“Ajay,” she said, letting out a deep breath. “What I’m trying to tell you is that I want to be with you, but I don’t know how and that really is . . . frightening. I’m irritated that you were right about why I ran, but I’m not irritated enough to stop caring for what we could have together. If that’s what you still want, too.”

His mouth gaped, then he stroked a hand over his beard. “So, what you’re saying is that the panic you just felt, the panic associated with not knowing what to do with Khunda, is the same panic you feel around me? But you’re willing to overlook it, even though it irritates you that I was right?”

“Well . . . yes. That’s an accurate summation.”

“Raj, I don’t have a lot of experience with serious relationships, either. My connections with women have been mutually beneficial and short. This is all new to me, too.” He scooted forward and cupped her face, his voice softening to a gruff whisper. “But I know you’re worth it. The question is, am I going to have to fight with you every step of the way or are you going to be willing to adapt?”

She leaned into his touch. “You’re going to have to be patient with me. You can’t expect me to keep up and accept everything you want from me. And I’m admitting that I was wrong here, but there is a very good possibility that you’ll be wrong about something, too, darling.”

He grinned at her. “That’s fair. I’m sorry I put you in that position last weekend.”

She’d replayed that scene so many times and thought about how she would react so differently if she got the chance. “I’m sorry for not being there on the weekend when you spoke to your family about the buyout.”

“That’s okay. I understand why you didn’t want to be in that position. Zail will . . . Well, that’s a story for dinner maybe. Frankly, talking about it is miserable, and I’ve had enough of that without you in my bed this week.”

The knot that had formed in her stomach on Sunday began to loosen. “The feeling is mutual,” she said.

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, then sighed, strong and deep. “Raj, be with me. Stay with me. Stand by my side while I stand by yours. We’ll get through anything that comes at us. As long as we’re partners instead of adversaries.”

“Yes. Yes, I agree. Thank you for not giving up on negotiations, especially when the other party was falling apart and the deal looked raw.”

“The deal didn’t look raw.”

“That’s sweet of you to pretend.”