Tori and Jace: Trapped in his Love

by Na'Cole

Genres: African American Urban

Synopsis

Sex holds the power, while intellect soothes the mind, and Tori uses this fact to her advantage. She is a vicious woman who used her virginity as a weapon when she realized that what she has between her legs is worth more than gold. Nabbing the perfect man after just one night alone with him, she is now set for life.

When she decides that one man is just not enough, Tori indulges in more to seek out what she is missing sexually. Will Tori’s life come full circle for the better, or will temptation cost her everything, including her life?

Jace, a young music producer on the come up, has always been popular. Falling in love was never on his agenda, especially while he made a name for himself in the music industry. However, when the universe brings the right woman into his life, things are bound to turn into something beautiful. Still, nothing in life is perfect, and Jace has to find that out the hard way.

Success and love, can you really have both?


 
 

Release date: June 28, 2022

Publisher: Urban Books

Print pages: 288

Sample

“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the most beautifullest of them all?” Tori said to her reflection as it stared back at her. She stood in her most natural state. Hair curly and wet as it hung down to her shoulders, she stared into the mirror, hoping for a response. When she didn’t receive the affirmation she wished for, she frowned and recited the words again. “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the prettiest of them all?” she said, thinking she would somehow get a response if she used a synonym.

Tori found herself talking to the mirror every single morning. Although she knew her parents loved her, she also knew her looks weren’t worthy. No one in her life ever called her pretty or beautiful—not even lovely. So, she found herself looking for validation from her own reflection.

“Mirror,” Tori said in a sad, almost whiny tone, “you don’t think I’m pretty?”

Tori was no idiot. She was actually very smart, and she knew she controlled her reflection. So, she knew if the mirror wasn’t speaking, then the pretty and beauty just weren’t there. Tori twisted her lips and bit down on her inner cheek. She wanted to cry aloud, but she was used to the disappointment of not being one of the beautiful girls. She placed her ponytail holder onto her curly wet ’fro and took a seat on the toilet lid.

OK, so I’m ugly, she thought to herself. “I mean, I have to be. Mama doesn’t tell me I’m pretty. Papa doesn’t tell me I’m beautiful. The other kids treat me badly, and Jace won’t even look my way.”

It was the start of eighth grade for Tori, and she figured she’d begin to look a little different by this time. To her, she’d always been an ugly duckling. With all the superficial people in L.A., Tori could never feel comfortable in her own skin. She knew she would never be good enough. Still, she felt that she would become like a fine wine with time. Instead, here she was, almost in tears over the way her skin and her facial features looked.

Tori lived in Los Angeles, California, where everything, and everyone, for that matter, seemed to be so shallow. If you weren’t skinny, light-skinned, with straight teeth and pretty hair, you just didn’t belong. She was the opposite. Tori wasn’t your typical L.A. girl, although she was a native. Her skin was highly melanated, and her hair had nappy coils. Her body type was skinny and lanky, making her look awkward. Tori had the perfect set of teeth, and her eyes were the color of amber. She was stunning. She just couldn’t see it. Her eyes hid behind a pair of thick bifocals that made her look overly nerdy. The stereotype of what “pretty” should reflect had impacted Tori’s self-esteem.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Tori Savanna Givens, you are going to be late for school. Hurry up,” Mrs. Givens announced.

Tori cleared her throat and sighed. She had to make sure her pain couldn’t be heard when she responded.

Knock, knock.

“Tori, did you hear me?” her mother asked.

“Yes, Mother. I’ll be right out,” she finally responded.

It was time to get her day and the school year started. There was absolutely no turning back. Tori was determined to get through this school year without any faults. When she finally made it to school, she felt the jitters in her stomach.

“New Year with the same people who treated me like crap,” Tori said as she walked into Hollenbeck Middle School.

The only thing that had Tori excited and smiling on the inside was seeing Jace, the boy she had the biggest crush on. She couldn’t help but watch him and follow his every move. Tori was only 13 years old, but her 13-year-old vagina tingled every time she saw him. Only having the opportunity to be in Jace’s personal space back in the sixth grade because he was failing math, Tori longed for the opportunity to present itself again. She remembered walking past her math class and hearing Jace tell their teacher, Mrs. Redd, that he didn’t understand division and fractions.

