Chapter 13: Twelve

Where are we going?" Legend asked, tapping her fingers against the armrest in tune to the horrible pop song she'd chosen on the radio.

"You've asked that only about nine times since the last minute, sweetheart."

"I wonder why. Oh, that's right. Because my question's gone unanswered every. Damn. Time." She shot him a dirty look.

"Wow, so much negative energy in here. I think we might need uncontaminated oxygen. This one reeks of hostility." He gagged dramatically as he stole a glance at her.

She wasn't laughing.

"I've been thinking about shaving your brows off. Don't make me do it." She announced ominously.

"‘Stop being an idiot.' Got it." He nodded frantically, already thinking about how he'd would sleep with a lock the size of his fist on the door.

Honestly, he didn't know where they were going. It was also a surprise to him, wherever the wind took them and all that, but he'd never tell Legend that. Wouldn't want to give her a reason to assault his precious face.

After driving around for an hour—and getting death glares from his Cara-Delevingne-sized passenger—he stopped in front of a building that proudly proclaimed 'Jenna's Amusement Place.'

Legend looked equal parts scandalized and equal parts scared.

"No way."

"Come on, buttercup," he needled. "It looks fun."

"Raph, I'm not even dressed properly." She gestured down to her big Batman shirt and cut-offs that showed off those killer legs. Raph was willing to burn the rest of the clothing she had, Shakira skirts included, just to see her in those shorts. She might whack him repeatedly in the noggin with a bat, but he would die a happy man.

"You look fine." More than fine, actually. This woman was setting him on fire just by existing.

She nibbled on her lower lip, a dubious expression on her face. Raph knew that face.

"Whatever you're planning, don't." He warned her.

She deflated, huffing out a breath. "I was thinking of running inside the building and crying kidnapper. But then I'd have to visit you in prison."

Pure evil. That was what she was. Shaking his head, Raph parked his car in one of the few parking lots that was unoccupied then got out.

He didn't miss the way Legend ran a finger over the hood of his car as she walked towards The Amusement place. She loved the Beamer so much and he considered getting her one for her birthday. What's the point of being an almost billionaire if you don't get to spend money on your unrequited love?

He held the glass doors open for Legend and followed her in.

"What is this place?" She asked in wonder. Raph had no idea. The inside of the building was painted a deep pink, and there were many booths and cubicles, each proudly displaying banners that were nice—Combo Wonderland—to questionable—Create Your Own Princess. Aaaand, of course, Legend was attracted to that cubicle first. She so loved tormenting him.

"C'mon, c'mon, let's go!" she said, capturing his hand and pulling.

"Um, darling, I think we need to get tickets or something." He nodded towards the woman behind a booth that said Tickets waving frantically at them.

"Well, why didn't you say so? " Still maintaining her death grip on his arm, she pulled him to the woman who looked like she had come in a box from the Cheerful Factory.

Who was currently leaning too close to them. Raph had concerns that she was gonna topple over like Humpty Dumpty.

And judging from Legend's pout, she wouldn't help him try to put her back together again.

"Hi, Welcome to Jenna's amusement place. I'm Tilly." She said to Raph, flashing him a tooth grin.

"We want tickets." Legend replied curtly, looking at him like he was the one charming poor Tilly or something. Well, he probably was and for a guy who hadn't had much female attention in the past few years, it did things for his ego.

"Oh, yes. A roll is two dollars." She was still looking over at him, fluttering her lashes and twirling her blonde ponytail round a finger.

As Raph reached behind to get his wallet, Legend remarked sweetly, "Sweetie, don't forget to go take your meds for the genital warts from the doc."

Tilly moved back so fast if this were a cartoon strip, there'd be lines showing the speed of that movement. He glared at Legend.

"What?" She enquired so sweetly but Raph could hear the mischief-filled undertone.

He sighed, handing the money to Tilly, who took it with the tippity-tip of her fingers and a wrinkled nose.

Raph was surprised she didn't douse the notes in sanitizer or herself for that matter.

"Thank you for that, Legend." He said sarcastically as they walked away with their tickets. "I can just see the headlines: Billionaire has nasty STD; the price of tomatoes rises."

She smiled up at him. "You'd make a really good headlines producer man."

And just like that, his anger disappeared. He had to admit, it had been really funny.

Or maybe, he just couldn't stay mad at Legend for long.

Pussy.

I am not!

