When She Dances
I never expected to spend my days as a dancing girl . . . but it beats the alternative. In the window of a filthy space station cantina, I gyrate my hips and hope for better days.
When I'm bought by the most intimidating alien on Three Nebulas Station, those better days are on their way. Zakoar of the Broken Back is a cyborg who deals in black market prosthetics. He's terrifying to look at, with a metal jaw and a fearsome demeanor. He intimidates everyone in the galaxy . . . except me.
Zakoar doesn't want my name. In fact, he doesn't want anything from me . . . except a little bed sport. In exchange for my willingness, he'll take me to a human-friendly planet where I can live unafraid.
Love isn't part of the bargain, but every moment that I spend with him, I learn more about the male beneath the metal . . .
. . . and I'm suddenly dreaming of a very different happy ever after for myself . . .
Contains mature themes.
- Pages
- 207
- Audiobook
- 5 hr 45 min
- First published
- 2020
- Language
- English
- Edition
- Audiobook
Shelved by 1 Litcadian
Reviews
Finished March 16, 2026
3.5⭐ This one might be a bit more problematic for some. I love dark romance, so this did not faze me like it did some others. I didn't find it dark at all, but the hero was more out of character than Dixon's other MMCs. That being said, I enjoyed this and saw it that both MCs were a product of their pasts and acted how they did initially because of that. Once their relationship developed and they fell in love, it was more like the normal Dixon stories. I do wish there were more of a storyline with this and a more in depth character relationship. Zakoar lost body parts and pieces from his body during the war. He is now probably more metal than Messakah. More cyborg than man, really. He is the guy to see if you need any kind of cybernetic implant or prosthetic. He was a medic in the war and learned a lot by working on himself after his extensive injuries. He watches Tessa dance in the cantina's window daily and fantasizes about being with her. But since he considers himself too ugly and bizarre looking for anyone not to look at him with disgust, he never visits the Cantina and offers to pay for some time with her. Tessa was taken from Earth years ago and sold into slavery. She considers herself fortunate to bruise easily so as not to have to sell her services in the back like the other girls, and only has to dance naked in the window to attract customers in. Tessa sees Zakoar watching her daily and also has her own daydreams involving him. The owner of the cantina is selling the place along with her and other slaves at an auction. When Zakoar hears of this, he decides to buy Tessa and offer her freedom in exchange for her to willingly have sex with him and pretend to enjoy it for a while till he gets her out of his system. Zokoar is protective of her and tries to make sure she always feels safe. There is a misunderstanding and while he doesn't want to let her go and knows he never will he wants her to be happy and takes her to Risda, but really she wants to stay at the station with him because she has fallen deeply in love with him, and he makes her feel safe.