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“Someone may see us,” she whispered.
“Is that a problem?”
Was it? She was allowed to have a life outside the school. It wasn’t like people cared about her one way or the other. Willa often worried about what other people thought of her, which was why she liked to stay as invisible as possible. She imagined people pointing fingers or laughing at her, joking about how Xander would never consider her as a real date. She was too fat, too frumpy, too boring. But there were no people staring. No pointing fingers. It was all in her head, insecurities created since her days of being bullied as a child.
“Well, I’m your son’s tutor, not your date.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Can’t you be both?”
She giggled to brush off the kaleidoscope of emotions racing through her. “I’m not sure if you’re joking or trying to be mean.”
Maybe the wedge between Tyson and his father was based on a cruel streak. Would it be wrong to just walk out on him if he continued to tease her? Should she take it to save her tutoring job?
“I must be failing at this. I haven’t courted a woman before, but I’ll do better.”
“I’m not sure what’s happening here.”
The waiter appeared, and Xander pulled his hand away to open his menu. She felt the loss instantaneously.
“Willa, what will you have?” he asked. “Anything you want.”
Part of her was glad the waiter showed up exactly when he did. The other part wanted to see what Xander would say next. A tiny glimmer of hope burned inside her that his beast of a man was actually interested in a girl like her.
She glanced at the menu. Everything was so expensive. What was dating etiquette? She’d never been asked out to dinner before. Should she order a salad to appear ladylike? Or maybe something that wasn’t too much money?
Willa went the safe way and ordered a salad.
“Don’t write that down,” he said to the waiter. “A salad?”
She bit her lower lip.
“Order something with substance. I’d hate for you to lose any of those luscious curves by starving yourself.”
The waiter looked dumbstruck. She couldn’t believe Xander had said that in front of him. “Maybe the steak?”
“Much better.” He winked at her. “Two of your best steaks,” he said to the waiter.
Once they were alone again, he reached for the bottle of wine on the table, slowly pouring some of the crimson fluid into both of their glasses.
Willa never drank, so this would be something new. She picked up the glass and took a sip, grimacing from the taste, but tried to hide her reaction.
He raised a brow. “It’s the best bottle they had.”
It probably cost hundreds. She wasn’t a connoisseur of wine but could tell Xander had expensive taste from his clothing to his car. “I’m sorry, I’m just not used to the taste of alcohol. I’m sure it’s great compared to other wines.”
He took a sip and set it down. The muscles in his arms flexed when he moved, capturing her attention. His body was thick and hard with muscle, mature and weathered.
“You’re an unusual girl.”
He had no idea. She was basically a female hermit and didn’t fit into any social or societal norms. “I’m not sure what to make of that.”
“Anything I say to you should be taken as a compliment. I’m not good with words, but I assure you, I’ve never been more invested in a female before.”
“For tutoring?”
“To claim as mine.”
Her mouth fell agape. “Do you realize I’m twenty-six?” she said. That should be reason enough to turn him off. He looked much older than her, and even though his age and experience were a turn-on, the gap was too huge. She looked older than her age, and the way she dressed and acted didn’t help, so maybe he thought she was in her thirties or more.
