Too bad the old bastard had been more right than he was wrong. Her heart breaking, she stroked Dancer’s goatee with her thumb.

Sighing in his sleep, Dancer nuzzled his head against her hand. The unexpected sweetness touched her. Removing her poncho, she made a pillow for him.

He mumbled something in Andarion.

“Shh,” she whispered, trying to soothe him.

“Munatara.”

She knew he couldn’t be referring to her as such, but she allowed herself to pretend for a moment that she was the one he called out for in his stupor. What would it be like to be loved that way? To have someone, just once, she could turn to for comfort?

Someone who would call her the lady of his life, and not a whore or a bitch?

It was all she’d ever wanted. Someone who could actually love her and not hurt or insult her. An impossible dream that was now lost to her forever. Even if it wasn’t, Dancer would be the last person she could ever have a relationship with. Forgetting the fact that they were two different species, their siblings had married and parted as bitter enemies. And he would absolutely kill her if he ever learned that fact.

I should be terrified of you.

He could snap her in half or gut her without even raising his blood pressure.

Vicious memories of Avin surged. She still couldn’t believe how easily she’d found herself in such an abusive relationship, especially after the year she’d spent with Darnell, and his insults when she’d been in college. She’d always prided herself on being independent and strong. Yet both men had lured her in with sweet words and acts of kindness. Then something would hit them wrong and they’d turn violent without warning. They’d always apologize later and swear it would never happen again.

Like a fool, she’d believed every lie. In that, she wasn’t any different than Darice, who wanted to believe his mother, in spite of the truth that was right in front of his face. But it was easy to believe in lies when all you wanted was to be loved and accepted for who and what you were.

Sometimes it was good enough just to be loved for who they thought you were.

But that wasn’t real and she knew it.

“Sumi?”

She met Dancer’s suddenly lucid gaze. “I’m right here.”

He laid his hand over hers and moved it from his cheek to his lips so that he could place a tender kiss in her palm. Sighing, he slid his head into her lap and held her against him with one powerful arm.

“Are you awake, Dancer?”

His answer was a mumbled something she couldn’t make out.