'I'm an alien, nodia nodia.'

Sybil smiled. 'No, you aren't. Uh I didn't think to ask, but are we uh compatible? You know uh that way?'

Anka burst out laughing. 'I will be deeply, deeply disturbed if I discover we aren't. I don't imagine I'll be the only one disappointed if that's the case, for that matter.'

'You're joking right?' Sybil asked uneasily, trying to decide whether to be relieved or not. That depended, of course, on whether he was joking about not knowing or not. 'Where are we going anyway?'

'My place. I think we'll have to break with tradition. I don't think I could sleep with Spencer standing over us, scowling.'

*His' place as it turned out, didn't look a lot better than the cell where she'd been first incarcerated. It was maybe twice the size of that room and contained a bed that looked far more comfortable, but it was stark. Anka drew her to his bed and sat down on the edge. She studied his face a little uneasily and finally moved closer, lifting her hands to examine his face with her touch. His skin was smooth and soft. 'I like your face,' she murmured.

Surprise flickered in his eyes. 'You didn't appear to the first time you saw me.'

Sybil frowned. 'On the ship? I couldn't really see your face.'

He shook his head. 'When I first spoke to you.'

She smiled faintly. 'I was expecting a monster and I couldn't really see your face in the light.'

'It is improved with more light?' he asked doubtfully.

Her smile widened. Turning to one side, she sat on his knees so that they were face to face. 'Much improved.'

'Then it isn't my appearance that terrifies you?' he asked tentatively.

Sybil grimaced. 'That wasn't really what I meant.'

He lifted a hand and settled it at her waist and Sybil realized in that moment that it wasn't just her that was trembling. 'What did you mean?'

She shook her head slowly. 'It doesn't matter now,' she murmured, leaning closer and settling her cheek against his.

'It matters to me,' he said huskily.

She dragged in a deep breath, inhaling the scent of his skin. 'I was afraid that I was mistaken about you and I'd find out you weren't the man I thought you were.'

'I'm not human, nodia nodia,' he said gently. 'I'm not a man at all.'

'Don't argue with me,' she said teasingly, brushing her lips along his cheek. 'You feel very much like a man to me.'

He swallowed audibly. 'You feel very much like a woman to me.'

She smiled against his cheek. 'Shall we discover if we're compatible?'

Anka pulled away to stare into her eyes. He saw what he was looking for and moved close once more, settling his mouth over hers. A shudder of pleasure ran through him as he felt the soft yielding of her lips, inhaled her breath, tasted the sweetness of her mouth as he had before. He savored the taste, the feel of her tongue against his own, felt heated need engulf him.

The urge to strip her clothing from her and bare her to his gaze and his touch was like fire pouring through him. His heart hammered so fiercely in his chest he could scarcely draw breath.

Slowly, he cautioned himself. He had all night. He would frighten her again if he wasn't careful. He'd already scared her with his eagerness.

He'd told her he would be content only to hold her, he reminded himself.

If he frightened her, he would be lucky to have that much and it would be sheer torture.

Even knowing that, it took every ounce of self-control he could muster to keep his hands still. After a few moments, he curled his arms around her and slowly leaned back until she was lying on top of him.

She broke the kiss and sat up. Lifting her arms, she untied the knots of her top at the back and then the neck, allowing it to drop between them. He stared at her b.r.e.a.s.t.s hungrily, fascinated as much by the color of her skin as the beauty of the rounded, pink tipped globes. Leaning over him, she planted her palms on either side of his head and studied his face. 'I let you see mine,' she murmured challengingly.

He tipped her onto the bed and sat up. Sybil moved to a more comfortable position and propped her head on one hand to watch him as he stood up and stripped away his uniform. She discovered her imagination hadn't failed her when she'd envisioned what he must look like naked. He was every bit as muscular and well defined as she'd thought-and the striations she'd noticed did indeed crisscross his back.

He settled on the bed again to remove his boots and then shoved his trousers off, sending her a questioning look as he turned finally to face her. She was too busy examining him with her eyes to really notice, however, and she wasn't left in any doubt that they both had corresponding plumbing. 'You look like a big cat,' she murmured teasingly when she lifted her gaze to meet his. 'A huge cat.'

