Page 13 of Echo and the Homicidal Sea Panda

“I warned you once,” the man said, peeling off his leather jacket. He tossed it toward the empty chair without looking to see where it landed. “Do that again and you won’t like what happens next.”

“Oh?”Echo envisioned himself pinned under the orca, and a shiver raced down his spine.Don’t threaten me with a good time.

The orca grinned wickedly, reaching for his belt. He unhooked it, and as he was sliding it out of the loops of his jeans, he said, “Try it and find out.”

He folded the belt in his hand and tested it, smacking the leather against his palm.

Echo jolted, another shudder threatening his equilibrium.

The next few seconds was a standoff of sorts. Him waiting for the orca to pounce. The orca anticipating him to bolt. His heart thundered in his chest. Slick spread between his cheeks, dripping down the backs of his legs.

The orca’s nostrils flared. Hehadto scent Echo’s slick in the small bedroom. That realization both excited and embarrassed him.

“I have every right to demand why you were in our territory without permission. If my people are in danger then I?—”

“Danger?A whole pod of homicidal sea pandas in danger? Fromme?”Echo chuckled, shaking his head. “Come on. We both know why you’re really asking. You want to know what I was looking for.”

“Whatever you were looking for could be the danger.”

“I hate to tell you this, but I was simply charting the sea floor in that area, checking for any environmental changes. I work with NOAA to monitor coastal waters. Ours… and yours.”

The orca’s eyes narrowed, skeptical.

“You can check my credentials. They’re downstairs in my backpack.” Echo slowly lifted his upper body from the crouch he’d been hovering in. “We can both go down, and I’ll show you.”

“I know where you work.”

Echo frowned. “And how do you know that?”

Ignoring the question, the orca pressed on. “If you were really charting the sea floor, there would’ve been no problem with submitting a request for approval—which we both know we would’ve likely given. Instead, you slipped past the boundary near midnight, when you thought no one would be around. Luckily for both of us,Iwas around.”

Echo inwardly winced and hoped he hadn’t shown it in his expression.

The orca marched forward, his muscled thighs against the end of the bed. “What were you doing?”

“It was nothing of import.”

“Bullshit!”

Echo frowned at the hint of anger in the orca’s tone, making him doubt his safety for the first time. Had he gotten it all wrong? Had he mislabeled the orca’s rage as desire?

“We both know you were up to something, and it was likely no good,” the orca said.

When the man moved toward the side of the bed nearest Echo, he crawled backward to the other side—which was a mistake. He was trapped in the back corner of the bedroom. Unless he considered taking a flying leap out a window, but then, he’d have to get it open first.

Damn him for not replacing those old windows years ago. Before he could get one open, he'd be caught.

“I know dolphins can jump pretty high, but I promise you, solid land isn’t as forgiving as water.”

Echo’s gaze whipped to the orca’s. How did he seem to know what was going through Echo’s mind?

“How’s the foot?” the orca asked, his voice low. “I’m sure it’s mostly healed, but do you think it could take a ten-foot drop?”

Echo thrust his chin higher and crossed his arms over his chest. “You planning to toss me out a window?”

“Don’t pretend you weren’t scoping out your escape routes.” The orca’s knowing grin slowly spread wide. “Preyalwaysplots an escape when I’m around.”

“Calling me prey implies I’m in danger. Am I?”

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