“And I see love.” His voice broke on a sharp gasp. “Love for me? Why?”
“I see you, Mark Paxton.” Her voice was soft but strong as she returned his words. She caught his face between her palms, forcing him to meet her eyes. “I see strength that you cannot hide, even though you try. I see intelligence which is wasted on this world, cast aside on stony ground. I see a desire to both teach and learn. I see hardheaded practicality and the yearning for an epic romance. I see the reflexes of a pilot and a man who wants to shake the dust of this backwater world of his feet and step out into the stars. I see a good man who will father my children and never betray me, not until our lives are ended.
“I see you, Mark. I love you. The five gods made us for each other. Can you not feel it? The way you