'That doesn't bother you?'

'Not if doesn't bother you to be lying in bed with a monkey.'

He chuckled. 'You don't look like a monkey to me.'

She moved closer. 'I might surprise you. I don't have a tail to swing from limbs, but I can climb like n.o.body's business.'

They lay nose to nose and chest to chest for many moments, simply staring into one another's eyes. 'Is this wrong?' she murmured.

'Does it feel wrong?'

'No.'

He shifted closer. 'Then it isn't.'

Sybil closed her eyes, relishing the feel of his body against hers. It was the most wonderful sensation she'd ever experienced. Anxious now to overload her senses on him, she brushed restlessly against him, explored him with her hands and her lips. He stroked a hand slowly along her back, rubbing his face against hers, cheek to cheek, turning his head to nibble light kisses along her face and neck and shoulder.

'You smell good, Earth woman,' he murmured against her shoulder. 'Feel good, too.'

Sybil dragged in a deep breath laden with his scent. 'You do, too, Sumptra man.'

He sought her mouth, covered it with his own, and kissed her deeply. Heat pulsed through her. Need began to war with her desire to simply luxuriate in his kisses and his touch. Curling one leg over his hips, she tugged at his shoulders, demanding more. He rolled into the cradle of her thighs, settling heavily, satisfyingly on top of her.

Parting from her lips, he lifted his head to study her face. Feeling his gaze, she opened her eyes lazily and peered at him through half-closed eyes. He held her gaze as he shifted to align his body to hers, watched her face intently as he found the opening of her s.e.x with the head of his c.o.c.k and surged into her. She gasped in delight as she felt him stretching her, throwing her head back and squeezing her eyes tightly. 'That feels wonderful.'

'I'm not in yet.'

She opened her eyes. 'Oh.'

Amus.e.m.e.nt danced in his eyes, but the heat surpa.s.sed it and the amus.e.m.e.nt faded as he surged into her again, his expression taut with his need. He paused, expelling a heavy breath. 'What is that?'

'What?' Sybil asked uneasily.

He thrust against it-a barrier. 'That,' he said grimly.

'That old thing? I thought it had died of old age. Ignore it,' she said evasively.

He stroked her cheek lightly. 'It'll hurt you, nodia nodia. I don't know any way to keep from hurting you.'

She swallowed a little convulsively. 'Don't stop.'

He studied her doubtfully for a moment and finally surged into her again. She squeezed her eyes tightly at the burning sensation, panting for breath, infinitely relieved when the burning began to subside. He slipped outward again, leaning down to kiss her, and she felt the heat slowly reigniting inside of her, chasing the discomfort away and replacing it with the pleasure she'd felt before.

Breaking the kiss, he shifted lower still, withdrawing his c.o.c.k from her completely. Before she could object, he settled his mouth over the tip of one breast. Her belly contracted almost painfully at the first tug of his mouth. She caught his head between her palms, half tempted to push him away, uncertain, but the pleasure that inundated her settled the matter. By the time he shifted his attention to her other breast, she was writhing beneath him, unable to lie still.

'Anka,' she gasped plaintively when he finally ceased torturing her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

Eagerness filled her when he moved upward once more, engaging his body with hers and surging deeply into her channel. It burned, but pleasurable ripples wafted through her, as well. She gasped, lifting her hips when he began to withdraw. Shifting his weight, he caught her hips, holding her so that he could set the rhythm they both needed. She felt the pleasure build inside of her as he stroked his c.o.c.k along her channel. Squeezing her eyes tightly, she focused on the quakes that promised something wonderful, and she was still caught off guard by the explosion of rapture that abruptly seized her, made her feel as if she actually had shattered into fragments of sheer ecstasy. She gasped, cried out at the sheer magnitude of it, shaking.

He uttered a choked sound that was raw and hoa.r.s.e. It made her skin p.r.i.c.kle all over, made the walls of her s.e.x clench in response. Shuttering as she had, he pumped into her shakily and finally stilled, gasping hoa.r.s.ely.

