that making eye contact for a limited time is fine but extensive eye contact becomes seductive or threatening.