I shook my head. “Nah, it would just inflate his ego.” What the hell was wrong with me? This was the man who could fuck up my grades. I shouldn’t be bantering with him. “Goodnight, Xander,” I said politely, very well aware that the remaining stragglers of our party watched us with keen interest.

“Goodnight, Little Bird. Your work today was promising.”

I quirked an eyebrow. “I thought you said it was better than promising.”

“Somebody was paying attention in class.”

“Well, I am here to learn.”

Slate-gray eyes studied mine intently, and I squirmed under the scrutiny. A hot flush crept over my skin. How the hell did he do that? His look had a way of making me want very dirty things while at the same time feeling slightly ashamed of that. Or maybe shame wasn’t the right emotion. Maybe it was regret? Because that’s what the morning after with someone like Xander would feel like. Like I’d taken a million steps backward on my path to self-actualization. Because while the man looked like he promised the kind of orgasms women wrote poetry, or dirty fanfiction about, he also looked like the kind of man to put your heart through the meat grinder.

“My only concern is what else you’re learning and who's teaching you those lessons.”

I watched him with a narrowed gaze. I couldn’t figure him out. He was flirting right? Or was my damn flirtation meter off? He’d made it clear he wasn’t into dating his students.

Did you hear him say a thing about dating?

“I’ll be sure to be careful who I let teach me things.”

His lips tipped into a smirk that, I will admit, made my panties want to revolt and burn themselves to ash. But while my body responded to the packaging, there was something about him I couldn’t trust.

“Fair enough. C’mon, let me walk you to your car.”

I shook my head. “Don’t have a car. I take the bus.”

He frowned. “The bus stop is close to your flat I take it?”

I wasn’t a great liar. It was maybe a half mile along the Thames, but it was walkable. “Uh, sure. Close.”

“You need to learn to lie better. Let me put you in a taxi at least.”

I laughed then. “A taxi? Have you forgotten what it’s like to be a student? That is lavish spending.”

The muscle in his jaw ticked. “My treat. Matter of fact, why don't I just drive you?”

“What, and leave the rest of the gang behind? What would everyone say?” I widened my eyes and clasped a hand to my chest in mock scandalization.

“I don’t give a fuck what they say. You need to be safe. You’ve already had a hell of a scare.”