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She leaned forward and reached for his hands. Rubbing her thumbs over both of his palms, she shook her head. Absolutely no pain. Just comfort.
“I don’t know where things will go with us,” he said, honestly, “except I want things to move forward. I like you so much my head spins.” Every confession made his head simultaneously spin and release some of the weight he’d held on his shoulders.
Only inches away from her, his heart pattering, he couldn’t stop now. He wanted to kiss her, but he worried his reaction would scare her away. His lips were the most sensitive part of him and even pressing them against soft surfaces like his pillow, made his skin prickle in pain. But she was right there.
He leaned in, pulling her closer. Right before he closed the final gap, she closed her eyes and his heart leapt. The last time he had chickened out. But here was proof, she wanted him to kiss her too.
He closed his eyes and went for it.
16
Hannah
Hannah’s heart squeezed as she waited for seconds, what seemed like minutes. Her heart beat so loudly, she couldn’t be sure. But she was committed now. Time had no meaning. And he liked her.
He liked her!
Please kiss me. Please don’t give up.
And then, suddenly, his soft lips were on hers.
Her heart leapt, and just as she reached to pull him closer and deepen the kiss, he jerked back and slapped a hand over his mouth. “That—hurt.”
Footsteps started across the gym floor, and they jumped apart.
“That’s more like it.” Sabum clapped his hands.
They both stood up as Sabum came between them. “I mean, the kissing moment was subpar, but that wrestling match was intense. Not quite taekwondo, but we’ll excuse that for today. You two tackled each other, and you did not run away. In fact, you ran to her. Way to go, Jason.”
Her heart dropped to the depths of her stomach as Jason shook his head and backed away from both of them. Without him telling her, she knew. The kiss had only been good for her. Only she had felt softness and desire and the need to have him closer.
“I’m gonna go get changed,” he sputtered, making both her and Sabum jump. “I forgot to— I’ll meet you outside.”
Hannah could only stare as the man fled the room. Away from her, away from their shared moment that hadn’t lasted long enough.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have interrupted,” Sabum said, backing toward his office. “I’m sorry, Hannah, but great progress tonight. You really pushed him to his limits.”
She blew out a frustrated breath. Yeah, she had, and look where it had gotten her.
The gym door slammed shut, reminding her to move. She didn’t want him to leave like that. It had probably been painful, but they could push through it. Together. She smiled as she headed to the locker room.
Thankfully, Jason was waiting for her at the car by the time she made it outside.
“Sorry about that,” he said. “Just needed some air.”
She slowed down as she approached his car. “Was the kiss not good for you?”
He was silent, and she already knew the answer before he confirmed it. “I’m sorry, Hannah. I thought I’d try, but I’m not ready. My lips... they are more sensitive than most. I can’t even drink something without feeling tingles. It’s annoying and—” He sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“I understand, and it’s okay. We can try again another day.”
He was silent as he studied her. She was starting to hate the quiet. “Hannah, I think maybe I was wrong, about moving so quickly.”
Hannah rested her head against the cool exterior of the car and closed her eyes. Why? Why! “Jason, don’t shut me out.”
“I’m not,” he said sharply. “I’m telling you I’m incapable of giving you everything you deserve in a relationship. Today proved it. I can’t even kiss you, and you need physical touch. I like you, but I can’t do this when you deserve so much more.”
“You have to give it some time, Jason. We can still experiment and try again.”
