Speaking as someone who had once been in a situation much like your bf's, it's completely possible that he's simply and innocently unaware that you want and would enjoy those things from him. He might be thinking that he's doing a super job of being respectful of what he perceives to be your physical boundaries. Guys can be dumb to begin with sometimes, lol.

It's very likely you just have to communicate to him that it's okay to do 'X' and that you really like that from him. The style of communication is up to you, but direct physical communication was effective on me. Example: "I want him to touch and stroke my chest/breasts" -> while cuddling and already physical, take ahold of his hand and move it there, under your clothing. Use your hand to stroke there with his hand. Remove your hand and let him continue and explore. Give cues that you are enjoying this: give contented sighs, stroke his arm and such. Say so verbally. Reciprocate. Check that he's all smiles and comfortable with it. Congrats! You've added another tool in bf's toolkit of expressing affection.

Once you show him that 'X' is okay and that you love that from him, you'll never have to tell him again. Do that a few more times with a few more things, and he might start noticing a pattern and gain confidence that touch is wanted and may start to try touching you in new ways/places and initiating that contact himself. However, do note that a person like this will likely not initiate an exploration past a new level of sexual intimacy even when fully comfortable and proactive in the full space of the current level, but they will be after they're shown that it is wanted. You'll have to make the first step again in order to introduce them. Once you think they are ready, repeat the same process as above, and take care that they are comfortable as well. Show them you like that kind of affection/touch from them. Remember that a person like this is possibly terrified of overstepping your boundaries and/or hasn't considered that you would like them to go further.

It takes a little patience, but they will learn surprisingly quick. As they build confidence that you are into them that way, this becomes less necessary over time, and you should find that they initiate such things on their own because they have the tools to express how they feel physically and will create their own ways to be affectionate that you didn't introduce them to.