“Even if I really, really want to,” he said, and there was a note in his voice that made my stomach feel like it was going to float away. “I promise that you’ll always be a hundred percent safe with me.”

“Thank you.” It seemed like such an inadequate thing to say, but his promises meant a lot to me. They didn’t stop my shins from sweating, though.

“I was also thinking that you should probably kiss me first. That way you’re totally in control.”

“But I don’t know what to do.” Didn’t he get that’s why all of this was happening?

“It will be fine. Don’t use your teeth. Ramming your teeth into someone is not sexy.”

Ha. Lies. His teeth were extremely sexy.

He was still talking, and I tried to concentrate. “And maybe no weird licking in the beginning.”

“What’s weird licking?” I asked, alarmed. “What if I do it by accident?”

“I’ll let you know if it happens. Just know that when you’re kissing someone you want to kiss, it can feel a lot like the sensations you’ve described from your attacks. Your heart beats fast, you’re out of breath, you feel light-headed, only you shouldn’t feel like you’re going to die. Those feelings should be happening in a pleasurable way instead of a frightening one. Which is why people keep doing it. I hope there comes a point that you fall on that side of the scale.”

“Me too.”

“Look. I want to show you something. Is it okay if I take your hand for a second?”

“Yes.”

He wrapped his long fingers around my wrist and pulled my hand to his chest, placing it over his heart. It was beating fast. “You’re not the only one affected.”

And we stayed in that moment, his chest feeling strong and sure, his heart pounding beneath my palm.

“Do you want to kiss me?” It wasn’t something I had asked him before. He’d volunteered to help me out, but I didn’t know if he was just being a nice guy or if he was actually into it.

His words were low, and I could feel them rumbling inside his chest. “Very much so. And you?”

“I want to want it, but it’s all sort of abject terror right now.”

“You’ll do it, and we’ll keep doing it. It’s why actors rehearse. We practice it over and over again until it feels natural. Okay?”

I nodded. “Okay.”

“Rome wasn’t built in a day. We got this.”

“If you tell me ‘Go, team,’ I’m going to punch you,” I informed him.

“If I said that, I’d deserve it.” He shifted a little closer, but I kept my hand on his chest. I liked it there, liked the feeling of his strength and warmth. “So, come on. Let’s go, team!”