A Legendary Love *unedited sneak peek*

Read the sneak peek, then read the rest on Amazon!

EXCLUSIVE!

Unedited Sneak Peek of

A Legendary Love

By Jaimsss P.

Chapter One

I have to get my life, Demi thought as she glanced at her watch for the fourth time in two minutes. She was currently riding the clock at her dead-end position as an associate at Chase’s Luxury Car Rental. Demi hated her job—and the pay—but refused to quit. Her discontent would keep her from becoming stagnant; she never wanted to lose her motivation to pursue her dream of becoming a professional dancer.

Demi had been trained in ballet, jazz, and tap since the age of three; then, in high school and college, she was a member of the marching band’s dance line. Dance was her passion, and she was determined to make it. Refusing to settle for any old dream, Demi resolved to continue renting cars to the privileged patrons of Atlanta, from nine to five, while busting her butt in the studio to make her dreams a reality, all night long.

She checked her watch again—one minute until closing time! Quickly, Demi ducked under the counter and grabbed her bag and water bottle. As soon as she pulled out her phone, it vibrated with a text alert from her cousin Crissy, who she knew was waiting just outside to pick her up.

Right Hand: Girl, fix your hair and put on some lip gloss. Your future husband is on the way in there!

Demi rolled her eyes and prepared to tell whomever her cousin was talking about that Chase’s was officially closed for the evening. She stood by the door, prepared to escort him out as soon as he walked in, but she did take a moment to finger-comb her Peruvian bundles. Just as she was flipping her hair over her shoulder, the door opened, and her weave smacked the mystery man in the face.

“My bad, I... Demi began, but the rest of her statement got caught in her throat. She lowered her eyes briefly, then trailed them back up his tall frame to meet his eyes once again. She didn’t want to stare, but the man was gorgeous. She tried not to stare, but when she dropped her gaze, her eyes stopped on his chiseled jawline. Everything about him screamed grown man, from the neatly trimmed goatee to his muscular arms, which were practically fighting their way out of the perfectly tailored suit that adorned his body. 

Get your life, Demi, and pick up your bottom lip!

“Hi, um, we-we’re closed, sorry,” Demi said, silently cursing herself for fumbling through her statement yet again.

While this awkward beauty stood gawking at him, Aason took the time to study her also. He was not disappointed. The woman in front of him was a sight for sore eyes. Her smooth caramel skin glowed, even in the poorly lit lobby they found themselves in. Her striking gray eyes and luscious pink lips had him biting his own in an attempt to control what he was feeling for this stranger.

Shorty is nice, Aason thought. He smirked at her, fully aware of the effect his presence was having on her ability to form coherent sentences. 

His smirk caused a stir in her lower abdomen. This man has a dimple on his left cheek. My dimple. Whenever Demi smiled, a huge, almost heart-shaped crater invaded the left side of her face. Until now, she thought the trait was exclusively hers, but here stood this stranger with the exact same feature. This was unreal—he was unreal.

“Good evening. My name is Aason Legend, but you may call me Ace. I do realize you’re closing, and this is last minute, but if you would allow me to rent a car from you, I’d owe you a serious favor.” Aason smiled again before continuing with, “I can guarantee I have the means to make just about anything you could think to ask for, happen.”

Oh, he thinks he’s smooth. Don’t fall for it, Demi. He was trouble. She could sense it.

Finally able to compose herself, Demi flashed him the same generic smile she gave all her customers and replied, “No return favor necessary. I’ll rent you the car. I’ll need your ID.” Demi delivered the end of her statement over her shoulder as she strolled back to the front desk to begin the rental process. He handed over his information, and she went to work. 

As Demi was typing away on the computer, Aason was in his head trying to figure out why he felt the urge to make small talk with her. Aason was a man of few words; he rarely spoke up unless it was absolutely necessary, and he never initiated random conversation. The fact that he wanted to spark one up with this woman had him confused but intrigued, nonetheless.

“You stole my dimple,” he said simply.

“Excuse me?” Demi asked.

“When you smiled, I noticed the dimple on your left cheek; I have the same one. I’m sure I’m older than you, which means you stole it from me,” he replied.

Demi blushed but quickly recovered and decided to ignore his comment. “Okay, Mr. Legend. I’ve got you all set. The only car we have ready to go is a white Lexus RX, and it’ll need to be returned in four days. If you find that you need an extension, you’ll have to call or come back to us at least twenty-four hours before your return time; any questions?” Demi asked in a professional tone.

Aason chuckled and replied, “Not at all.”

Demi made her way around the desk and started toward the door. Aason fell in step behind her.

“Great! I’ll show you to the vehicle and take a few photographs of its current condition; after that, she’s all yours,” Demi said, reaching for the door.

