8. A Craving That Starts as a Spark
CHAPTER EIGHT
A CRAVING THAT STARTS AS A SPARK
“ I ’m going on a date with Trevor Porter.
Nothing to freak out about… Bitch, you’re going on a date with Trevor Porter!
?” Aniyah was sure she had gone crazy because here she was, talking to herself in front of the mirror as if it would help calm her nerves.
How did they even end up here? She had no idea.
If you would have told her months ago after she laid eyes on him for the first time in years that she would end up not only kissing him but going on a date as well?
She would have laughed and slammed the door in your face.
But here she was looking carefully over the outfit she had on, once ag ain.
Aniyah stood in front of the mirror longer than she cared to admit.
The soft yellow light from the bathroom fixture caught the edges of her wand curls as she adjusted them for the third time, pulling a few loose strands forward before letting them fall again.
Her reflection stared back at her with the same skeptical expression she had been wearing for the last fifteen minutes. This was a date.
A real one.
The kind where a man actually picked you up and took you somewhere instead of sending a vague text asking if you were “free tonight” with no follow through.
She stepped back from the mirror and smoothed her hands over the front of her dress.
The sweater knit was thick enough for the cold but soft against her skin, a deep cinnamon brown that hugged her curves before falling just above her knees.
The fabric was thick enough to hide her puckered scars.
Even though she wouldn’t have given a damn if they did show.
Over it she wore a cream wool coat that cinched neatly at the waist, the belt tied into a careful knot she had retied at least five times already.
Her boots were black leather, sleek and tall enough to reach the curve of her knees.
Warm.
Simple.
Intentional.
Definitely not trying to impress that man (this was a lie).
Aniyah grabbed the gold hoops from the edge of the sink and slipped them into her ears. If she kept fretting she would talk herself out of this date entirely.
“You are doing entirely too much,” she muttered under her breath, forcing herself to leave the bathroom .
Aniyah walked into the living room and paused by the window, watching the dark waves roll toward shore.
The lights from the boardwalk lamps scattered faint gold across the sand.
It was actually a gorgeous day outside, one that was perfect for a date.
Yes, it was still cold but the sun was shining bright.
The kind of brightness that seeps into your pores and cheers you up, which is exactly what she needed.
She looked at her watch. It was 1:25pm which meant Trevor would be to her within the next five minutes.
Her stomach tightened again. It didn’t make any sense how badly she wanted this man.
The thought had been sitting in the back of her mind all week, showing up in the quiet moments between lesson planning and rehearsals for the Christmas play.
Every time Zara mentioned her dad, every time she saw him at school drop-off, the memory of him asking her out had returned like a small pulse beneath her skin.
Replaying on a loop, the soft kiss he gave her.
The look of admiration in the dark pools of his eyes, the-
“Okay Aniyah, it’s Trevor, not Michael B.
Jordan. Get it toget—” The sound of her doorbell cut off her thoughts.
How did he get past the concierge?! She began to walk nervously towards the door and then remembered Megan Thee Stallion would not approve, so she held her head high, squared her shoulders and walked the rest of the way like the Goddess she was.
She looked through the peep hole and saw Trevor standing in her hallway holding a very audacious bouquet of lilies and roses. A slow smile spread across her face.
He wore a dark charcoal overcoat that fell nearly to his knees, the wool heavy and structured across his broad shoulders.
Beneath it she caught a glimpse of a black turtleneck and dark denim that fit him comfortably without looking careless.
His beard was trimmed neatly, the shadow along his jaw catching the light from the hallway.
She carefully opened the door and Trevor’s eyes met hers immediately before taking the rest of her body in.
The smile that followed was slow and genuine.
“Well damn,” he said quietly. Aniyah blinked.
“What.”
“You look…” He paused, studying her for a moment before finishing the sentence. “You look good, damn good..” There t was again, that rush of heat. How was she supposed to make it around this man when the simplest things he did drove her crazy? This could not be normal.
“You clean up nice yourself. Are these for me?” She said referencing the flowers in his hand.