“So, what’s going on, Mr. Doss? You are really falling behind in math. Are you studying, or are you just looking online for the answers?” Mrs. Redd asked, not letting Jace get a word out. She knew his type so well. The popular boy in school who feels he can get through life without any real skills besides making silly young girls do his grunt work. “Are you making these little girls do your homework for you?”

“No, Mrs. Redd. I’ve been studying. My parents don’t play. I just don’t understand the work,” Jace said as Tori moved closer to the classroom door.

“Well, to pass the sixth grade, you absolutely must pass math. There is no way around it.”

“I know, and that’s why I came to you, to see if there is anything you can do . . . or any makeup work I can do. My mother is going to murder me if I fail.”

“I don’t know, Jace. You don’t seem serious about school, and I don’t have time to help a student who is only throwing himself at my mercy for sympathy. Regardless of whether you pass, I will still get paid,” Mrs. Redd said, looking at Jace as his head suddenly hung low.

Tori silently peeped her head into the classroom and saw the hard time Mrs. Redd was giving Jace. At that moment, Tori decided she was going to help him. The following day, she mustered up all the courage she could to approach Jace during lunch. Tori was a little bit on the shy side, so, of course, she had to prep herself for this big event. Then, after the prepping, she had to pep talk herself all the way over to his table.

“Hi, Jace,” Tori said as she approached him and his crew at their lunch table.

“Hey, what’s up?” Jace said shortly. He briefly looked up at Tori before turning his attention back to his conversation, quickly dismissing her.

Tori knew he wasn’t talking about anything serious. She heard him mention something about one of her fast classmates who apparently let him finger her the night before, so she decided to continue with her proposition.

“Umm, Jace,” she said nervously while fixing her glasses and tucking imaginary hair behind her left ear, “I realize you’ve been struggling with the math lesson.” Jace’s head snapped in her direction. He looked up at her, into her eyes, and instantly, her glasses fogged up. She was so hot and afraid. Her body began to drip with sweat. She couldn’t believe she was actually approaching Jace, and he was looking into her eyes.

“Nah, baby girl, wrong person,” he stunted. Tori’s eyebrows furrowed. This wasn’t the same Jace that sat in Mrs. Redd’s class not even twenty-four hours ago in tears over his grade.

“Well, if you need help, I will tutor you—”

“No need. I’m good on the tutoring, but thank you for offering,” he said.

Tori walked away. She knew he needed her, and in due time, she knew he would be taking her up on her offer.

“Aye,” Jace yelled across the room as he ran up to her. “What’s your name?” he asked as he smiled and reached out his hand.

“Tori,” she said shyly. She took his hand into her sweaty palm and shook it.

“All right, Tori, let’s meet up and get this tutoring going.”

Tori agreed. She was happy she didn’t let her shyness get the best of her. She would’ve for sure missed this opportunity. She had to step up and volunteer her services. Tori couldn’t see Jace fail. She needed to be able to secretly stare at him in every class they occupied together. However, after being tutored by Tori in the sixth grade, Jace hadn’t uttered a word to her. Still, she lusted over him, drooling whenever she saw him. In her mind, Jace was a god. Tori wished she had a friend or friends to confide in about her feelings.

Jace was always the man. Even in kindergarten, the swagger he possessed just dripped from his entire being. Tori needed him in her life. He would be the person to expose her to the finer things.

Tori walked down the hallway thinking about the so-called good old days. That was then. As she snapped back into reality, she realized this was now, and her life hadn’t changed.

“Blackie, black, black,” Tori heard a girl yell out as she made her way through the halls, attempting to get to her sanctuary, the place where she found the most solace . . . the girl’s bathroom in the very last stall. Tori decided she wouldn’t respond. Instead, she kept her head down and walked as quickly as possible.

“Look at her little scary self. Nappy head, scrubbing pad head,” another girl spat.

Tori ran in the direction of the girl’s bathroom, almost in tears. One would think she’d be used to this by now, but being teased in school still hurt her feelings. As soon as she rounded the corner, she bumped right into Jace. To Tori, he was so gorgeous, a beautiful boy. She knew that he would grow into a beautiful man within the next couple of years.

“Sorry,” Tori said with tears pouring down her face.

“It’s cool,” Jace said. “Aye, are you OK?” he asked, but Tori kept it moving.

