by KB Jacobs
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Table of Contents
Deliciously Bitter (Naked Brews, #3)
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Deliciously Bitter
Three years ago, my perfect life ended. I got trapped inside a burning Army MRAP and watched my friends die. I was the only one to survive, if you can call this survival.
Now I’m the beast of nightmares. Horrific scars mean I don’t leave my house...ever.
But my best friend made sure I continued to live when all I wanted was to give up. I owe him everything, and now he needs me for two weeks.
Two weeks with strangers who I’ll never have to see again. I can do this. I can ignore the stares and revulsion.
But what I can’t ignore is the stunning beauty next door who sees past my scars.
She’s Hollywood royalty. I’m a recluse, a hermit. Her life is glamour and paparazzi. My life is NOT. No matter how much I want her, I’m no good for her.
Beauty and the beast was a romantic fairy tale, but this is real life and she deserves better...
This is the final installment to the Naked Brews trilogy.
1. Deliciously Smooth
2. Deliciously Thick
3. Deliciously Bitter
(and don't miss our free prequel novella, Desperately Unprepared, available via the KB Jacobs newsletter)
Deliciously Bitter
(A Naked Brews Novel)
Book #3
by
KB Jacobs
Copyright © 2017 KB Jacobs
ASIN (e-book): B06Y45B1YD
ISBN (print): 1548124869
ISBN-13 (print): 978-1548124861
Published by KB Jacobs
Edited by Mia Downing
Proofread by Tia Silverthorne Bach, Indie Books Gone Wild
Cover Design by Amanda Matthews, AM Design Studios
All rights reserved. Except for use in a review, no part of this book may be copied, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, or by any means, without the express permission of the author. This book is a work of fiction. While sometimes actual locations are used in the writing of this book, they are used in a fictional circumstance and are by no means meant to reflect events happening in those places. Names, characters, events are all a product of the author’s imagination and are by no means meant to reflect actual people living or dead, or any actual events. Any similarities are purely coincidental.
Thank you for supporting KB Jacobs.
You can keep in touch with her at her website...
www.kbjacobsauthor.com
Dedication:
Every day the members of our military go out and do jobs that most of us wouldn’t or couldn’t do.
This book is dedicated to them.
Thank you.
Deliciously Bitter
(Naked Brews book #3)
by
KB Jacobs
Chapter One
Alex
“For the love of good sushi, Lake. You act like I’m torturing you.”
“You are.” My best friend, Lake O’Brien, slumped into the chair and laid her hands grudgingly on the table of the nail salon.
I dropped into the chair next to her and smiled apologetically at the manicurist across from us. “Most women consider a manicure to be relaxing. Look at Melissa. She’s enjoying herself.”
We both turned to the chairs behind us. Our other best friend, Melissa Frye, sat with her feet soaking in a tub of bubbling, scented water. She lifted her champagne flute, only half filled with mimosa, in a mock toast and sank deeper into the massage chair.
“Clearly, I’m not most women.” Lake eyeballed my clipboard. “How am I supposed to sit here and relax, knowing there’s still so much that needs to be done back at Naked Brews?”
I pulled the clipboard against my chest so she couldn’t see the huge list of to-do items still needing to be checked off. “You let me worry about that. There may be a lot to do, but you’ve got your number one girl in charge. I just want you to relax and enjoy the next few days. You only get married once, or something like that.”
“Knock it off, Alex.” Melissa glared at me from across the room, but being slightly tipsy and the size of a house elf ruined the effect.
“What? I think I’ve done a remarkable job, setting aside my personal opinions on the institution of marriage.” I patted Lake’s arm. “I’m very happy for you and Walsh.”
Lake gave her left hand to the manicurist for the inspection of her torn cuticles and rough nails. “I’m less concerned about your thoughts on marriage and more worried about leaving you guys for almost two weeks at one of the most important points in Naked Brews history. What if there’s another attack?”
The thought had crossed my mind. When Lake set the date for her wedding to Walsh, they’d arranged everything so that the opening of Ice’s Brew Pub happened just a few days after their return from their honeymoon. We all just assumed the arson investigation would be wrapped up by then. But after severa
l months of looking into it, the police weren’t any closer to finding out who set the fire that had almost killed Melissa.
“Nothing has happened for months now. Maybe the person trying to take down Naked Brews gave up.” The words sounded hollow coming out of my mouth, but what else could we do? With no leads, Detective Murdock basically told us the case was cold unless something else happened.
