Pisces woman confused by mixed signal cancer man

" He also apologized for not asking me out first, he explained he has been out of the game for a couple of years due to being really burned by his last relationship."
When he revealed being burned as the reason for not asking you out that would have sent up a huge red flag for me....IMO being burned was just an excuse, some men love to flirt, love the chemistry he shares with women but don't want much more than that, it's hard for women to grasp that part about some men, some men just don't want anything for the exception of a little flirting, sex and a good time, living in the moment, don't want anything else for the exception of an ego boost that he gets from getting attention with no strings attached.
I don't think it was bad that you asked him out but I think your timing was off, you asked prematurely, next time give a man some time to step up first before asking him out, he has to want it more than you do or it won't work out in your favor and the only way to know that is to let him do his part, if a man is flirting with you incessantly and for whatever reason not taking the interaction to the "NEXT" level then he wasn't really that into you, it's okay to assume he's just flirting and nothing more than that, doesn't mean he didn't enjoy the connection he shared with you but sometimes that's all it is...a connection not much more than that.
Again I'm not saying it's never okay not to ask a man out but you have back door him, lead him into it in a way that keeps his interest, sometimes we women take away the excitement from a man just by doing his part of the courting dance, the man fizzles out, he also begins to panic inside that the woman wants more than him or why else would she ask me, he pretty much peg'd it right with you, that you wanted more than him so he didn't stop you from leaving, now he's attempting to resume what you had before everything got all heavy but your disappointed and afraid, can't really go back unless you're willing to be his flirt buddy, if you stop flirting with him he'll get the message loud and clear.
Also if he was "inserting sex" early on then he's just looking to get laid lol....Men that are serious won't blow it by pushing and inserting sex into the dynamic. Sounds like a womanizer/commitmentphobe/player...one or all of the above...basically a loser when it comes to love, no depth at all.
So many other men in the world...NEXT....Move on unless your sadist and just feel like torturing yourself over a man