She couldn’t face him. She didn’t know how, especially in her current state. Snotty nose, red eyes, and ashamed to be who she was. Hell no, she wasn’t OK, but she wasn’t about to give Jace this part of her. The part that made her feel like a basket case. The days she tutored him, she always tried to look her best, but he never really acknowledged or paid attention to her. She did her best to look pretty for him, considering they were only 11-year-old sixth-graders at the time. Tori did whatever she could to catch this boy’s attention. They’d spent an hour together, Monday through Thursday, for two months straight. Tori gave Jace lessons in math, and Jace unknowingly gave Tori wet dreams. How could she cry in front of him?

Every day, Tori made sure her ponytail was nice and neat. She made sure her glasses lenses sparkled, her clothes were OK, and her smarts were on full display. Confidence was key, and right there, at that moment, all confidence was gone with the wind. She ran into the bathroom over to her favorite stall. Tori slammed the door behind her and cried her pretty little eyes out.

“Mirror, mirror, on the wall—fuck you.”

After that day, Tori begged her parents to transfer her to a different school. She let them in on her being bullied for years. Her parents wanted to speak with school officials to get an understanding. However, they knew that wouldn’t do anything to better things for her. So, they transferred her, and that was the last time Tori had any type of interaction with Jace for years to come.

Tori had always been a go-getter in every sense of the word. Growing up in an African and American household, she was raised to always exceed in everything she set out to do in life. Her parents, Mr. Larry Givens, a California native, and Omeiha Jahja Givens, a South African immigrant, had always displayed to their daughter what hard work and dedication consisted of. They made sure she understood the great payoff her life could receive if she stayed focused.

Tori’s parents worked seven days a week, owning an independent, successful cleaning service. Their money was long, but they were only willing to give Tori the minimum necessities. They lived by the Bible and didn’t believe in spoiling their child. “Spare the rod, spoil the child” was an everyday motto in their home.

She grew up amongst the middle class, but her parents never gave her the illusion that life and material things would be handed to her. With her mother living in a small town in South Africa most of her life, then later immigrating to the States in her teenage years, she never allowed Tori to slack on her studies. Education was not a privilege for her mother, and money wasn’t always available. Because of that, Tori always had to work for whatever she wanted outside of what Mr. and Mrs. Givens gave her. As an only child to two rightfully strict parents, Tori went through life submissive and respectful. She knew neither parent would hesitate to punish her severely. Graduating elementary and high school as an A-average student had Tori right on track with everything her parents demanded of her.

Everything her parents envisioned her to do growing up, Tori tried her best to fulfill their every wish. Nonetheless, she had a few internal demons she battled alone daily. By the age of 11, Tori grew curious about sex when she had her first wet dream. The feeling was something different. It made her feel good. The unbelievable rush of an orgasm made her want more. However, the wet dreams weren’t happening as often as she would’ve liked. Soon after, Tori began exploring her own body by masturbating. Whatever she could get her hands on to insert within her walls, she used them.

She was ready for sex early, but she was too shy to approach the boys. The only boy she had ever approached was for tutoring purposes only.

Her looks did not add up when it came to getting a boyfriend. She couldn’t compete with the light-skinned, slim, good-hair students that occupied her grade school and high school. But for Tori, looks weren’t everything. School was her number one priority, Monday through Friday. Math, English, and science were why she’d never missed a day from school. Tori was weird in that way. Fashion and popularity weren’t number one on her list. Most kids hated school, and their favorite pastime was gym, lunch, and recess. However, those three periods were the worst for her. During those times of the day, Tori would be pushed, kicked, tripped, and talked about so badly. The other students couldn’t understand why she was so different. Her dark skin made her an easy target, and instead of Tori defending herself, she would exchange the emotional pain for physical pain.

She never thought what she was doing to herself was something bad. Whenever she pleased herself, it always seemed to relax her, relieving her daily tension. Tori didn’t realize she was setting herself up for failure with a soon-to-be addiction that she wouldn’t be able to control.

By the time she turned 14 years old, she had met her best friend, Amelie. She was someone Tori was able to confide in. Finally, someone to tell all her deepest, darkest secrets to.

The sun settled suddenly, and Tori found herself in a daze, reminiscing about the day she reconnected with her fiancé, Jace. Her life back then was typical. She followed a strict routine and made sure her last days at UCLA went by without any distractions. Months before that day, she found herself having plenty of wet dreams about him. In college, she vowed to stay on top of her shit and not give in to the many temptations she knew would be somewhere lurking.