Lake gave me her death star glare. I was getting it from all sides.
“Dip your fingers in here, sweetie.” The manicurist set a bowl of something foul-smelling in front of Lake.
Lake followed her instructions but wasn’t happy about it. “It’s not too late,” she said, wrinkling her nose at the concoction in front of her. “Walsh and I don’t have to go on our honeymoon right away. We could stick around and go after the opening.”
“Don’t even think about it,” Melissa shouted from her chair, not even bothering to open her eyes. “I have spent the last three months planning the most perfectly romantic, beer-focused honeymoon imaginable. If you cancel, I’ll never forgive you.”
Lake blew a piece of hair out of her face. “Ireland isn’t going anywhere. And the pubs and inns you have us booked at have all been there for hundreds of years. I think they’ll hold for another month or two.”
“Never. Forgive. You.” Melissa took another sip of her mimosa.
I certainly didn’t believe in marriage, but I couldn’t let Lake’s dream die. She deserved this time away with Walsh. “You can’t postpone your honeymoon.” I looked to the manicurist for backup, and she nodded along with me. “Besides, we both know if you postpone, you’ll never go. First, it’ll be a busier than usual summer season. Then in the fall, you won’t be able to go because of all the beer festivals and competitions happening at that time of year. And we both know there’s no way you’re going to leave the country during ski season. It’s our busiest time of year.”
“Maybe in the spring we—”
I held up my hand to stop Lake’s next words. “In the spring, something else will come up that stops you from going, so don’t even think about it. Tomorrow, you’ll get married, and after that, you’re leaving for Ireland. I don’t want to hear another word about it.”
“Fine. I’ll get married and go to Ireland. I’ll even get this stupid manicure.” Lake slumped back into her chair. “But just for the record, you guys are the worst best friends ever.”
“Aw, we love you, too,” Melissa said, winking at me.
“Would it make you feel better if we went over the agenda?” I tapped the clipboard still firmly pressed my chest.
Lake nodded. “Yes, please.”
I set the clipboard in my lap and pulled a pen out of my purse. “Okay. Walsh is picking up the mysterious Damian right before the rehearsal dinner. And Anthony and Lauren are graciously picking up your mom and Walsh’s foster mom from the airport right about”—I glanced at my phone—“now.” I flipped through a few pages until I got to the end of my list and made a note to send Anthony and Lauren a thank-you note later.
“Good Lord, Alex.” Lake grabbed for my clipboard, but I pulled it out of reach, and the manicurist snatched Lake’s hand back. “Seriously, how much do you still have to get done?”
“It’s not that much,” I lied. “It just looks like a lot because it has everything I need to do for the wedding and a few things I need to handle with our distributors to get ready for the brew pub opening. Once the wedding is over, it won’t be so bad.”
“Yes, it will. As soon as the wedding is over, you have to start focusing on the massive PR to-do list for the pub opening. I knew Ireland was a bad idea.” Lake leaned in toward me and dropped her voice to a whisper. “Maybe we can just go to Denver for the weekend.”
“Never. Forgive. You.” Melissa opened her eyes and threw her foam pedicure shoe at Lake. It missed by a yard, but that was pretty good for Melissa.
“Okay, but we have to do something.” Lake nodded her head toward my clipboard. “I realize managing the marketing for the brew pub is nothing compared to handling the PR for your parents, but this is asking for too much. One person shouldn’t be in charge of sales and all the marketing. We need to hire someone to take over sales and distribution from you.”
I spun my chair around and thought about it. Sweet-talking our distributors was fun, but handling sales for the brewery was never my dream job. If I didn’t have to worry about delivery dates and making our outside customers happy, I could really ramp up the marketing for the new pub and make it a must-see destination for beer lovers.
“Done.” I flipped to the back page again and wrote hire new sales manager on my list before shoving the clipboard under my chair. “Now. No more talk about the brewery. We’ve got to finish up here because you’re scheduled for a massage in thirty minutes.”
Lake waved her right hand in the air, her freshly painted nails glistening with still wet lacquer. “Yay for more torture.”
I shrugged. “That’s what I’m here for.”
As one of Lake’s best friends and unofficial wedding planner, I was determined to give her the amazing wedding she never dreamed of. Because planning the weddings of my friends was the closest I would ever come to walking down the aisle myself. Marriage was for suckers.
