Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Jerricka's heart decided not to thump its way out of her chest. Instead, it settled between the apex of her thighs when Thiago entwined his long, thick fingers with hers. Everything about the man was larger than life. He wasn't ostentatious, but his presence was enormous. From the way he carried himself, he either had no idea, or he didn't care.

Confidence added to his appeal, but his obliviousness to the rest gave her the biggest clue as to what he deemed important. The pads of his fingers and parts of his palm bore the evidence of him working with his hands. His dating profile stated he was in the construction business.

He'd confirmed it during their conversation, but said he wasn't as involved on the work sites anymore. The light callouses indicated he didn't spend all of his time handling the business end of things. Those roughened patches had her imagination running wild with ideas of how they'd feel on other parts of her body.

"Since you drove, we have a couple of options. We can drop your car off, or you can follow me to the restaurant, and I'll trail you home after."

Lifting an eyebrow, Jerricka stared up at him. "Why would you need to follow me home?"

"To make sure you get there safely." Thiago returned her raised eyebrow with one of his own. "I wasn't making assumptions about how the night would end. I want to be certain you get home safely. Not being able to drive you myself, following is the next best option."

Jerricka had been absolutely right with her assessment when she'd first seen his handsome face in person. She was in trouble.

"Oh. Okay. Well, for now, why don't I just follow you to the restaurant? You can send me the address so that I can plug it into my navigation system as well."

"Sounds like a plan."

Jerricka felt mildly bereft when he released her hand to retrieve his phone to send her the information. Only the panty-wetting smile he shot her appeased her somewhat. In a ridiculously short amount of time, she'd grown accustomed to his touch to the point she craved it.

Once he was done supplying the information, he clasped her hand in his again, and they resumed the trek to their vehicles. When he came to a stop in front of her SUV, she glanced up at him.

"How did you know this was mine?"

"The parking spaces are assigned. I have two. The only time this space is occupied is when I allow someone else to park here."

His hand transitioned to her lower back and Jerricka's knees nearly buckled. It was a good thing she only had to put her hand on the handle to unlock the doors, because there's no way she would've remembered where to find her key. Thiago was apparently a full-service torture date. His hand on her back only moved to assist her into the vehicle.

There was a moment of hesitation before he closed the door as he stood there regarding her with an expression she couldn't quite read. After a few seconds, he instructed her to buckle her seat belt. The gruff timbre increased the thudding of the heartbeat in her pussy, causing Jerricka to press her thighs together.

Only after the click of completion filled the cabin did Thiago close the door. Tapping the roof of the car twice, he rounded the front of his large pickup and climbed inside. His vehicle roared to life almost immediately, prompting Jerricka to press her ignition button as well.

As she trailed Thiago to the restaurant, her fingers itched to call someone to talk her out of what her body was campaigning for her to do. BBDA wasn't a hook up service. While it was true that people signed up for an experience, it wasn't the place for itch scratching. Reminding herself of those facts did absolutely nothing to stop her imagination from running wild with the possibilities of what Thiago could do with those muscles of his.

When Nia first brought up BBDA and having the book boyfriend experience, Jerricka didn't have high hopes. She loved reading about over-the-top heroes doing whatever for their women, but those men didn't exist in real life. Besides, she gravitated toward men who were rougher around the edges. Not uncouth, but men who had a low threshold for bullshit.

She dealt with posturing and pretending enough. Also, just like she'd joked to her friends—she liked men who could lift heavy things. Namely, her. Thiago was checking all of her boxes. And while that should probably scare her shitless, all it did was make her want to climb into his lap and ride him into oblivion.

"Can I ask you a question?" Thiago leaned his forearm on the thick, varnished wood of the rough-cut tabletop. The nearly bare appetizer platter they'd shared was shoved to the side along with their equally empty plates. The only thing they hadn't finished was their beverages.

Matching his posture, Jerricka nodded. "Shoot."

"What made you sign up? I know it's probably something I shouldn't ask, but I need to know who I have to thank for the gift of getting to spend time with you."

The way he probed her with his gaze made her skin heat. The thudding at her center became more of a throb as her neglected lady bits campaigned for her to let Thiago end their drought. Her body's desire was in direct contrast to the embarrassing truth of how she'd come to the service.

Dipping her head, she tried to avoid the question. "You don't really want to know about that."

Warmth with a hint of roughness met her skin, drawing her stare to his hand covering hers.

"I absolutely do want to know. I make a habit of only asking questions I want the answer to." Rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand, he waited for her to yield to his request.

Simply the way he stated it, so plainly and without guile, did something to Jerricka. Her embarrassment didn't stand a chance against Thiago watching her, waiting for her response. Biting her lip, her gaze flit away from his before returning.

Hunching her shoulders, with one eye closed, she watched him through a slit in the other.

"I made a deal with my best friend."

When he was silent in response, she peeked at him from under half lowered lids. The slow smile spreading across his face was disarming and comforting at the same time.

"Seriously?"

"Yep."

Jerricka hoped he didn't want to discuss it further. She wasn't ready to admit she hadn't actually been trusted to speak to him directly until tonight. What she didn't expect was chuckles of amusement from him. Her question was written in the arch of her eyebrow. His laughter tapered off.

Patting her hand, he finally let her in on the joke. "We make quite a pair. Your best friend strong armed you, and my mother signed me up first, then told me about it later."

The mirth laced in his admission sent her into a fit of giggles. They really were a pair.

"Oh goodness..." Jerricka's laughter shifted to soft chuckles. She was so relaxed with him, she forgot to filter her words before speaking.

"My besties were trying to get me laid, what's your mama hoping for?" The second the question left her lips, she slapped her hand over her mouth. She couldn't believe she'd let her guard slip enough to say that aloud.

"Grandkids." Thiago's answer was prompt and accompanied by him moving closer to her, lowering his voice. "We can give them both what they want. I'm game if you are."

Lowering her hand from her mouth, Jerricka blinked. Then she blinked again. Nope. He hadn't disappeared, confirming she was dreaming. The big sexy man was still leaning close to her face wearing a serious as sin expression.