He was able to lose himself in her. Something he hadn't done in a long time. Sure, he was the first to acknowledge, at least to himself, that he had thrown himself into every task imaginable after Jessica was killed. They hadn't even gotten that serious, but he'd cared for her. Her death happened so fast, and he never allowed himself to properly grieve it. Because he knew if he did? He'd go after Glory himself and get killed. Knowing she wanted Dawn? It made him fight those instincts even more because Connor wanted Dawn. He'd felt an attraction and affection to her from the moment they met, but he'd kept back due to family histories.
Now he wasn't holding back. When her hands pulled him closer, he tightened his hold on her just enough to deepen the kiss. She felt so natural against him, and he hoped like hell he was doing this in a way that didn't trigger anything she had confided that night when he took her to the Inn to meet her sister face to face. He'd realized how primal his need to keep her safe from any sort of harm was when he'd envisioned the thousands of way he would have killed them slowly if she hadn't handled the issue on her own.
On her own. That was what got him too. They were more alike than different. Both had to learn to survive on their own even when they were surrounded by people who loved them. He pulled back slowly and rested his forehead against hers. His fingers interlaced with hers, not wanting to let go of the intimacy of the moment. "You're so beautiful, and you drive me crazy, Dawn. But that is what I've been wanting to do for a long time now. I hope I didn't overstep."