Chapter Two
Damian
The plane touched down on the tarmac, and I slowly unclenched the muscles of my jaw and unwrapped my fingers from around the leather armrests. Permanent indentions from my grip marred the once gorgeous, pristine Italian leather. I rubbed at the marks.
Fuck, I was a walking disaster. Sweat had soaked through my collar, and the rest of my custom suit was equally damp and wrinkled.
Rumpled, nauseated, and working on a killer headache...all because I’d been locked inside the tiny tin can for an hour and a half. But my therapist had assured me I was making progress. What a joke.
The pilot came over the intercom system. “Welcome to Aspenridge, Colorado, Mr. Thorne. The outside temperature is currently fifty-eight degrees with clear skies. It’s supposed to reach a balmy sixty-three degrees today. Not too bad for the end of June, but it’s what we expect up here when the town is at 9,750 feet. We hope you enjoy your visit. Thank you for flying with Crescent Corporate. The airport personnel will be opening the exterior door momentarily.”
The flight attendant unbuckled her seatbelt and avoided my gaze as she stood. I’d given explicit instructions when I’d booked the flight that I didn’t want to interact with anyone. If I didn’t talk to them, they didn’t have to be subjected to my hideous scars. I’d spent too many conversations with people who either couldn’t stand to look at me or were so fascinated by the puckered skin that they couldn’t look away. No one ever looked at me anymore.
The plane came to a stop, and I unbuckled and stood, taking a moment to make sure my shaky legs would hold me.
The fun wasn’t over yet, though. I had to get into a car...something that up until three years ago I’d taken for granted. Being the only survivor when an IED had blown up my MRAP military vehicle, the inside of a car was the stuff of nightmares. At least I didn’t have panic attacks anymore. Walsh had trained me how to mentally get myself out of those.
Walsh, with his upcoming wedding in Aspenridge, Colorado, was the only person who could convince me to subject myself to this kind of torture. He’d been there for me every step of the way over the last three years. I owed it to him to be here for him now...even if it killed me. And it just might.
My breathing sped up, and my heart raced. Why weren’t they opening the doors?
The flight attendant must have heard the change in my breathing because she glanced at me worriedly. I scowled at her. She quickly diverted her gaze.
She was gorgeous, tall, and leggy with long blonde hair pulled up into a high ponytail. She had high, perky tits and toned legs that went on for days. I catalogued all of this clinically.
Once upon a time, I would have had her number by then. Hell, a few years ago we would hav
e made sure our status in the mile-high club was still in good standing. Those days were a distant memory now...back when I used my good looks and charm and nine times out of ten found a way into their panties. Yeah, that wasn’t my life anymore.
At the thought of the change in my life the last three years, the tight skin on the right side of my body throbbed and itched. I needed to stretch, get that damaged skin loosened again. Sitting for prolonged periods of time was never a good thing.
Finally, the sound of metal grating cued the flight attendant to step forward and twist the handle from our side. The door opened, and blessed fresh, cool air blew in.
Thank fuck.
As soon as she stepped away, I rushed down the airstairs that had been pushed up against the side of the plane. My luggage had already been placed on the concrete below, and I grabbed it without even slowing my stride. I wanted as far away from that plane as possible.
I entered the terminal and immediately spotted Walsh. He grinned at the sight of me and rushed over. One of the perks with flying private...no airport security to worry about in the private terminal, at least in a small airport like this one, and most importantly, no crowds to point and stare.
He took my hand and shook it as he wrapped his other arm around me to pat me on the back. Walsh was the only person who got to get close like this anymore. “Man, it’s good to see you.” He pulled back and examined me more closely. “How bad was the flight?”
I shrugged, trying to make it appear like it didn’t bother me. Complete lie. “Not that bad, but I’m ready to get to the house and into a shower.” And if I could skip the car ride to get there, that would be fabulous. Unfortunately, nobody had managed to create transporters yet, so I just had to grin and bear it.
He took my bag from me. “That can definitely be arranged. We have about five hours for you to decompress before the dinner tonight.”
My muscles tightened. A dinner where there would be other people, curious people. That ranked up there with my worst nightmares.
I shook out my shoulders. I could do this. I had to do this for Walsh. It wasn’t about me. “Will I get to meet Lake before then?”
“Unfortunately, no.” Walsh grinned like the lovesick fool he was as we stepped out the doors into the bright sunshine. “The girls are all busy getting pretty today, but she’s anxious to meet you.”