Page 11

After lunch, Legend took me back to his place and we changed before walking out to the private pool behind his villa.

The pool was massive, built into the natural curves of the property, surrounded by white loungers, swaying palm trees, and a gorgeous view of the ocean.

A private bartender was already stationed at the bar off to the side, pouring drinks, and setting out fresh fruit and the scent of coconut and citrus lingered in the air.

Soft R&B played through the built-in speakers. It was the definition of paradise.

I wore a bright orange one-piece bathing suit that cut across the middle and Legend had on a pair of black swim trunks. I almost forgot how to breathe. “You keep staring like that, you’re gonna end up in trouble sooner than later,”

Legend smirked, stepping into the pool with slow, deliberate movements.

“Please,”

I shot back, before stepping down into the warm water. “I’ve already seen all there is to see.”

Legend’s smirk deepened as he swam closer, his body moving through the water way too effortlessly. “Hmm,”

he murmured, reaching out to pull me against him, “And yet, you look a little weak in the knees, baby.”

I rolled my eyes, pretending his touch didn’t make my stomach flip, and swam away toward the pool ledge. “Let me enjoy my drink in peace.”

Legend chuckled, swimming to the bar and nodding to the bartender. “Pour her another.”

The bartender nodded and slid a fresh margarita toward me. “Now this,”

I sighed, taking a sip, “is the good life.”

Legend smirked, taking his own drink, and settled beside me on the edge of the pool. For a moment, we just soaked in the sun, letting the music fill the space between us. Then, out of nowhere, I asked, “What’s your favorite movie?”

Legend exhaled, stretching his arms along the edge of the pool. “Here you go with the questions.”

“I need to know if you have taste outside of music and food,” I teased.

Legend smirked, tilting his head slightly. “Goodfellas,”

he said. “Top-tier classic. Never gets old.”

I raised a brow. “You give me more Godfather energy.”

“I like The Godfather too,”

he admitted, taking a sip of his drink. “But Goodfellas? It’s got everything—power, loyalty, betrayal, money, real stakes. And the pacing? Perfect.”

I hummed, nodding. “Solid pick.”

“And you?”

he asked, glancing at me.

“Honorable mentions like Friday, Set It Off, Poetic Justice...”

“You just naming Black movie essentials at this point,”

he chuckled.

“And? We don’t miss.”

I laughed as Legend shook his head, amused. “Alright, what about shows?”

I asked, swirling the straw in my drink.

“I don’t watch much TV,”

he admitted, watching me over the rim of his glass. “But when I do, I go for throwbacks. The Wire. Sopranos. Breaking Bad... shit that actually makes you think.”

“Damn,”

I teased. “You just love crime and corruption, huh?”

Legend chuckled, rubbing his jaw. “Maybe. Or maybe I just respect stories about power and the people who know how to use it.”

Something about the way he said that shit all calm and confident, like he wasn’t just talking about fiction, sent a slow shiver down my spine. I quickly took another sip of my drink. “And you?”

he asked, smirking like he knew he just threw me off balance.

“A mix of things,”

I said, clearing my throat. “When I need drama? Snowfall. When I need laughs? Martin. When I need nostalgia? Girlfriends and Living Single. But when I just wanna feel cozy?”

I smiled. “I rewatch A Different World like it’s my first time. They just put it on Netflix too.”

Legend nodded slowly, watching me. “I like that.”

“See? We’re not so different,”

I smirked, nudging him with my foot under the water.

Legend chuckled, shaking his head. Just as I was about to tease him again, my phone rang from the side of the pool. I glanced at the screen. Tyrae. “Lemme guess. Your girl's calling for all the nasty details, huh?”

he smirked, licking his lips.

I scoffed. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

“You about to tell her everything?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know.”

Legend hummed, setting his drink down. “I gotta make a call anyway,”

he said smoothly, pushing himself up from the water. “I’ll leave you to your confession session, sweetheart.”

“Whatever,”

I muttered, shaking my head.

As he stepped out of the pool, I let my gaze shamelessly drag over his wet, muscular body, the water dripping down his tattooed chest, sliding past the waistband of his trunks. Legend caught me looking and he smirked. Still smiling, I swam over to grab my phone and answered.

“Girl, it’s about damn time!”

Tyrae’s voice exploded through the speaker. “What the hell have you been doing?!”

I bit my lip, biting back a grin as I settled onto the pool ledge. “You sure you wanna know?”

I teased. I took another sip of my drink, sinking deeper into the warm water, already preparing for Tyrae’s interrogation.

“Um, hell yes!”

she pressed. “You know damn well I want details, bitch!”

I sighed, biting my lip. “I don’t even know where to start.”

“Start with this damn man who has you ignoring my calls for hours. Y’all fuck yet or is he still teasing you? Tell meeee!!!”

“He’s… bitch…”

I let out a slow breath, glancing toward the villa, making sure Legend was still inside. All nasty thoughts ran through my head. I started thinking of the teasing, the foreplay, and the sex. “This shit is… insane.”

“Insane how?”

