His Curvy Mate
Chapter 3

This wasn’t good. Tyson wasn’t coming to dinner, which made this seem more like a date. His father likely didn’t see it that way, but she felt completely awkward being alone with him. This was supposed to be a parent and student meeting. Now he was asking her personal questions.

“There’s nothing much to tell. I’m the school librarian, and I tutor students in my extra time.” If she kept things professional, maybe she’d survive the evening.

“What about when you’re not working? What of your family?”

She shrugged. “I read and study mostly. I visit my mother once in a while, but she lives quite far away.”

“And you said you had no mate. Why is that?”

“Mate?”

“Boyfriend. Lover.”

He was coming back to this topic, why?

This was quite an interrogation just to tutor his son. The restaurant suddenly felt way too hot. She tugged at her collar.

“I guess I just haven’t found Mr. Right.” That sounded better than the truth. Honestly, Willa didn’t see any future where she lived happily ever after in the traditional sense. She’d resigned herself to living alone … until Xander brought out all her deep-seated desires.

“Do you think you’ll know when you replace him?”

“I really don’t know.” She pulled out the file she had on Tyson from her bag and set it on the table. “Do you want to review the work I’ve done with your son the past couple of months?”

He pushed the file to the side and took her hand instead. A jolt of energy passed through her entire body, settling right in her cunt. “This is dinner. There will be time for business later. You have to learn to enjoy yourself.”

Xander caressed her hand with his thumb, and the simple touch drove her body crazy, bringing sensations to life she didn’t even know possible.

“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 l!p.

“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.

“Details,” he said. “Do you prefer the younger boys at the university?”

She definitely had no interest in boys. If she had to choose, she’d pick a real man like the one sitting right in front of her. She’d choose Xander Blackhawk.

****

He was getting nowhere fast, but at least he had her alone.

If only he’d taken more notes on seduction over the years. How could he convince a woman to fall in love with him? Were there books on the subject? At forty-four, he never expected to replace his mate. He’d accepted the fact he’d live out his days alone, a recluse amongst his pack. Even as alpha, the humiliation and pain of not having a mate was growing too much to bear.

Willa was everything. An answer to a prayer. The promise of a future. Love and companionship that he’d been without for far too long.

He had to do this right.

“I’m not interested in any of the students,” she said.

This game would be so much easier if she were a shifter. They’d both sense their connection, wasting no time in cementing their bond. Instead, only he could scent her desire, her readiness. Humans were stubborn, denying their desires out of pride or fear, he wasn’t sure.

“How about us? Will you give me a chance this week to prove I can be a worthy mate?”

“This is so unexpected. I don’t know what to say.”

“Say yes. You won’t regret the decision.”

He watched the heavy rise and fall of her ch3st. Her nervousness was endearing. “I’m sure Tyson wouldn’t approve. This can only make the situation worse.”

Xander shook his head. “I’m the father, not him. I’ve raised him myself and will always look out for him, but he’s eighteen and I have my own life to live too.”

She smiled. “You’re right. Everyone deserves happiness.”

The food came and they ate in mostly silence. He wanted to take her away to the forest, to introduce her to his wolf, to f**k her, to mark her as his mate. Instead, he was in the city, playing human, cutting up a steak with a knife and fork while keeping all his desires locked away.

“What do you do for fun besides reading?” he asked.

The dinner was coming to a close, and he had yet to build enough of a connection.

“Honestly, not much.”

“I don’t like that answer,” he said. Xander paid the bill and then stood, beckoning for her hand. She was much smaller than his six-foot-three frame, bringing his protective instincts dangerously close to the surface. He loved the feel of her soft little hand in his.

Once they were outside, he took a cleansing breath.

“Let’s go for a ride before I bring you home. Is that okay with you?”

She nodded.

He wanted to give her a little thrill, some spark in her life. She’d been sheltered for too long and needed to laugh and live more than she had been. If he could crack her tough exterior, maybe he’d stand a chance.

Xander held open the passenger car door open for Willa, then got behind the driver’s seat.

“I’ve never been in a car like this,” she said.

“Well, I suggest you put on your seat belt. It’s got a lot of power under the hood.” As soon as they pulled out of the parking lot, he hit the accelerator. He got onto the freeway, watching her reactions occasionally. Her hands tightly gripped the sides of her leather seat, her body stiff.

“Relax, Willa. I’ve been driving like this all my life. You’re in good hands.”

He did a few tricks as he pulled off the highway onto a quiet side road, making her jostle back and forth.

He laughed which made her giggle.

“What did you think?”

“That was … crazy. And fun,” she said. “Thank you.”

Xander drove to the edge of a forest. They’d left the city, now in the rural countryside. They got out. “There’re a lot of things to experience outside the university, Willa. I can show you so much beauty.” He pointed to the mountains in the distance. An eagle flew by on the horizon.

“It probably sounds pathetic, but this is the most fun I can remember having. Ever.”

As much as he hated the sound of that, he was glad he was the one to show her what she’d been missing. Xander was a shapeshifter and often lived for thrills—from the hunt, to protecting his territory in his fur, to fast cars and living large in human society.

“Have you ever been camping? Hiking?” He held her hand and led her into the forest. The sun was quickly fading at this hour, and his wolf was coming alive. Once the moon was out, his feral instincts were sharp and ready.

“Never. My mom usually worked two jobs to take care of us and even that was never enough. We didn’t have money for vacations or extracurricular activities.”

He stopped after stepping over a downed log, staring right at her. “I’ll give you everything.”

It felt like the entire world went away, leaving just the two of them frozen in time. He pulled her closer, then traced her face with the backs of his fingers. “You’re so beautiful, Willa.”

“Xander…”

He leaned down and k!ssed her. Nothing like the k!ss he wanted to give her, but a soft, gentle brush of the l!ps. He couldn’t risk scaring her off when they’d had so much fun today. Although he enjoyed running his luxury car dealerships and leading the Blackhawk Pack, this was different. He wasn’t alone, but felt connected, bonded. Having a mate was going to be a game-changer in his life. Just being near her made him feel a sense of completeness.

“That was nice,” she whispered. Willa reached up, her little fingers playing with the buttons on his shirt. His c0ck was hard, his wolf howling within him. Then she looked around and her potent desire shifted to fear. “We should probably head back to the car. How did it get dark so fast?”

He wanted her to feel at home in the forest, the same as him, but that would come with time. “Nothing to be afraid of,” he said. “Close your eyes and use your senses. What do you hear?”

She obliged him. “An owl!”

He loved the excitement in her voice. “And what’s that sound?”

“Tree frogs.”

“It’s relaxing. Beautiful.”

He held her close, stroking her hair as she continued to call off the songs of the night creatures. When a wolf howled in the distance, she tensed and clung to him.

“I’ve got you, baby. You never have to be afraid of anything when you’re with me.”

“Aren’t those wolves?”

“I can protect you from those too.”