He was seriously not arguing with himself in the middle of a building packed with millions of people.

And yet, there he was. Legend was seriously fucking with his mind, and he loved it.

"Hi. Welcome to make your Princess. I'm Millie." A blue haired, pierced woman smiled welcomingly at them.

Really? Tilly now Millie? What was next? Phillie?

"So, who's playing?" She asked as Legend tore off a ticket and handed it to her.

"Him." Legend answered promptly and rolled her eyes when he protested vehemently.

"Don't be such a wuss. I wanna check if it's safe. You're like a lab rat so shush and just do it." She ordered in a don't-argue-with-me tone that was especially synonymous to mothers.

First of all, what could be so dangerous about a stupid game in a stupid place?

Also, it was nice to know Legend had no value for his image and life.

Millie smiled encouragingly at him and unless he was down to creating a scene by seating on the floor and throwing a tantrum, he was gonna have to play ‘Make your fucking princess.'

Great.

"Fine."

Legend squealed and Millie presented him with a wheel that had six random numbers in six colors on it

"Okay, folks, you spin the wheel and any number it falls on, you get asked questions from a box bearing the same number." She produced boxes with the same numbers as those on the wheel and Raph began to wonder what else she had in that little booth of hers. A tractor, maybe.

Legend was beside herself with excitement. "What are we waiting for? Spin it, baby!" She whooped, clapping him on the back. When he gave her an irritated look, an innocent smile was her answer. It was that smile that had him playing a five-year-old's game in the first place, so he looked away and spun the wheel.

Hopefully, this would be over faster than he expected.

***

"I am so full! Oh, is that pepperoni-flavored cotton candy?! We have to try some!"

Legend was definitely on a sugar high, and it was adorable to watch her practically bounce of the walls of Jenna's. After a trying time at Millie's stand, where he'd been asked ridiculous questions—how did the color of his favorite briefs affect his princess persona?—he'd been named Raphaela, a gentle soul who loved her family more than anything in the world, liked reading near waterfalls while hummingbirds sang to her—whatever the fuck that meant—and was a strong believer in Prince Charming. Legend, however, was spicey because of course, she got to choose her own princess name, a crime-fighting hero who liked to listen to K-pop in her spare time. Raph wanted his money back.

They were currently at the food stand after they had gotten their faces painted and had played dance video games—She had whupped his ass, of course. Legend was trying any weird combo she could get her hands on and Raph prayed they wouldn't make a reappearance in his car while they were heading home.

Currently munching on something called banana yoghurt cheesy surprise, she squealed when she saw a bouncing castle.

Raph cringed. "Jesus, Legend, try to keep it down." He muttered, his ears going deaf for a minute.

"We have to try that! We have to! If we don't, I'll die and return to walk this earth as a unicorn!"

"Wow," he wouldn't bother trying to decipher such gibberish. "Small problem, sweetheart. It's for kids." He pointed out.

"Says who?" She replied indignantly.

He pointed to a sign that said 'kids only.'

"Oh." With that one word, she deflated like a punctured bouncing castle, her eyes doing that ridiculously heartbreaking thing they did when she got sad.

"Hey," he gripped her chin and forced her to look at him. She had a little bit of cotton candy on her lower lip, and he wanted to lick it off. "You want a bouncing castle? I'll buy you a company that makes them, kay? I—"

Love you. "—want you to wipe that look of your face" sounded better and wouldn't earn him a kick to the groin.

She smiled, the whiskers and cat nose she'd gotten painted on her face 'because they're cute and sexy' stretching and looking even cuter.

"You're silly." She informed him before she reached up to tweak his nose, then pat his chin.

Raph caught that hand and placed a hot kiss to the inside of her wrist, all the while maintaining eye contact with the sexiest woman in the world.

Legend gasped. Then she blushed. Then she bit her lip where the damn cotton candy was still present.

"You have something on your lip." Her tongue, pink and moist, darted out to lick it off.

Raph closed his eyes, willing himself to remain calm and not drag her off to go ravish her.

"Raph?"

It was one word, said in a breathy tone, voice slightly hitched.

One word was all it took for Raph to say 'fuck it.'

He opened his eyes and naturally, the first thing he saw was those ice-blue eyes that had darkened with heat, that belonged to the woman he loved.

A woman he stopped resisting.

"Hey, where are we going? We still have a bunch of tickets!" She protested while he dragged her out of Jenna's, away from the curious eyes that had been staring at them.

