“Not if it was handled correctly.” He tilted his head. “But you’re making excuses, so I’d better skip practicalities and get to what’s important.” He went on quietly, “I’m positively insane about you. Call it love, obsession, sex, admiration, devotion. Anything you want. I don’t know where it came from, but I’m glad it’s here. You suit me in all the ways there are and some I believe we’ve invented for ourselves. You’re special for me in all those ways, and I find it totally bizarre that you’d think I’d change or become bored and want to walk away for another project. It’s not going to happen. If I walk away, you’ll be with me.” He stopped and then shook his head. “There. How is that for a confessional? I’ve left myself wide open. Now I’d appreciate it if you’d stop being so wary and be honest enough to admit that you’re close to feeling the same way.”

She could only stare at him for a moment. His words had been so overwhelming, so generous, that she was having trouble answering him. And when she did speak, it came out wrong, “Don’t be ridiculous,” she said huskily. “You know how I feel. You’ve always been able to read me. And I’ve tried to be as honest as I could without making you feel you owed me anything.” She lifted her chin. “And you should think I’m special. I am. If I worked at it, I know I could make you so dizzy that you’d want to stay with me, and you’d enjoy every minute. But I’m a realist, and I can’t see it lasting. Wonderful things happen and you think they’ll be there forever and then all of a sudden, they’re gone. And the worst thing I can imagine is to cling so desperately that you end up destroying that wonderful thing. It’s better to let it go and not to risk—”

“Stop.” He bent closer and kissed her, slowly, sensuously. “You don’t trust me. That’s okay. Hell, I know how you grew up. I knew it was going to take time. Why do you think I followed you into this damn desert? By the time we locate those girls and I manage to negotiate them away from the chiefs, you’ll feel differently.”

She found she was holding him and forced herself to let him go. “You’re still thinking of me as that kid Zabron picked up out of the gutter, and I won’t have it. I’ve fought and slain all my dragons.”

“Yes, you have. Except this last one. We’ll get rid of him together.”