Tori decided she would be like Ray Charles, blind to all the bullshit. She threw herself deeply into her studies, not allowing any man in. Tori focused on walking out of UCLA as a woman with self-control on her résumé. But when she saw her future man, Jace, walking around campus, all that self-control shit became null and void. She knew she had to have him. Tori knew God hadn’t put them in the same atmosphere for nothing.

She hadn’t seen him since leaving her middle school back in the eighth grade, and it was no shock to her that he looked even sexier seven years later. He was more than a woman could ask for. Jace had it all, and it showed. He was a good-looking man with swag and money. And with him being a college student, Tori knew soon enough he would have a degree under his belt as well.

Tori had managed to save herself for so many years. She had no idea what a man felt like, but seeing Jace made her entire yoni water for some reason. Tori was determined to give it all to him. However, this time, she wasn’t bold enough to approach him. He was still the man. He was still popular, and all the women on campus were like a permanent fixture on his arms. Everyone knew Jace was destined to be something great, including Tori—especially since he had a brand-new hot song out that repeatedly played on the school’s radio station.

From the day she saw him again, Tori envisioned herself being a part of Jace’s team one day soon. And on this day in particular, during her last year at UCLA, she was given that opportunity.

It was a typical day on campus. Tori sat Indian style in the grass while studying for her math test, trying her best to focus and not seem as thirsty as the other women. Looking up from her book, she spotted Jace walking, accompanied by a few groupies. Squinting her eyes with an exasperated expression on her face, Tori just stared, wishing she was the girl on his arm. It was as if they were staring at each other as Jace walked in her direction.

Shit, I think he sees me staring, Tori thought to herself. Tori, blink. Stop staring at him, she urged herself. Taking in a deep breath, she hurriedly rolled her eyes down toward her book. After seeing a smile creep onto Jace’s face, she knew she was busted. Jace and the two women were on the verge of walking past her when suddenly, he stopped walking in midstride, looked down at Tori, and nodded his head coolly. He smiled. He spoke to her without words, and Tori found his arrogance intoxicating. Now standing at six feet and three inches tall with a toffee complexion, toffee-colored eyes, a short Caesar haircut, and an athletic build, Jace was the sexiest man walking this earth in Tori’s eyes. His “spruceness” was something she wanted to get next to, but she was afraid she would be rejected.

“Hi,” she said shyly. She instantly felt her nipples poking out and peeking through her shirt. Her body became hot. Her nerves were getting the best of her. She couldn’t believe she’d just spoken to Jace. Looking back down into her advanced calculus book, she smiled, beating herself up on the inside.

Hi? That’s all you had to say was hi? Huuuhh? Tori Givens, you get on my nerves with all that shy shit. You keep that shit up, and he will realize who the hell you are. You must be trying to scare this man away. You’ve been praying for this day, and the only thing you could think to say was hi? Tori placed her pencil into her mouth and tapped softly on her bottom front teeth. It was a habit of hers whenever she became nervous or uncomfortable. She had to find something to occupy her thoughts.

She just knew that one day soon, she would belong to him. She would take over his body and expose him to the life of a woman with nympho tendencies. Never would she press because she knew what her parents expected of her. They wanted her to complete college first before jumping into a relationship. However, they had no idea of her sexual urges. In all honesty, Tori could’ve taken or left the relationship. She didn’t mind maybe one day falling in love, but at that moment, the only thing on her mind was hot, steamy sex.

Jace stared at Tori. Her shyness was noticeable. He chuckled and mocked her.

“Hi,” he said, smirking.

He excused himself from the beautiful women that clung to him and walked closer to Tori. She almost fainted. She couldn’t believe this man . . . a man from her past . . . This man, the man she’d watched for months now, was standing right in front of her, preparing himself to engage in a conversation with her.

I guess I’m one of the pretty ones now, Tori thought, smirking inwardly. Jace knelt to her level while balancing on his toes. He took her hand into his and kissed it.

“Chocolate is my favorite thing to devour on a nice day,” he said smugly. He left nothing to the imagination, and it took everything in Tori not to blush. “What’s your name?” he asked.

“Ummm . . .” Her words were caught in her throat. Jace had her choked up. The difference several years made. Tori l. . .