Sighing with relief when the convulsions finally stopped, Sybil felt darkness enfold her as she drifted on a cloud of supreme satisfaction. She frowned with displeasure when she felt him withdraw from her and settle on the bed beside her. She could tell he was studying her, but she was too tired to feel like opening her eyes. After a moment, he gathered her closer, pulling her onto her side and holding her against his chest.

'Why me, nodia nodia?' Sybil searched her mind, trying to figure out what he was asking. Finally, it dawned on her. She smiled against his chest. 'I was waiting for the perfect man.' * * * *

Anka had fully intended to make love to Sybil all night once he'd taken the plunge and asked her, completely contrary to any conscious plans he was aware of, and she'd accepted. He knew it was the wrong thing to do given their delicate situation. He'd known that before before he'd discovered she'd never taken a lover before him. he'd discovered she'd never taken a lover before him.

Afterwards well he'd been near catatonic with shock, too stunned by the discovery to begin to sort the disastrous possibilities that might arise from it and, in the midst of trying to figure out just how badly he'd f.u.c.ked up, sleep had descended over him.

He woke curled around her and desire stirred even before his mind was fully alert. Fortunately, he'd woken to the problem he'd been trying to sort when he fell asleep before he'd managed to waken her. He was still reluctant to stop once he'd begun caressing her sleeping form, nuzzling his face against her to enjoy her warmth and her scent, and yet wariness rose the moment she sighed and moved against him, the entire situation descending upon him like a thunderclap.

He realized that he was still having trouble coming to grips with the fact that she'd been virginal when he knew it was not at all typical for a woman of her age and culture. It certainly wasn't typical among his own people. From the time they reached full maturity they were allowed to take lovers. For many, that was as early as twelve solars. Very few waited until they were even fifteen or sixteen solars. Even in her culture, few of them remained virginal through their teens. At some point, they succ.u.mbed to nature, regardless of nurture.

Sybil was not not that young. that young.

It was true that it was as hard for him to judge the age of humans as it was for her to judge the age of a feril feril. Neither of them had the *tools' to make that sort of judgment, but he certainly came closer than her. He'd at least studied the exhaustive data collected over the years on humans. Regardless of the fact that he hadn't had enough interaction to simply make an educated guess from their appearance, he had some data to help him calculate. She was an officer in service to her country. Even if she'd gone to school to become an officer, instead of entering service at the lowest rank, it would've taken time to move up. She must be at least twenty five solars, or years as they referred to it, he concluded.

He realized that wasn't actually the question in his mind-not why she had been virginal when she was old enough to have taken many lovers, or at least a few. The question was, why had she taken him?

Because she'd been afraid to refuse?

He feared that might be the answer and if it was, it could be disastrous on far more than a personal level.

Anger flickered through him. He'd done his best to recover the situation when she'd told him outright that she was terrified and he'd seen that she was. He'd tried to sooth her. Why had she refused every attempt he'd made to convince her to simply return to her own people? If she was afraid of him, why hadn't she fled when he'd given her the chance?

He didn't know. He wracked his mind for something he'd read about their psychology that might help him understand and came up empty.

She hadn't behaved behaved as if she had never been with a man, d.a.m.n it! He hadn't discovered it until he'd been inside of her and by then he was lost. There was no point in trying to whitewash it. He hadn't as if she had never been with a man, d.a.m.n it! He hadn't discovered it until he'd been inside of her and by then he was lost. There was no point in trying to whitewash it. He hadn't wanted wanted to stop. He'd still given her the opportunity to push him away, but when she hadn't he was just so much putty in her hands. to stop. He'd still given her the opportunity to push him away, but when she hadn't he was just so much putty in her hands.

G.o.ds! She would go back to her people and tell them he had raped her and she would have proof that he had. He knew knew she was raw from his lovemaking. She had to be when he'd felt the delicate tissue tear. she was raw from his lovemaking. She had to be when he'd felt the delicate tissue tear.

He would be fortunate if his people turned him over to hers in one piece when the fallout from his stupidity landed in their laps!

G.o.ds! He was nigh forty solars! She was not even a woman of Sumptra! He didn't see how he could have fallen so swiftly and completely under her spell as to do what he'd done! He might as well have been a complete moron for all the brain matter that he'd used!