“Oh! Yes. I saw them and their beauty and instantly thought of you.” He handed the vase over. Aniyah couldn’t lie, the bouquet was gorgeous, and heavy.
“Come in while I place them. Thank you so much, Trevor, these are gorgeous.”
“Just like you,” he responded smoothly before closing the door behind him. He turned to take in her place and let out a low whistle.
“This place is gorgeous. I can tell you took your time with it,” he said while walking over to the window and observing the ocean.
“This has to be beautiful during storms.” He said.
Aniyah turned in her kitchen to look at him in her space.
There were certain people that entered a room and threw off the energy with their aura.
That wasn’t Trevor though. He seemed to add to the calmness in her space, briefly wondering what it would be like to have him over more often.
She deaded that thought as quickly as it came because this was only a first date. No need to rush.
“Yeah, when I first did the walk through, I knew I had to buy it. I’m a woman that craves sunlight. This gave me that and the space always feels like a warm hug when I walk inside. What I desperately need after-” She cut herself off before she talked about her family.
“Hey,” Trevor started while walking towards her in the kitchen, “whatever just made that dark cloud settle over your face, I want you to forget it today, aight? We have some fun stuff planned and my goal is to ensure that a smile stays on your face.”
How was a girl supposed to keep her sense when a fine ass man was talking like this? Aniyah thought to herself.
“Okay,” She responded simply looking up at Trevor.
He nodded and then hooked his arm around her waist bringing her body flush against his, where she could feel every plane of muscle he had.
His mouth connected with hers with every bit of heat she was feeling.
It didn’t take long for it to deepen, their tongues colliding in a feverish exchange.
Aniyah couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment she ended up on her counter with her legs wrapped around Trevor’s waist and his hands gripping her ass tightly pulling her closer to him. All she knew is, she didn’t want it to stop. Reluctantly, Trevor pulled away.
“Damn girl…if we don’t leave now, we won’t be.” His voice grumbled out heavily with desire. “I just had to get that out of the way because I felt like we both needed it.” With that he placed a quick kiss on her lips headed out the kitchen towards the front door.
“You ready?” He asked, pulling open the door.
Aniyah put on her coat and grabbed her mini Coach purse. “I think so.”
Trevor watched her lock up and then grabbed her hand to hold as they walked out her building. Aniyah was absolutely buzzing. The two of them walked down the short path toward the street together, their footsteps echoing faintly against the quiet winter pavement.
Trevor reached into his coat pocket and pressed a button on his key fob. A pair of headlights flashed to life and Aniyah stopped walking almost immediately. Her eyes moved from the sleek black SUV parked at the curb to Trevor, then back again.
“Trevor.”
He glanced down at her, already knowing from her tone that she had something to say. “Yeah?”
She pointed toward the truck. “That’s your car?”
Trevor followed her gaze and gave a light shrug like it wasn’t anything special, which only made her look at him harder. “It’s just a car.”
Aniyah let out a short laugh. “That is not just a car. And this is not the Jeep you drive to school everyday. ”
Of course, this man drove an Aston Martin.
Of course he did. She didn’t know why she was surprised.
Trevor Porter looked like money without trying to.
Not in a flashy, look-at-me kind of way.
More like the kind of man who had grown into himself so fully that nice things just settled around him naturally.
It was annoying. And attractive. Extremely attractive.
Trevor stepped ahead of her and opened the passenger door. “It’s good to know that you pay attention to me,” He chuckled. “I don’t bring this baby out unless it’s important…It gets us where we need to go.”
Aniyah narrowed her eyes at him, but she climbed in anyway, carefully gathering her coat beneath her as she settled into the seat.
Warmth greeted her almost instantly, the heated leather seeping through the layers of her dress and coat, and she had to stop herself from making a sound.
The inside of the truck smelled expensive too, cedar and leather and something clean that felt distinctly him.
Trevor closed her door gently before walking around the front, and Aniyah found herself watching him through the windshield like she didn’t have any home training.
There was something about the way he moved.
Nothing rushed. Nothing forced. Just easy, sure steps like he belonged wherever he stood.
Like he had already decided this night was going to go well and the rest of the world needed to catch up.