Sleeping With the Enemy by Kaitlyn O'Connor

general.
        “They brought your flight suit?”
        Sybil glared at Holly unwelcomingly. “What’s left of it,” she responded tightly.
        Curiosity flickered in the woman’s eyes. “What’s left of it?”
        Sybil’s lips tightened. “Clearly, it had already been recycled.”
        Holly moved closer and examined the clothing. Sybil watched her resentfully, but refrained from blasting the woman with her temper with an effort. “It looks like a skirt and some sort of top.”
        Sybil slipped to the edge of the bed and took it from the other woman. “I might as well put it on-not that it will be any protection, damn it! At least I don’t have to run around in my underwear, though.”
        As simple as the garments appeared to be, it took her a few minutes to figure out how to put them on and she wasn’t comfortable when she had. The top had sleeves, but it was backless, which meant removing her t-shirt or looking like an idiot or a prude. It sure as hell wasn’t going to keep her warm! And she’d forgotten to ask for her boots! Of course, those would’ve looked absolutely lovely with the outfit!
        She looked down at it when she’d finished dressing and was dismayed to discover she looked almost as damned naked as she had before! The top barely covered her front, wrapping only partially around her sides and she had a bad feeling she had side-boob showing. The skirt went to her ankles, but it was slit damned near to the waist of her damned panties on both sides!
        Was this what their women wore?
        “It looks… uh… well, it’s certainly sexy!”
        Sybil glared at her. “Thanks!” she muttered. Resisting the urge to fling it off and cover up in bed again, she stalked from the room. Her arrival in the observatory almost coincided with Anka’s return and created a sensation. Powell, Spencer, and Kushbu turned to look at her, did a double-take and then simply gaped at her. She could already feel her face turning red when Anka stepped through the door and came to a halt as if he’d slammed into an invisible wall.
        She didn’t think she’d ever in her life been as keenly aware of her femininity or as uncomfortable about it. The urge to retreat was strong and instantly at war with the urge to pretend nonchalance she didn’t feel and simply find a place to sit-assuming she could without exposing herself. The end result was that she was as frozen in place as a manikin and unable to decide whether to retreat or not.
        Powell seemed to recover first, but he looked like he couldn’t decide whether to be outraged or pleased that she’d been given something to wear. He flicked an assessing, almost possessive glare in Anka’s direction.
        Almost as if the three men were mentally linked, Spencer and Kushbu also looked at Anka. She could almost see their hackles rise like a pack of cur dogs that had all spotted a female in heat at the same time-and a bigger dog that seemed intent on marking his territory first.
        It was the most bizarre, unnerving situation she’d ever found herself in. Not one of her crewmembers had ever looked at her, or behaved, in any way as if they had any interest in her as a woman. She didn’t think they were now. It was pure territorialism because the ‘other’ dog wasn’t a member of the pack.
        Ignoring the glares of the male crewmembers, although Sybil couldn’t believe he wasn’t well aware of the hostility radiating from them, Anka finally bowed slightly at the waist. “I have come to invite you all to dine with us,” he said with stiff formality.
        

Chapter Five
        
        “I see you brought a fairly sizable escort. Is this an invitation? Or an order?” Powell said grimly, making no attempt to hide his hostility.
        Sybil hadn’t actually noticed that Anka wasn’t alone until Powell’s comment. She felt the heat in her cheeks that was just fading flood back in a flash as she shot a quick glance behind