What was it about him that drew virgins, he thought in disgust? A good half of the women he had taken as lovers over the years had been. He did not believe for one moment that it was a subconscious desire on his part. It certainly wasn't a conscious one, by the G.o.ds! Beyond the fact that they had no idea how to please a man, they were not mature mature enough to form a comfortable relationship. enough to form a comfortable relationship.

Not that it would be any help to him to figure that out at the moment! There could not be be any relationship with Sybil. That was one of the main reasons he'd decided he would ignore the attraction he felt toward her-that and the political ramifications of such a liaison. any relationship with Sybil. That was one of the main reasons he'd decided he would ignore the attraction he felt toward her-that and the political ramifications of such a liaison.

That had worked well, by the G.o.ds! had worked well, by the G.o.ds!

She had smiled at him, laughed at his stupid attempts at humor, looked him over with frank admiration, and he had completely forgotten everything that he'd worked out so carefully in his mind and allowed her to lead him off by his c.o.c.k!

Sybil stirred in his arms, dragging him abruptly from his mental rebuke and pitching him into a mild state of panic as it dawned on him that he'd been too busy berating himself to figure out how to handle the situation.

'Is it morning?' she asked sleepily.

'What pa.s.ses for it here,' he responded more harshly than he'd intended. 'We slept through the rest period.'

She lifted her head and studied him. Her hair-the beautiful sunlight colored hair that he'd admired-was tousled from sleep, her pretty face flushed, her lips soft and inviting and his c.o.c.k leapt up like the mindless beast it was. 'You didn't sleep well?'

He swallowed a little convulsively. 'Like the dead.'

She smiled. It took all he could do to refrain from leaning down to capture her lips with his own and explore her mouth. 'We have trampled the customs of two cultures and lain waste. I should return you to your quarters.'

She uttered a half laugh before something horrendous apparently occurred to her. The smile died. Her eyes widened. 'Oh G.o.d! It's morning?'

'I said that.'

She tore from his arms and leapt from the bed so fast he was stunned. 'My clothes! Where are they?'

Bemused, he searched the bedding and finally produced the top. She s.n.a.t.c.hed it from his hand and began struggling to tie it while he searched for the rest. He found her panties and the skirt beneath him. Dismay registered on her face when she saw the crumpled clothing. 'Oh! Jesus! No way in h.e.l.l are they going to be in any doubt Never mind! Do you have a comb? A brush?' she added, raking her hands absently through her hair.

'In the facilities,' he said, nodding toward the wall.

She whirled and dashed in that direction, almost slamming into the wall before he could leap from the bed and prevent it. 'The doors only respond to us.'

Nodding distractedly, she pulled free of his hold and dashed inside. Still bemused, he watched her as she grabbed his brush and began raking it frantically through her hair. 'I could do that for you,' he murmured, unable to resist the urge to touch it.

She shook her head. 'No. It's fine. I need to get back before'

He could no more understand the anxiety that had her dancing with impatience than he'd been able to understand why she'd allowed him in her bed-allowed him to take her into his. He felt her urgency, however, and escorted her as quickly as he could, refusing resolutely to run even though he could tell she wanted to.

They arrived at the quarters set aside for the humans to find Dr. Rains and Ensign Beckt embracing against the wall. Hearing their approach, Dr. Rains pushed him away frantically, threw them a wide-eyed look of horror, whirled, and slammed into the wall when the door didn't open for her. Beckt caught her arm, turning her to face him so that he could examine her for injury. 'No! I'm fine! Really!'

She glanced at him and Sybil in dismay as they stopped. 'I was just talking to Beckt uh' Apparently, she wasn't in any condition to cook up a believable story. 'I should go.'

Sybil glanced at him. 'Yes. Good idea! Well bye!'

Anka frowned, catching her arm before she could escape. 'A moment'

'I have to go in!' she growled at him and then forced a smile. 'We can talk later.'

They were both distracted by sounds of new arrivals and turned to look as Powell and Kushbu strode toward them.

Sybil gaped at the men, too dismayed to be caught outside the observatory with Anka, at first, to really register their condition. Their hair was standing on end, however, a sure sign of bed head. Both men had a day's growth of beard and both of them had bags under their eyes as if they hadn't actually done a lot of sleeping in the beds they'd climbed out of.