Hammer's Fall (The Breakers' Bad Boys) (3 page)

God, she really hoped she hadn’t been drooling before he had put his shirt on tonight.

And boy, was that a shame. Covering up his body was like hiding a piece of fine art in a dark closet where no one could see it. He had a raw masculine beauty that made her heart stop just by looking at him. One glance from his penetrating dark eyes was enough to make any woman drop to her knees, and that cloak of confidence he wore told her he knew it.

Yeah, Jared Caufield had become her ultimate fantasy.

Lately she had spent several restless nights thinking about him and his god-like body. Deep down she knew that it was part of the reason David had broken up with her. He didn’t like that her bakery was right across the street from Fight Hard, and he never failed to bitch about all the rough looking men that hung around outside. He had tried telling her it would hurt her business, but she had just laughed because it had done the exact opposite.

Every day women came into her bakery and stayed to sit at one of the small tables, sometimes fighting to see who could claim a seat near the windows so they could ogle the men coming and going from the gym. In addition, all the men who worked out at Fight Hard came to her shop for coffee and food.

About a week after the gym opened, Kalista had started making a variety of high protein sandwiches using the freshly baked bread they made every morning. Once the men found out, she had a hard time keeping up with the orders and had to have her two full-time assistants, Becca Nuria and Anna Cortez, make the sandwiches throughout the day so they could wrap and stock them in a separate open cooler. Since then, she had also started making a few selections of salads and soups to offer as lunch specials that she switched out depending on her mood.

David hadn’t believed her when she told him how successful this new stream of business was. Toward the end of their relationship, he had noticed her looking at Jared and had taken pleasure in telling her that a man like that would never be interested in a fat little nobody like her. She had grown up hearing those types of remarks from her mother, so it wasn’t anything new, but David’s comments had begun to wear on her. She knew she couldn’t pick her family, but she could choose boyfriends.

Obviously, she had chosen poorly.

She had started seeing David less and less, until she had been at dinner with Becca three weeks ago and saw him sitting across the room with a beautiful brunette with breasts the size of her head. Shocked, Kalista couldn’t believe her eyes when David had kissed the other woman with a passion they no longer had. Adding insult to injury, when he had turned his head and saw Kalista watching, he’d smirked. She hadn’t known what to say when they had come over to her and Becca’s table. He had introduced Kalista as his ex to his new girlfriend, and the other woman had laughed.

“You were dating this frumpy little thing?”

“Not so little. I mean, look at her,” David had whispered in his date’s ear, making her laugh. He had said it softly, but Kalista had still heard him. David had turned back to her and told her he expected his things he’d left at her place to be returned to him by the end of the week.

Unable to think of what to say, Kalista had simply sat there, gripping Becca’s hand in hers as David and his new girlfriend left the restaurant. Becca had called in her sister, Nikita, and their other friend, Zoe, who was a bartender at The Fox Hole and a frequent customer at the bakery. Nikita and Zoe had wanted to go kick his ass, but Kalista begged them not to. They helped her gather the few items that David had left at her place, but instead of boxing it up so she could return it, the three other women had thrown his stuff into a metal garbage can and lit it on fire in the alley behind her bakery. At first she had been shocked, but after a few minutes she couldn’t help but join in her friends’ laughter.

Since David had never really invited her to stay over at his apartment, she didn’t have to worry about him retaliating. Kalista hadn’t grown up in Breakers like David had, but she knew whatever he said about her around town, people liked her more than they did him so her reputation was safe.

It didn’t take her long to realize that she was better off without David. He had always complained about the smell of fresh bread and baked goods that floated up from the main floor when he stayed the night at the apartment she had over her shop, but it had always made more sense for them to stay at her place because she had to wake so early. It was when he started making snide remarks about how she must be sampling too much of what she made that allowed her to see the real, horrible man beneath the sophisticated veneer he presented to the public.

When her grandmother had died, she had left Kalista a sizeable trust. Kalista’s mother and father had tried to tell her she was too foolish to be in charge of the money herself and demanded she sign it over to them, but she had refused. She knew if she had done that she would never have seen another cent of it. That money had given her freedom to follow her dream, and it allowed her to purchase the building and start her business, which was something she would always be grateful for.