"You're acting like a jerk right now."

They were at the deserted parking lot. Raph drew her in close, gripping her waist like he'd done the night before, before leaning in to kiss her neck.

She immediately turned to goo. He felt a fierce sense of triumph at the fact that she wanted him too.

"Raph, what are you doing?" She gasped as he placed an open-mouthed kiss to where her neck and shoulders were connected. She liked that. A lot.

He could tell from her heavy eyelids.

"I'm trying to run around buck naked with a sign that says 'Scratch my bum' on my back. What does it look like I'm doing? I'm trying to seduce you in this parking lot."

She stiffened at that then arched her neck so she could look at him.

"I think that's very improper" was properly her nice way of saying ‘I told you, I'm not gonna fuck you.'

Raph chuckled as he tried to lighten the mood that had gone pretty serious because for once, Legend was actually thinking something through.

"And just yesterday, you accused me of talking like Brummell."

"He was a pompous ass." She sniffed, not unlike a proper English lady.

"Legend," Raph was still holding unto her waist, still looking into those orbs. She was tall enough at five foot eight, so she fit him perfectly.

"I know what you said, that you weren't ready for a relationship." She opened her mouth to interrupt, but he hushed her.

"Hear me out. You don't want a relationship and I understand that. Maybe, we could be friends with benefits."

She looked cautious as she enquired, "What does that entail in particular?"

"I want you, bad." So fucking bad. "And I know you want me, too. So, during the night, I give you hard, fast fucking and in the daytime, we'll be Raphy and Legey."

Raph had been burned before, but he hadn't really loved those women. Now that he'd discovered what true love was, he wanted all of it, but he didn't want to scare her off, so he'd take what she could give, even if it was only a small piece of her.

"I don't know, Raph. Lines could get blurred." She wanted to say yes, but he could see the threat of being hurt holding her back, an invisible leash.

"How about I kiss you and if you still think this won't work, I'll let you go? "

He didn't wait for her to acquiesce, leaning in slightly, giving her a chance to move away. She didn't.

And when their lips touched, God, the world exploded.

He'd always thought kissing Legend would be remarkable, even from the days he had only felt the slightest attraction towards her but that had nothing on the real deal.

Her lips were soft, plush. He traced its seam with his before slipping into the warmth of her mouth.

If he thought her lips were awesome, her tongue needed to be a UN natural treasure. She was not shy and met his tongue with hers, dueling and clashing and doing a slow dance that made him hard within his jeans. She tasted like summer, cotton candy and a bit of innocence.

It was the innocence that drove him fucking crazy as he hurled her tighter and kissed her brutally, trapping her jaw in one hand, allowing him to control the kiss. She whimpered at his abject domination of her mouth, and he growled back, wishing they were in a more private place so he could put his mouth on her pussy and drive her crazy like she'd done him.

"Look, look, did you ever kiss me like that?!"

"They're probably married, Joan."

"Well, I wasn't the one who threw the wedding brochures in the trash ‘accidentally'!"

Legend looked like a traffic light when it was at stop as she jumped a continent away from him.

The couple that had been arguing just a few feet apart were now studying them, the woman with a long, dreamy sigh and the guy with a miffed expression.

Raph smiled back at him.

"Oh, you two are so cute! I wish Toby could be like you, Mister. All he does is talk about his job and flirt with women! This is the first time he's taken me out in months and the first chance he gets, he's all but humping that slut at the ticket's booth!" She gave Toby the eye.

Raph had to hide his snort. At least Joan and Legend agreed on something.

"Don't ever call me again!" She stomped off and Toby followed with the expected, "Baby, let's talk this through," but not before glaring at them, a silent thanks for giving his girlfriend something to measure his mediocrity with.

He looked over at Legend and found her grinning impishly at him.

"Why do I have a feeling that that guy's gonna hate us for life?" She giggled.

"For life? That's way too little. Even two lifetimes shall not suffice. He shall guard his hatred for us close to his bosom, even when he is thrown into Bad Boyfriend Hell." He deepened his tone, sounding like someone from Game of Thrones or these silly TV dramas she liked to watch.

Legend laughed again. She looked radiant with flushed cheeks and swollen lips.

He wanted to taste her again, but he wasn't sure he'd be able to stop. Translation: it would be totally embarrassing to call Suzie to bail him from jail.

First things first, get her to a bed.