Read Online Emily's Affair by Elijana Kindel - Free Book Online

are some things you prefer not to discuss, yet." Jake paused. "And there are certain aspects of myself which I would rather not discuss. Yet." Jake smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Speaking of ground we have to cover… what's your favorite movie?"
     
    " The Parent Trap ," she answered after a slight hesitation. "Yours?"
     
    He looked to be shocked by her answer, but said, " Where Eagles Dare . Favorite book?"
     
    Lee thought for a second. " Cinderella . Your turn."
     
    Jake leaned back. " Cinderella ?"
     
    Lee shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a sucker for hard luck stories. That and the Fairy Godmother had one wicked sense of fashion." She didn't want to mention that Cinderella was also the first story her mother had ever read to her as a child and… a dim reminder of the infrequent good times she shared with her mother. It was much easier not to think about the good times, because thinking of them never failed to remind Emily of the bad times. Bad times like when her mother ODed on pain killers and nearly died. Emily did not want to remember sitting on the bathroom floor, forcing her finger down her mother's throat, and holding her head above the toilet.
     
    And, above all, Emily didn't want to remember why her mother had tried to commit suicide.
     
    Lee cleared her throat, pushing back those unwanted memories, and willed herself to cheer up. "And your favorite book is…?"
     
    "Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead . Favorite… song," he asked.
     
    "Favorite song," Lee repeated. "That entirely depends on my mood. However, I will admit that my all time favorite piece of music is… Beethoven's Ninth."
     
    "Beethoven's Ninth, huh?"
     
    "Yep. It has everything to do with Ode to Joy. It gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. Actually," she said in a quieter voice, "there are times when it brings tears to my eyes. But that only happens when I go to the symphony."
     
    "I see," he commented, amusement lacing his voice.
     
    "Your turn."
     
    Jake chuckled. "Two way tie between the theme from The Magnificent Seven and Shaft ."
     
    It was Lee's turn to be amused. " Shaft ? The Isaac Hayes' Shaft ?"
     
    "Yeah." Jake grinned. "He's one bad mother—"
     
    "Shut your mouth."
     
    "I'm just talking about Shaft."
     
    Lee tilted her head back laughed.
     
    "That," Jake said, "is a wonderful sound."
     
    "What is?"
     
    "Your laughter."
     
    Lee's cheeks burned. "Oh."
     
    "Oh," he repeated. "You blush beautifully, too."
     
    She ducked her head, suddenly shy. "Oh. Thank you."
     
    Jake rested his elbow on the bar and gazed at her as if he could extract her darkest secrets on a whim. "Where did you grow up, sweet Emily?"
     
    "New York."
     
    "Then why do I detect a Southern accent?"
     
    "I didn't pick up my horrible twang until I was seventeen and moved to North Carolina."
     
    Jake shook his head. "It's not horrible. I like it. When did you leave Carolina for Virginia?"
     
    "A couple of years ago when the corporate office needed a place to open." Lee failed to mention the other reason why she'd moved. In Virginia, no one knew what her past profession was. Not that she thought anyone would care. But it was better to be safe than sorry. And Lee didn't need or want any bad publicity for her company.
     
    Lee decided to steer the topic away from herself. "Hey, no fair. You're supposed to be telling me about you." She wasn't sure how Jake would react if he discovered that she used to be an exotic dancer. She had a feeling that he wouldn't have a problem with it, but then again… he might.
     
    Jake shrugged. "What's there to tell? I'm the oldest of two children. My father was a career Army man so we traveled all over. My mother is a paragon. She's up for nomination by the Church for sainthood for putting up with my sister, the hellion. I met Alex and Nick working construction the summer I graduated from college and from there… we led exemplary lives until we came up with the idea to open The Brigade and there you have