"No?" She asked, looking up into his eyes. "Are ya sure? I bet you wanna..." She said, giving him a little grin. The playfulness was definitely a defense mechanism. If things got too serious, too emotional, then they'd get hurt. Being around each other, being together, kissing and flirting was all right, because she could keep her emotions in check.
But when he started seriously calling her beautiful and holding her close and intimately like that...