Adult women feel being loved and cared for when the person they love holds their hands.
Woman would extend her hand for holding only after she approves your entry into her psychological space which also marks beginning of loving relationship.
Men long to touch the person they love. They get approval to touch only after getting approval to hold the hand.
Hands are powerful symbol of togetherness; hence joining of hands in marriage is customary in most religions.
Loving couples love to hold each other’s hand in public to communicate their togetherness as well as intimacy. This may subconsciously communicate that “I have found the person I love” or “I have someone to take care of me”
In privacy hand holding can communicate sensual feeling and intimacy without any eye contact or undressing.
In both situations we mean to stay connected.
Inviting your spouse to hold hand even for no reason is the best way to nurture intimacy. Both can do this while watching TV, driving a car, at a restaurant, talking, sitting side by side in some waiting room and of course even while lying in bed.
When there is sexual feeling, couples experience hands becoming hot, sensitive and moist which is often associated with heart throbbing experience. This signals arousal usually involving both.
Women enjoy their hand being held, supported, squeezed, and even clasped between the man’s hands. For them, hand-holding is sign of physical and emotional bond of love.
Men, who know this, do it intentionally to get love of their wife.
Some men are either unaware of this feeling, or feel it as a mechanical expression, while some feel shy to hold the hand or invite holding of hand.
In such cases woman may take initiative and cultivate the thrill of holding hands in public as well as in privacy.
With feeling of love for each other, hands can become best communicator of sensitivity and love.
However, partner not comfortable in holding hands in public does not necessarily express lack of intimacy.