It was a new year, and Kalista was glad to be starting it off fresh without David in her life. Now, if she could just get a man like Jared interested in her that would really start her year off right. No, not a man like Jared. She wanted the real thing. An hour ago she would have thought there wasn’t a chance in hell of that happening, but now she wasn’t so sure.

As she and Jared walked up to the bar, the other big man stationed at the door waved them to the front of the line. She caught the glares of the people standing in the line waiting to gain entrance, and felt a little thrill when she saw the envious glances of several women.

“Hey, Hammer. How’s it going?”

“I can’t complain.”

The Fox Hole was a biker bar, with all the attitude that accompanied the name. Because her friend worked there, Kalista usually came in during lunch hours when anyone was welcome and it sort of resembled a local restaurant and bar. It was safer that way, because when the sun set the atmosphere of the place changed drastically.

Kalista had only been to The Fox Hole a few times at night, and she had been amazed at the difference. The bar was usually filled with hard-eyed men and scantily-clad women, drinking and having fun. She was extremely nervous going into the place when the daylight hours were over, but she wasn’t now that Jared was holding her hand.

When Malcolm Fox had opened the bar, he’d had a long standing reputation for employing men after they got out of the military, so the place was always well staffed with lots of muscle. Years ago, due to the influx of former military men the townspeople had started calling the men who hung out at the bar the Breakers’ Bad Boys, and the name had stuck. Most of them had tattoos, rode motorcycles, and had an aura of danger about them, but those closest to them knew that they were damn good men. They were fiercely loyal and had a strong moral code that they followed. She knew that Jared was considered one of the Breakers’ Bad Boys, and she could see why he had earned the title.

“Jimbo, this is—”

“I know Kalista. Good to see you, sweets.”

She smiled at the bouncer, recognizing him as one of the men who came in to the bakery often. She made a half-hearted attempt to pull her hand away from Jared’s, but he squeezed it more firmly, retaining possession of it. Giving in to the strangeness of his actions, she used her other hand to wave at the bouncer.

“Jimbo’s wife, Lisa, is pregnant and he is always coming in to buy treats for her,” Kalista explained when she saw Jared frowning at the other man. His big body seemed to relax, and it made her wonder what was wrong.

Jimbo laughed, but she could see the worry in the big man’s eyes. “She loves those marbled cupcakes with the chocolate butter-cream frosting and your fruit tarts. It’s almost time now.”

Kalista reached out and placed her hand on Jimbo’s arm, giving it a pat. “I’m sure everything will be fine. Why don’t you stop by tomorrow and I’ll have a few special items made up that you can take her?”

“Really?” Jimbo’s expression brightened. “Thanks! I will.”

He held the door opened for them and Hammer ushered her inside the dark bar. “You’re a good fairy,” Jared leaned down and whispered in her ear.

Startled, she turned her head to look at him and jerked a little as their lips almost touched. “Wh-what did you call me?”

He didn’t answer her, but squeezed her hand in reply. Loud music mixed with the sound of voices and the tantalizing smell of food and alcohol hit her as soon as they walked inside. He pulled her along with him through the crowd of people over to the bar. Kalista was impressed by the way people automatically moved out of his path.

She leaned on the bar as a place opened up for them. It was much warmer inside and he took off his sweatshirt, then surprised her by unzipping her coat. She allowed him to pull it off of her, then watched as he easily fisted both items in one of his large hands. Facing forward, her breath caught as Jared positioned himself right behind her and she felt his steel-hard erection poking into her back.

Holy crap!
If what she was feeling was an accurate indication of his size, he really was big all over. Erotic images danced inside her head as she imagined how he would feel pressed against her, naked and sweating.

Heart racing, she tilted her face up to glance up at him only to find he was looking down at her with a soft smile on his face. In an instant, that look had liquid heat spilling from between her thighs, and she fought the urge to rub back against him. She blinked as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead, then turned to smile as the bartender came over to them.