“Like, every other man I’ve ever been with ain’t got shit on him. Not Jamal. Not Richie. Not Shawn. Like, I don’t even know who I am anymore,”

I whispered. “I thought I knew pleasure. I thought I knew my body. I thought I knew what good dick was. I was so, so wrong.”

Tyrae screamed. “Bitch, you got destroyed!”

I laughed, covering my face again. “It’s not just the sex,”

I admitted, surprising even myself. “It’s him. The way he moves, the way he looks at me, the way he just… takes control.”

“Mmm, sounds like a problem.”

“He is a problem,”

I muttered.

“And you love it.”

“It’s just for the weekend, Ty.”

“And you believe that?”

I didn’t answer because I wasn’t sure if I did. Before Tyrae could push further, I heard the patio door slide open. Legend stepped outside and winked at me as he made his way over to the bartender for a refill of his drink, the phone glued between his ear and his shoulder. He was still on a business call, speaking in that calm, authoritative voice as he headed back inside the villa.

Tyrae’s voice brought me back to the conversation. “You about to let him break your back one last time before you leave, huh?”

I scoffed, face heating instantly. “I hate you.”

Later that evening, as the sun began to set, I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the straps of my hunter green dress as it flowed around my body. It was our final night. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to push the thought aside, even though it lingered like an unwelcome guest in the back of my damn mind.

The last few days had been so intense, so completely unreal that it almost felt impossible that I’d be waking up tomorrow with a flight to catch and a whole life waiting for me on the East Coast.

“You overthinking again.”

I turned my head and found Legend leaning against the doorway, watching me with that unshakable, knowing gaze. Dressed in a loose cream linen shirt, open at the collar, and tailored black trousers, his usual cocky smirk softened just slightly like he could already see the conflict in my eyes.

“I’m just… taking it all in,”

I murmured, turning back to my reflection to adjust my hoop earring.

Legend stepped closer, his presence warm and steady, and before I could even process it, his strong fingers interlocked with mine. I inhaled sharply, my chest tightening as he lifted my hand to his mouth and pressed a slow, deep kiss to my knuckles.

“Relax, baby,”

he murmured against my skin. I exhaled, my body already responding to him, already surrendering like it always did. Then he tilted my chin up, his dark gaze locking onto mine, and kissed me. Slow. Deep. Unrushed. Like he wanted me to feel every second of it. When he pulled back, he licked his lips. “Come on,”

he said, keeping my fingers in his. “Dinner’s waiting.”

We headed down to the private beach and the setup was straight out of a fucking dream. A canopy of string lights twinkled above, casting a golden glow over a beautifully set table for two. A soft breeze carried the scent of pasta and fresh herbs, mixing with the salty, humid air.

The waves lapped gently against the shore, a perfect rhythm to the soft jazz playing from a speaker. Legend pulled out my chair, waiting until I was seated before taking his own.

“Alright, I gotta admit,”

I mused, running my fingers along the edge of my wine glass. “You know how to set the mood.”

He chuckled, nodding to the waiter who poured our glasses full of expensive white wine. “I told you, Honey. You're special."

I swallowed, the words landing somewhere deep in my chest, unraveling things I wasn’t ready to confront. So instead, I reached for my wine, taking a sip before shifting the conversation. “Alright, tell me,”

I said, setting my glass down. “What’s one thing you think everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime?”

Legend smirked, sitting back. “Easy. Owning your time.”

I lifted a brow. “Explain.”

“Most people work their whole lives trying to survive,”

he said, spinning his wine glass slowly between his fingers. “They wake up, go to a job they hate, come home, and repeat until they die. They don’t own a second of their time. That’s the real trap.”

I chewed the inside of my cheek, watching him carefully. “And you?”

I asked. “You own your time?”

"Of course," he chuckled, taking a slow sip of his drink. “I own everything that matters.”

All I could do was nod to ignore the thumping of my heart. “Aight. Your turn,”

he said, lifting a brow. “What’s one thing you think everyone should experience?”

I exhaled, thinking for a second before speaking. “Real, all-consuming, no-holding-back kind of love.”

“I should’ve seen that coming.”

I laughed. “What? I genuinely wanna know what it feels like.”

Legend’s gaze flickered with something unreadable but he didn’t argue. Instead, he smirked. “Aight, enough deep shit,”

he said. “What’s the dumbest or funnest thing you’ve ever done?”

I laughed, shaking my head. “Oh, this is easy. I let my best friend Tyrae talk me into sneaking into a celebrity party and we got so drunk that we got kicked out. It was so embarrassing.”

“Damn,”

Legend chuckled. “Who was the celebrity?”

“Drake.”

Legend nearly spit out his drink. “You got kicked out of a Drake party?”

“Don’t judge me,” I huffed.

“Oh, I’m judging your ass,”

he smirked, shaking his head.

I pointed my fork at him. “Okay, your turn. Dumbest thing you’ve ever done?”

Legend thought for a second, running his fingers through his beard. “Letting you talk shit about my movie taste.”

I rolled my eyes, laughing. “Oh, please.”

He lifted his glass, clinking it against mine. “To good food, good music, and a great fucking night,”

he murmured.

“I'll drink to that,” I echoed.