“Don’t touch that door, Demi,” Aason said firmly before stepping around her to open it so she could step outside.

Demi’s eyes were on him quickly as she asked, “How did you know my name?”

He chuckled and nodded toward her. “Your nametag.”

Demi squeezed her eyes shut as her cheeks warmed. She decided to remain silent so as not to put her foot in her mouth again. She had already gathered her belongings, so when Aason closed the door, she locked the building.

When Demi was done taking the photos, she had Aason sign the electronic contract on her phone and emailed it to him immediately. She then handed over the keys.

“Okay, Mr. Legend. Drive safely, and we’ll see you in four days,” Demi said.

Aason grabbed her hand and kissed it lightly. Demi’s breath hitched, and she had to grab his arm with her other hand to steady herself.

He smirked.

“Indeed, you will.” With that, Aason got into his newly rented Lexus and drove off while Demi stood in place, still trying to recover from the feel of his lips on her skin.

Still in her reverie from Aason’s presence, Demi didn’t notice her cousin’s car approach the front of the lot. When Crissy rolled up beside her and honked the horn loudly, Demi jumped and screamed, “You play too much!”

Laughing a little too hard, Crissy said, “Girl, bye; if you weren’t standing there drooling at the memory of your future husband, you would have noticed me pull up beside you.”

Demi rolled her eyes and yanked the car door open to get in. “That man isn’t my future anything, so don’t start.”

Crissy regarded Demi silently as she shut the car door and put on her seat belt. As she pulled off, she said, “I think he could be. I’ve been watching him stare at you just as hard as you were checking for him. He was feeling you, Dems.”

Demi rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t even matter. You know I’m not on that right now.”

Crissy sighed and continued the drive to Demi’s apartment in silence. Crissy loved her cousin dearly, but Demi could be so stubborn sometimes. She was swearing off relationships entirely because of a few bad experiences.

It was always the same. Demi would meet a guy, and they would become what she thought was serious, but then they’d have sex, and everything would change. Deep down, Demi felt that something was wrong with her. She just wasn’t the woman men chose. She wanted love but felt it wasn’t in the cards for her. Instead of putting herself through more heartbreak, she decided to be done with dating altogether.

Crissy hated that her cousin couldn’t see what a gem she was. Demi was beautiful, intelligent, and super talented. Any man would be lucky to claim her, but Demi hadn’t been dealing with real men. 

Her last couple of relationships were with guys threatened by Demi’s light. There was something about Demi—a drive in her—that inspired others to get up and do something purposeful. The little boys she had been dealing with couldn’t handle it and, in turn, made Demi feel like she was less than, when really, she was the prize. Crissy could see that clearly; she desperately wanted Demi to see it too.

As they pulled up to Demi’s complex, Crissy cut off the car and turned to face her cousin—her sister.

“Give me your hands,” Crissy said.

Demi groaned. “Not today, please?”

When either of them was feeling down, the other would ask for her hands and speak life into her. They had been doing it for as long as they could talk, but right now, Demi was in her feelings and wanted to stay there.

Her encounter with Aason was electric. Just a few minutes around him had her considering throwing caution to the wind and getting to know him better. That scared her. Demi was not in the market for any more romantic losses. She felt she had endured enough for a lifetime, but she couldn’t deny there was something about him.

“Demi,” Crissy repeated sternly, with both her palms still facing up, waiting for Demi to accept the gesture.

Demi sighed and grabbed her cousin’s hands. 

“Dems, you are beautiful inside and out. You have the purest, most selfless spirit of anyone I know, and I’m so thankful to have you in my life. You are the gift, Dems. You deserve happiness, and you will have it. I’m not telling you to jump that man’s bones, but I am asking you to be open to whatever it is God has in store for you. Maybe not with that guy, but God does have someone for you. Don’t block your blessings, sis. Accept them with open arms and praise Him for His grace and mercy. I love you more than you know. Goodnight, sister.”

By the time Crissy was done speaking, Demi had tears in her eyes. She loved her cousin and appreciated the role she played in her life more than anything. Her words were soothing, and Demi let them have a space in her mind, hoping she would soon be brave enough to accept them into her heart. She wanted to see herself the way Crissy saw her.

“I love you more, Cris; goodnight.”

Right before Demi shut the door, Crissy said, “I put gas in my portable can for you. It’s on the floor in the back seat.”

Demi stood there with her hand on the door as fresh tears filled her eyes. She had completely forgotten the whole reason she needed a ride to work was she realized she had no gas that morning. She didn’t know what she’d do without her cousin.

Crissy rolled her eyes and smiled. “It’s not even that deep, Dems. Go get some rest.”

Demi wiped a lone tear and closed the door before getting the gas can from the back seat. She waved goodbye to Crissy before walking to her own car, electing to put the gas in her tank before heading inside.

