A Woman Tutors a Struggling Student, Never Suspecting the Millionaire Father Will Love Her

The Tutor and the Westbury Estate

Tessa Jennings had no idea that saying yes to one tutoring job would throw her into the most complicated and heart-stopping situation of her entire life. She pulled her coat tighter around her as she stood in front of the sleek black gate of the massive brick estate in the hills of Westbury.

The house behind it looked like something out of a luxury magazine. It had tall glass windows, manicured hedges, and a circular driveway with a fountain in the middle. This was definitely not the kind of place where she usually worked.

She double-checked the address on the email she’d printed out. Yep, this was it. Her client was a 10-year-old girl named Kenzie struggling with reading comprehension.

The request had come through the tutoring agency she worked for part-time while finishing her graduate degree in education. The pay was three times her normal rate and the schedule was flexible. It had felt too good to be true.

Before she could buzz in, the gate opened smoothly like it had been waiting for her.

“Miss Jennings,” a voice called out.

Tessa turned and nearly tripped over her own boots. The man walking toward her wasn’t just handsome; he was striking. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with dark blonde hair swept back in a sharp jawline.

He wore a navy wool coat over a charcoal suit. Everything about him radiated power and wealth. He was the kind of man who probably didn’t need to check price tags ever.

“Yes,” she said quickly, adjusting the strap of her bag. “Tessa Jennings for the tutoring session.”

“I’m Grayson Zeller,” he said, extending a hand.

His grip was firm and warm.

“Kenzie’s father. Thank you for coming.”

He didn’t smile exactly, but something in the way his eyes softened made her stomach flutter.

“Of course,” she replied, following him up the stone path to the front door. “I’m really looking forward to working with her.”

“She’s not,” he said dryly as he opened the door. “But I’m hoping you can change that.”

Inside, the house was even more stunning. There were high ceilings, marble floors, and art she didn’t recognize but could tell was expensive. A grand staircase curved up to the second floor, but it wasn’t cold.

It felt lived in. A vase of fresh flowers sat on a side table. A pair of girls’ sneakers lay kicked off by the stairs.

“Kenzie’s in the sunroom,” Grayson said, leading her through the house.

“She’s spirited,” he added.

Tessa smiled. “I like spirited.”

When they reached the sunroom, Kenzie sat sprawled on a window bench. Her arms were crossed with a book unopened next to her. Her long brown hair was in a messy ponytail, and she gave Tessa the kind of look that said, “I dare you to try.”

“Kenzie, this is Miss Jennings,” Grayson said. “She’s here to help you with reading.”

Kenzie huffed. “I don’t need help.”

Tessa sat down across from her and pulled out a notebook. “Cool. Then this will be easy.”

Kenzie blinked. Grayson watched silently for a moment, then gave Tessa a slight nod and stepped out of the room. Tessa turned back to Kenzie and grinned.

“Let’s make a deal,” she said. “If you read with me for 20 minutes, I’ll give you 10 minutes to tell me everything wrong with the story.”

Kenzie tilted her head. “Everything wrong? Every single thing?”

Kenzie cracked a small smile. “Deal.”

The session flew by. Tessa didn’t push too hard; she just encouraged and joked and made the book come alive. Kenzie was sharp, just bored. She liked stories, just not ones that felt like homework.

By the end, Kenzie was actually laughing. When the session finished, Grayson appeared in the doorway again with his arms crossed over his chest.

Kenzie ran up to him. “She’s not bad,” she announced.

Tessa laughed. “I’ll take that as a win.”

Grayson smiled. Actually smiled this time.

“Sounds like a big win.”

He walked her to the door. As she stepped out into the driveway, he paused.

“I’d like to book you for the rest of the month,” he said. “Three sessions a week if you can manage it.”

Tessa blinked. “That’s a lot, but yes, I can.”

“Good,” he said. “Kenzie needs consistency. And apparently, she likes you.”

As she turned to leave, he added, “Do you always make people laugh that easily?”

She glanced back, her heart doing something weird. “Only the ones who really need it.”