Calder by Allyson James Page A

heard, then.”
    “Talan,” Rees said in a very soft voice.
    Talan ignored him. “Your medic, Dr. d’Arnal. She’s moved in with Braden.”
    “What? Like hell.”
    “A couple of days ago. He’s been pestering her to do it for a while, and she finally gave in.”
    Calder’s heart pounded, fury making him hot. At that moment, a dripping metal mug of ale slid in front of him, placed there by Judith, the bar’s owner.

Judith also had red hair, a common color for Bor Nargan females. Her eyes were deep brown, and she revealed luscious curves by wearing her one-piece pantsuit open to the navel.
    “Long time since you’ve darkened my corner, Calder.”
    Once, about a year ago, Calder had given Judith a taste of what he did in his pleasure palace. He’d made her close the bar and they’d done it here—on the floor, on the tables, on the bar itself. He hadn’t made her make an appointment or sign the consent form. He’d done it as a favor for a woman who was good to Shareem.
    Every time Calder had come to the bar since, Judith had given him a hopeful look.
    She wanted it again, but Calder never capitulated.
    Now, with his fury mounting and his need too long unfulfilled, he wanted to grab Judith by the hair and drag her upstairs.
    He caught her eye. Judith arched her brows, understanding what he meant.
    Fuck, what have I just done? He didn’t want Judith, he wanted Katarina, damn her cute little ass.
    Judith studied Calder a moment then she smiled and shook her head. “Thanks, but no thanks.”
    Rees jerked his head up. “Did I hear right? Judith turned down Calder ? Have the desert sands turned to water?”
    Judith skimmed her hand across Calder’s shoulders. “He has someone else on his mind. I don’t want to be a substitute.”
    “I just told him that Katarina moved in with Braden,” Talan said.
    Rees leaned into her. “Talan, baby, I need to take you home and make your ass cherry red.”
    Talan didn’t seem intimidated by his threat. “He needs to know.”

Calder poured cold ale into his mouth but it didn’t cool him down. Judith gave him a wink and a smile and sashayed away. Another Shareem slid his arm around her and Judith fell happily into his embrace.
    “Leave him alone, sweetheart,” Rees told Talan in a soft voice.
    Gods, they pitied him. Calder drank more ale, pretending he didn’t care. Why should he care about what Katarina did? He’d told her to go away, and she’d gone.
    Rees understood. His blue eyes were shrewd, but at least Rees knew when to shut the fuck up.
    Talan didn’t. “When I fell in love with Rees, he didn’t believe me. He thought I was responding to Shareem pheromones, nothing more. It took me a while to convince him that I meant it.”
    Rees gave Calder a look that said, Humor her .
    Calder took another nonchalant drink of ale. “Yeah?”
    “I did mean it. I fell in love with him. With him , not just because he was Shareem.
    Not just because he was an experimental model. I love Rees, the man.”
    “Lucky Rees.”
    “Lucky me that he finally believed me,” Talan said. “Think on it.”
    Calder switched his gaze to Rees. He wore a tight tunic that bared his arms and emphasized his broad shoulders and strong chest. His skin was whole and smooth, normal. No wreck of a man lingered beneath his clothes.
    “She’s a medic,” Calder said to Talan. “Medics always want to study me. Not me , but this hunk of ruined flesh. It happens every time I meet a new one. They all think they’re unsung geniuses. If they fix me, they rise to prominence. Sorry, I’m tired of being an insect under a scope.”
    “I can’t blame him,” Rees said.
    “You aren’t helping, my love. I think Dr. d’Arnal’s interest goes beyond insects.”

“Women find me fascinating,” Calder said. “They all do, even you.” He didn’t boast—it was true, and he hated that it was true.
    “Well, yes, because you’re different.”
    “Because I’m like Rees. The scientists at DNAmo