Sleeping With the Enemy by Kaitlyn O'Connor Page A

animatedly.
        “Would you care to try it?” Anka asked politely when the next song began and the dancers began to form up once more.
        Sybil grimaced. “I don’t think I could. I don’t know how to dance like that.”
        “No one expects you to know it.”
        Sybil chewed her lip, wavering, but it did look like fun. “Promise not to laugh?”
        He grinned at her. “I give you my word.”
        She glanced uncertainly at Powell. He flicked a look at Anka and shrugged. Taking that as permission to participate, Sybil allowed Anka to lead her out to join the closest group. She discovered it was a lot more invigorating than she’d expected, but she was pleased that she managed to follow the steps fairly well. Breathless by the time the song ended, she was more than happy to find a chair and collapse. Anka followed her but disappeared as soon as she sat down. He returned with a glass of water while she was searching the sea of dancers for the rest of her crew who’d disappeared.
        She took the glass gratefully. “I’m not nearly as fit as I thought I was,” she murmured ruefully.
        “I instructed them to turn up the cooling. It’s cool enough ordinarily, but we rarely engage in anything quite this vigorous.”
        For some reason the comment instantly connected in Sybil’s mind with vigorous sex. She wasn’t certain why unless it was his conversation of before. Ignoring the blush that gave away her thoughts, she smiled at the humor in his voice. “You don’t have to stay with me. I’ll be happy to sit here and catch my breath.”
        “I’ll be happy to sit with you and catch my breath. I’m not as young as I once was.”
        Sybil sent him a searching look, surprised to realize it hadn’t even occurred to her to wonder what his age might be. He looked young, but how did they look when they were older? She supposed, after a little thought, that he couldn’t be very young or he wouldn’t have attained the rank he held.
        He grimaced at the speculation in her eyes. “As it happens, I’m in my prime. That was meant to be humorous.”
        Sybil chuckled. “And wasted on a human. A feril would’ve known immediately that you were joking.”
        Something gleamed in his eyes. “Perhaps-maybe not. Maybe I look very youthful for my age?”
        “And maybe you look older than you actually are?” she suggested, smiling.
        He studied her face. “Maybe.”
        “How old do you think I am?”
        His gaze flickered over her face. “Oh, that’s completely immaterial to me as long as you’re breedable,” he said lightly.
        Sybil gaped at him, feeling her face redden.
        He chuckled. “I am fascinated by the way your face changes colors whenever you’re disconcerted. You do realize that?”
        “You mean you weren’t serious?” she asked doubtfully.
        “I didn’t say that,” he responded, his lips curling in a smile.
        “So… you were serious?”
        “I usually am.”
        Disconcerted, still uncertain of whether he was joking or not, Sybil studied his face. “You are, aren’t you?” she said finally.
        It was his turn to look disconcerted. He recovered quickly. “So I’m told. Are you ready to dance again?”
        Sybil did a mental inventory and decided she might be able to handle one more dance without passing out… if she rested a little longer. “The next one.”
        Nodding, he settled back to watch the dancers.
        “Exactly how is it that this works?” Sybil asked after a moment.
        He looked a question, but she didn’t believe for a moment that he didn’t know what she was asking. “The courting you told us about?” she prompted.
        “You haven’t noticed?” he countered.
        She shook her head.
        He leaned closer. “Do you see the young man facing Dr. Rains?”
        Sybil searched the dancers until she spotted Holly. “Not really. He has his back to