Inara didn't feel anymore grounded that Mal did. If he thought that she could twist him up and confuse things, he would likely to be surprised that she experienced much the same thing because of him.
"Mad? I am not sure about mad," Inara responded. "Oafish? Perhaps. Stubborn? Certainly. I don't think that those qualities inspired anger. Perhaps exasperation," she suggested with a shrug and an evil little smile.
Was he going to run? It might be for the best. They were back in familiar ground; arguing and bickering. Mal was sure to respond.
However, familiar rules and games would not give her what she needed to assure that she was never coming back.