Once she finished, she started toward her apartment, trying to rid herself of all Aason-related thoughts. Knowing the attempts would be in vain, Demi sighed and unlocked the door. You gotta get your life, Demi.

She placed the can at the front door, then hung her bag on the hook right beside it. As she headed to her bedroom, an idea hit her. Just because she couldn’t stop thinking about him didn’t mean she’d have to endure the temptation of being around him a second time. If she wasn’t at work, he wouldn’t have the chance to knock her off her square any more than he already had.

Demi plopped down on her bed and whipped out her phone. She dialed Jaxon, her co-worker who she knew had a crush on her. Surely, he’d take her shift Saturday. It would be a short day anyway.

He picked up almost instantly. “Hey, Demi! What’s up?”

Way too thirsty, she thought. Aloud, she said, “Hey, Jax, um, are you busy Saturday morning? I hate to ask, but an emergency just came up, and I’d really appreciate it if you could cover for me.…”

***

As Aason drove home, his phone rang. He glanced at it and saw his twin brother’s name flash on the screen, so he answered and put it on speaker.

“What?” Aason asked as he merged into traffic, headed for the freeway.

“Dang, Ace. I was just trying to make sure you were good. Did you get a car?” Aaron asked.

“If I didn’t, what would you be able to do about it?” Aason asked, annoyance clear in his voice. His brother drove him to Chase’s but pulled off as soon as Aason hopped out of the car.

Aaron laughed and said, “Dang, you right; my bad. You straight, though?”

I sure am, thanks to the beautiful Demi, Aason thought to himself.

Trying to shake his thoughts of the woman who was consuming them, he responded to his brother. “Yeah, I’m good. Don’t forget we have the meeting with a potential contractor at six thirty. Don't be late, Aaron,” Aason said in a warning tone.

Aaron chuckled and replied, “Aye, you know me.”

“I do—and I meant what I said. Don’t be late,” Aason said before hanging up. He shook his head and sighed heavily. He wanted his brother to take this seriously, but that may have been asking for too much.

When Aaron came to him with the idea of opening a nightclub, Aason was all for it.

  The brothers had had a pretty rough upbringing and basically raised themselves in their younger years. When their mother forgot to feed them, they would go to grocery stores and steal dinner; when she refused to get out of bed to take them to school, they would make the twenty-minute walk themselves.

Once they met Silas, their entire lives changed. Silas was a local barbershop owner, but as the boys got to know him better, it was clear that he did a lot more than cut hair—his money was long. He never had children of his own but took to the boys pretty quickly. He became like a father to them and made sure they never wanted for anything. He put them through school and helped them have a future that would never have been possible otherwise.

Once they finished grad school, they opened an upscale barbershop together. Where Aason just wanted to oversee the business, Aaron wanted to actually have a station at the shop and cut hair.

It had been five years since then, and Aason had created a successful restaurant chain that was only getting bigger. He was also working on other business ventures, but Aaron was still cutting hair. He wanted more for his brother and felt that this nightclub would be the beginning of that.

After ending the call, Aason called the detail shop working on his car to check on their progress. When he was satisfied they were working diligently to install the changes he requested, he hung up just in time to pull into the parking deck of his penthouse.

Once he exited the car and closed its door, his thoughts immediately returned to the woman who rented it to him. Demi was beyond beautiful. He could have easily spent the remainder of his day getting lost in her eyes. Aason wanted to study every inch of her face and body until each of her features was committed to memory.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Legend,” Devon, the concierge, said as Aason stepped into the lobby of his condo.

“What’s up, man?” Aason replied before heading for the elevator. He entered the code that would take him up to his condo, and as the elevator rose, he returned to his daydream.

Aason had experienced plenty of beautiful women in his twenty-nine years, but there was something about this one that wouldn’t leave him. It could have been the fact that she was the first woman he’d ever encountered who didn’t fall all over him—he could sense her attraction to him but she refused to act on it. She did her job and sent him on his way. Maybe what was really getting to him was the fact that they shared the same dimple or the way she stumbled over her words anytime her eyes met his.

Aason had a feeling that she was completely unaware of exactly how breathtaking she was. He wanted to be the one to enlighten her.

He stepped off of the elevator and into his home, immediately going to the bathroom for a shower. It had been a long day already, and it was only beginning. As the hot water sprayed across his body, his thoughts once again drifted to Demi.

Her failed attempts to act disinterested in anything he had to offer made it clear that she was avoiding the possibility of him. Her eyes told him she hadn’t been loved the right way… the way he knew he could love her.

Wait, love?

Aason shook his head. I’m trippin’.

He had never actually been in a monogamous relationship, but here he was, thinking of ways to love a stranger. He wasn’t against relationships; he had just never met a woman who stimulated him beyond the physical, not until today.

