Jayme looked down at their clasped hands and realized she wanted to believe everything Kurt was saying. Could she really just stay there and trust him? She felt safe, yes, but was that enough?

Her brown eyes searched hers. Kurt looked like he was in pain, like it hurt him that Jayme didn’t trust him. Like he wanted nothing more from her than exactly what he said; a chance to talk and get to know each other.

“How about this?” Kurt asked. “We’ll get through tonight, talking or just sleeping, whatever you want to do. Tomorrow, you make the call. If you want to go home, I’ll take you as soon as we can get a flight out. If you want to stay through the weekend, we’ll do that.”

Jayme considered him for a moment. Something in her desperately wanted to say yes to him, to trust him. It’d been a while since she’d let herself trust a man. Maybe it was time she tried.

After all, she did seek him out.

“Okay,” she whispered, struggling to meet his eyes. He looked so relieved that she smiled. He grinned back at her and released her hands. Kurt stood and backed himself up to the chair at the edge of the room. Jayme was still perched on the edge of the bed, facing Kurt. She toed off her shoes and scooted back on the bed until she was resting her back against the headboard.

“What do you want to know?” Kurt asked tentatively.

“What’s your last name?” Jayme asked.

Kurt smiled. “Evans.”

“Kurt Evans,” Jayme rolled it around on her tongue. It had a nice ring to it, fitting somehow.

“What do you drive when it’s too cold for your motorcycle?”

“I have an old Jeep Wrangler. It’s on its last legs, but I love it. I bought it new when I turned seventeen. I worked around the house then got a job as soon as I could and saved everything. It’s been a great ride.”

Jayme smiled at him, catching onto his excitement and love of his vehicle. “What do you do when you’re not working?”

“I’m in school part time. My mom died when I was little and my dad died a few years ago. He was heartbroken and never got over losing my mom. Unfortunately he was in debt up to his eyeballs so I’ve been on my own since he died. I have some scholarships, but they didn’t cover everything so I started working to make up the rest. I don’t want to take out loans because I saw what debt did to my dad. In another year or so I’ll have my degree and hopefully can quit waiting tables.”

“What’s your degree in?” Jayme had never known the sadness she saw in his eyes and she was desperate to pull it away from him. A part of her wanted to wrap her arms around him and squeeze his grief away.

“Education. Special ed actually. My college has been great about letting me take whatever classes are available. I need a masters for special ed so I’m sort of doing both programs together. The only classes I have left for my undergrad are electives so they let me move on to grad classes while I finish up the electives.”

Jayme was astonished. He was every bit as perfect as she thought he might be. She could feel the last of her walls coming down, crumbling to the ground between them. Kurt was the strongest man she’d ever met, probably the kindest too.

She patted the bed beside her and he raised his eyes in question. She did it again and he slowly approached her. Kurt settled onto the bed, not close enough to touch Jayme, but on the bed. She leaned her hear onto his shoulder and wrapped her arm through his. She scooted closer so their legs were touching from hip to foot.

Kurt tensed with her touch, but when Jayme rubbed circles on his arm with her thumb he relaxed. “Are you really this good of a guy?”

He laughed. “I would never lie to you. I’m just a regular guy. Everything I told you is the truth. I love kids, I always have, but working with special needs kids is just something I’ve done forever. I have a cousin who’s special needs and I would sit and play with him when we were kids. As we got older I realized he was one of my favorite people in the world and I wanted to be around people like him all the time. He’s amazing, but misunderstood by so many people. I want to give other kids a chance to feel accepted.”

Kurt looked at her when he finished what he was saying. Jayme took advantage of their closeness and leaned up, sealing her lips to his. He flinched at first, surprised by her forwardness so quickly after her near meltdown, but recovered quickly. Their lips melted together, softening as their kiss deepened. Kurt’s hand came up to her cheek and rested against her skin. He sighed at her touch.

Jayme boosted herself up to bring their lips level. Her lips parted and she traced the seam of his with her tongue. He opened tentatively, obviously letting her take the lead. When her hand slid around his neck and threaded into his hair she knew she was a goner.

Jayme leaned back onto the bed and brought Kurt with her. He kept his body off hers but she felt the heat of him against her side. She ached for him, wanting him in a way she’d never wanted another man, but she knew she wasn’t ready for that.

“I love kissing you,” he murmured against her lips before taking her mouth again.

She felt him hard against her hip but it didn’t worry her. Jayme was equally turned on. They kissed on the bed for what felt like hours, hands roaming and tongues exploring, but clothes staying firmly in place.

“I’m not ready for sex,” she finally told him. She was getting tired. It was almost 3 am and she’d been up since 6:00 the previous morning for work.

“I’m not ready to stop kissing you,” he grinned. “Can I hold you? I know that’s not manly, but I want to know what it feels like to wake up with you in my arms.”

Jayme nodded shyly. “That would be nice.”

As they drifted off to sleep Kurt whispered, “Best first date. Ever.”

Jayme agreed and slept soundly in his arms knowing she wanted to sleep right there with him forever.