Kalista looked over at her friend Zoe to see the other woman was beaming a grin at them. Zoe Lang was a beautiful woman, with long black hair and dark, mysterious eyes that were glittering with amusement. “Hey guys, what can I get you two? Kali, you want one of my specials?”

“Ah, sure. That would be great.”

“And you, Hammer?”

“Light beer on tap.”

“Got it,” Zoe said, then left to fill their order.

“What did you order?” he asked as he placed both of his hands down on the bar on either side of her, effectively closing her in. If anyone else had done that she would have felt panicked, but with Jared it made her feel protected.

“I don’t drink much, so when I come here Zoe usually makes me some kind of fruity frozen drink. I know they don’t really suit the bar and all, but—”

“Honey, you can order whatever you want,” he said reassuringly.

“Dude, ease off. Are you trying to squish her or what?”

Kalista turned her head to see Dante Fox walking toward them, carrying a basket of food in his hand. Dante was a handsome man in a rough and ready sort of way, with short black hair and pale blue eyes. He was the owner of the bar, having taken it over when his father decided to retire. Malcolm Fox could still be found hanging out at The Fox Hole, but it was more likely around one of the pool tables or sitting with his friends than actually working.

“Hey, Dante.” Hammer eased back a little, but moved one of his hands to her waist in a clearly possessive gesture that had Dante’s eyebrows lifting.

Dante surveyed the couple in front of him and let out a sigh. “Ah, it’s like that, huh? Never thought I’d see the Hammer fall.”

“Yep, it’s like that,” Jared replied in a firm voice.

Dante nodded, then turned those eerie ice-blue eyes on her. “Welcome to the family, sweets.”

Kalista jaw dropped open. She couldn’t believe what she’d just heard and was saved from saying anything when Zoe came back over with their drinks.

“Here, eat this,” Dante said, shoving the basket of hamburger and fries over to her.

Zoe looked down at the food, then frowned at Dante. “What is this?”

“It’s food. Take your break and eat it.”

“I’m not hungry right now, and we have a crowd of people who—”

“The other bartenders can handle it. I won’t have you withering away behind the bar. You know you want it, so just eat the damn thing.”

Kalista knew her friend had a weakness for fries that were almost burnt to a crisp, and by the contents in the basket, so did Dante. Still, it was fascinating to watch the two strong-willed individuals glare at each other.

“You know, calling a girl too skinny is just as bad as calling her fat.”

“Then eat a damn burger every once in a while and I won’t have to call you either.”

“Do you know how annoying you are?”

“You tell me every damn day. Now, eat.”

Zoe rolled her eyes at him, then picked up a fry and ate it. Satisfied, Dante turned back to Jared. “See you tomorrow at the gym?”

“You know it.”

They bumped fists, and then Dante left. Zoe huffed out a breath as she watched him walk away. “That man is so irritating.”

“Yeah, how terrible,” Kalista couldn’t help but tease. “He brought you food and told you to take a break. What a horrible boss.”

Zoe shot a glare at her, then broke into a laugh. “I guess you’re right. He just always gets under my skin. I’m gonna go enjoy this in the back. There is a table in the far corner that is getting ready to leave if you guys want some privacy.”

“Thanks, Zoe. Put these on my tab for me, will you?”

“You got it.”

He picked up both of their drinks and led the way to the table that was just leaving. A group of men were just about to sit down, but they quickly departed after one hard stare from Hammer. Once she sat, Kalista blinked in surprise when he pulled his chair closer to her so that their legs were touching. He placed their drinks down, then leaned in, effectively closing her off from the rest of the room.

“So, honey. Tell me a story.”

“I…” At a loss for words, Kalista gaped at him.

Hammer sighed. He could see the confusion in her green eyes and knew he was suddenly acting very strange when he had previously tried to keep his distance from her. Used to women throwing themselves at him, he had never been good at this kind of thing. But Kalista mattered. She was different and he had to figure out a way to ease her into being with him without fucking up. “I want to know why you believe that bullshit your ex said and why you think you need self-defense training.”