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The feel of her hand catching his as he tried to make a retreat was enough to make Jessie's breath catch in his throat. He looked at her in confusion and hope, but as their eyes met she released him, falling back against the desk. He began to breathe again, which was not entirely a good thing, for as the freshly energised blood pumped through his brain he could think of nothing but reaching forward and wrapping himself around the delicate, beautiful woman who stood shaking before him.

But no - he swallowed. She was terrifed and disoriented. If he pressed her too far now, he might lose everything. Still - he stepped forward, heart pounding - she needed to know that he was sincere.

Taking the hand she'd put to her mouth, he gently pulled away the glove to reveal a womanly hand, slightly calloused as one might expect. For a couple of heartbeats, he massaged the toughened skin at the base of her fingers with his own, holding her hand in both of his as he might a baby bird. Then, he pulled the hand up to his lips and kissed it, ever so slowly.

Raising his head to look at her, he tried to keep his voice as even as possible. "I assure you, this is not a dream."

But once again, as before, the words came tumbling out once they'd begun. "I know this is all very sudden and confusing. We've only known each other such a short time - I know. And I-I don't want you to feel pressured, as if you have to please me. And I know you hardly know me, too, and you have no reason to feel anything for me... in fact, you don't know anything about me, and maybe if you did know some things you wouldn't ever want to see me again."

He felt a sudden, strange prickling sensation in the back of his right eye. The hot feeling in his head seemed to create a phantom response in his left... and he was suddenly reminded of the plum incident again, for some reason. He shook his head suddenly as if to clear it - this was not the time - and then, worried she may have gotten the wrong impression, looked back at her. The look in his eye was pleading, he hoped. Pleading, and as honest as he was being. "But... but I'm in the same position. I understand, and I'm confused too. It doesn't matter to me, though. All I know is that I want to learn more about you, I want to spend time with you," he gripped her hand a little tighter "And I want to hold you."

By now, it was not difficult to admit that last point, even to himself. But still, he felt the heat in his face intensify. A sudden, horrible thought crossed his mind - that he was an idiot, and he'd said too much, or not enough, and now he might have ruined not only his reputation but any chance of a relationship he might have had with Coline if only he hadn't been so stupid and gone gabbling it out so suddenly, so soon. The thoughts all came as quickly as that, and they made him lower his gaze from hers... ashamed? Humiliated? Did it matter, now that his emotions had betrayed him so thoroughly?