Calder by Allyson James Read Free Book Online Page A

only. You let him do what he wants then you’re done. It’s in his consent form.” Braden chuckled. “He’s the only Shareem I know with a consent form.”
    Katarina remembering Calder mentioning it. “Consent form?”
    “Calder won’t allow a lady to walk through his door without signing his form. That way he knows she’s already given him permission, and then he does anything he wants. Didn’t you sign it?”
    Katarina shook her head. Her colleagues must have done that for her, laughing.
    “It’s a beautiful idea,” Braden said. “But not for me. I suck at paperwork. Calder spends way too much time alone, comes up with all these different and exotic scenarios.
    Me, I just get out the manacles.”
    “Why doesn’t he see a lady twice? I would think he’d be much in demand.”
    “Because when ladies are with Calder, they lay everything out for him. They offer up everything they have, and believe me, he takes it. Besides, you feel it more don’t you, when you know it’s only once and never again?”
    “I wouldn’t know,” Katarina said. “He sent me away. We didn’t do much.”
    Braden stared. “No shit?”
    She shook her head. “No shit.”
    “Huh.” Braden swallowed the dregs of his coffee, a thoughtful look on his face.
    “Will you take me to see him, Braden? If it’s money you want, I’ll give you as much as you ask—”

He held up his hand. “It has nothing to do with money. Forget about Calder, sweetheart. He’s… Well, when he got burned he went to a bad place, and I don’t mean the DNAmo lab. He never really recovered. There’s a darkness to him that a pretty lady like you doesn’t need to touch. He’s taken level three to a height even I don’t understand, and I’m pretty badass.”
    “It has nothing to do with that.”
    He took her hand, his Shareem pheromones flooding her again. “Why don’t you spend the rest of your afternoon with me? I’ll give you what Calder would have, and we’ll figure out what you really need. All right? Say you will.”
    He looked slightly distressed, white patches pulling at the sides of his blue eyes.
    “I have to see him.” Katarina gently disengaged her hand from Braden’s. “I’m sorry, I hope I don’t hurt your feelings.”
    He stared at her in amazement. “Hurt my feelings? Sweetie, you are the strangest lady I’ve ever met. You’re not supposed to worry about a Shareem’s feelings .”
    “So everyone keeps telling me.”
    Braden shook his head, chuckling, his tension suddenly gone. “I have to see this.
    He’ll kill me, but…”
    He slid off the stool, crumpled the coffee cup and tossed it at a passing garbage bot.
    The bot’s metal claw caught the cup and snaked it back into its body.
    “I’ll take you to Calder’s place and I’ll get you into the same room with him. After that, it’s up to him whether to talk or throw your ass out.”
    Katarina exhaled in relief. “Thank you.”
    “If he doesn’t cooperate, you’ll consider my offer, right? You’re adorable. We could tear up this town.”
    Katarina dragged Braden down to her and kissed his cheek. The connection of her lips with his skin sent another river of warmth through her, but it was nothing compared to the volcano Calder had given her.

“I’ll consider it,” she said with a smile.
    “Gods give me luck.”
    He gave Katarina’s backside a Shareem swat, winked at the outraged patrollers and led Katarina back to Barkelo Street. Chapter Five
    Calder sensed something wrong as soon as he stepped into the cool whiteness of his living quarters. The air felt charged, fresher, as though an ionizer had changed the stale molecules.
    He set down the box of supplies he’d gone out to buy, unwound the sun-blocking cloths from his face, and tossed his robes and breath mask to their hooks. Stripping off his gloves, he strode into his front room and stopped.
    “Hell,” he said.
    Braden lounged on Calder’s square sofa, his leather-clad legs propped on the