Aason stepped out of the shower and wrapped his towel around his tapered waist, resolving to gain Demi’s attention when he returned the rental in four days. For now, he had a meeting to prepare for and needed to focus. He had done research on the contractor and had it on great authority that Wiley Structure was the best in the business; it was imperative he was on his A-game.

***

“The Legends are right this way, Miss Wiley.” Aason glanced at the door as he heard Mariah’s voice. She was the hostess of his restaurant, Legendary, and must have been escorting the contractor into the private dining room.

Miss?

Aason was confused. The website had no pictures of the company owner, but he assumed Bennett Wiley was a man.

When Mariah opened the door, there was indeed a woman beside her. Miss Wiley stepped across the threshold, wearing a smirk. The way her eyes were dancing across every inch of the twins’ bodies was the exact reason Aason preferred doing business with men.

She was beautiful, with an hourglass figure that was currently covered in a red, knee-length Donna Karen dress. She looked more dressed for a night out than a business meeting. Her seductive grin told Aason everything he needed to know. She knew exactly who she was meeting with today and was hoping to leave with a little more than a signed contract.

Aason never mixed business with pleasure and didn’t plan on changing that for this woman. He glanced at his brother, whose bottom lip was tucked under his teeth, as his eyes devoured the woman’s body. Aason knew Aaron was planning how he could get this woman in his bed and made a mental note to talk to him as soon as the meeting ended. He wasn’t going to allow his brother to ruin this deal by bedding the woman in charge of executing it.

“You look confused,” the woman stated boldly, her smirk still intact. “I’m Yolanda Wiley, the top contractor at The Wiley Structure.”

She held her hand out, and Aason stood and shook it firmly. Aaron took her hand and placed a light kiss on the back of it. He maintained his light grip on her dainty hand and bit his bottom lip. “It’s a pleasure to be doing business with you,” he said.

“Likewise,” Yolanda replied curtly. She snatched her hand away from Aaron and placed her eyes back on Aason.

Oh, she’s already picked which one of us she wants. Wrong choice, sweetheart, Aason thought when he realized all the flirting was for his benefit.

“Is your father Bennett Wiley?” Aason asked.

“He is, but I earned my position. I have a long list of references who will vouch for my ability to do my job well,” she said seductively.

“I’ll be sure to check into that,” Aason said, his voice void of emotion. “Let’s get started.” He was officially in business mode.

Yolanda cleared her throat and pulled out her iPad, getting down to business.

***

Two hours and one meal later, Aason was confident in Yolanda’s ability to make their vision for the club come to life. He was also a little more at ease about the fact that a woman was handling their account. She managed to turn off her flirtatious nature long enough to get business done, but now that they were preparing to leave, she had reverted back to pushing up on Aason.

“Do you think you’d be up to discussing the deal further with me tonight… at my condo?” she asked.

Aason stood and pushed his chair under the dining table. “No.”

Yolanda chuckled and scratched her brow. “Are you sure? I promise I’ll—” she started, but Aason cut her off.

“Don’t do it to yourself, Yolanda. This is a big contract for you, and while I am impressed with the details we’ve worked out this evening, I have a long list of satisfactory contractors who are waiting in line to take your place. Your father wouldn’t appreciate losing this deal because you couldn’t control your advances. I’m not interested. Goodnight.” 

Aason glared at her a few seconds longer before walking out of the dining room. Aaron smirked and followed behind his brother. Yolanda was fine, and had she played her cards right, she would have been in his bed that evening, but she made her choice, and now he was over it.

Yolanda stood in the dining room for a second, stunned by Aason’s rejection. She took a moment to shake it off and straighten her dress. After one deep breath, she cleared her throat and walked out of the dining area.

He’s playing hard to get. I’m up for the challenge. With a bright smile, Yolanda left the restaurant just as confidently as she had entered it.

Back in Aason’s office, he stared at his brother, who was typing something on his phone, no doubt lining up his plans for the evening.

“Don’t mess with Yolanda, Air. She’s business,” Aason said sternly. With a smirk, Aaron glanced at his brother before glancing down at his phone again. Once he read Ashley’s message, stating that she would be ready for him when he arrived, he focused on his brother again.

“She was sexy, and I was thinking about it, but she wants you, bruh. I’m not gon’ interfere with that,” Aaron said, laughing midway through his reply. He knew his brother wasn’t interested. Aason couldn’t stand easy women; Aaron loved them.

Aason ignored the sly remark and warned him once again. “Don’t mess with her. I’m out.”

Aason stood, and the two shared a brotherly hug before heading out of the restaurant and going their separate ways. It had been a long day for both of them, and they were ready to unwind in their respective ways.