Free Changing Tides by Simone Anderson Page A

and chiseled abs had been hidden under the starched military uniform.
    “Yes?”
    Orion cleared his throat. “Clothes. On the bed. Yours.”
    “Thank you, but I think this is better,” Brett said, crossing over to him. “You’re beautiful when you’re flustered.”
    Orion shook his head and took a step back. Lust burned in Brett’s deep blue eyes. All traces of fear or exhaustion had disappeared from their depths. Orion swallowed and took another step back. He’d been stalked and hunted before, but never had he felt more like prey staring up at a predator who wanted to devour him. Never before had he wanted to be caught, to be held down by the stronger limbs, to be fucked until he could barely remember his own name. He refused to look anywhere but Brett’s eyes. If he saw what the towel hid, saw physical proof of Brett’s desire, he might act. He couldn’t do that, no matter how much he wanted Brett or how much the other man wanted him.
    Orion inhaled sharply as the edge of the counter dug into his back. He hadn’t realized he’d been moving or that Brett had continued to stalk him. Brett captured his mouth in a soul-stealing kiss. Brett gently, but insistently asked for Orion to open his mouth, allowing him access. Orion relented. He liked Brett’s kisses. Liked the way the older man controlled them and the way he tasted and smelled. Orion could happily kiss Brett all day.
    When Brett’s hand cupped his erection, Orion’s eyes flew open. Squirming, heedless of the pain radiating from his back, he ducked out of Brett’s embrace and ran into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Sliding to the floor, he stared at the door. It was locked, but it wouldn’t hold against Brett if the bigger man wanted to break it down.
    A soft knock on the door startled him.
    “Orion? Sweetheart?” Brett called out. He knocked again but didn’t try the door handle. “Come out so we can talk.”
    Squeezing his eyes shut, Orion shook his head.
    * * * *
    Brett blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair before turning and sitting on the bed. It would be an eternity before he got the image of the fear filling Orion’s eyes out of his head. His gut clenched with self-loathing. Anger spiked through him. He was ready to strike out at whoever had put that look in Orion’s eyes. Taking several deep breaths and letting them out slowly, he stood. Orion wasn’t his. He didn’t know what had happened, and it wasn’t his problem.
    “The hell it isn’t!” Ripping the towel from his waist, he flung it across the room, wishing he had something to hit. Hard and repeatedly. The ferocity of his possessiveness scared him. Was that what had spooked the younger man? Brett shook his head. He didn’t think so.
    Dressing quickly in the tan, camouflaged fatigues and black combat boots, he knocked softly on the door one more time before heading to where Orion had left their meal. Sitting, he realized he was famished.
    While he ate, his mind drifted back to Orion. Orion had looked at him with fear, but his quiet words earlier had put everyone in the room on edge. Men and women, some twice his age, had left the final decision of things up to him. Brett knew Orion was younger than him. He was twenty-three tops. It didn’t make sense for someone that young to be in charge of anything, especially not what seemed to be the one group capable of dismantling the current government.
    Brett bit the inside of his cheek. With one decision, he had turned his back on his country and his family. He knew no one in the room he’d been in trusted him, so why did they trust Orion. What did they know that he didn’t?
    He had finished his meal and was staring at the wall across from him, when he heard the bathroom door click open. He moved to warm up Orion’s food before returning to the table. “Your food should be warm in a minute or so.”
    “That’s it? You’re not—”
    “Angry? Disappointed? Still aching for you?” Brett asked, standing