“What?” Dean cleared his throat. “I mean…when did that happen?” He leaned on his knees again, the warmth from his shift in movement soothing the cold in my veins.

“A couple months ago.”

“I didn’t know.”

I chuckled again. “I didn’t post it on a blog or anything.”

He laughed, too, and damn if it didn’t unwind my clenched muscles. “Noted.”

I waved my hand like I could shoo the subject away. “So…Code Club.” I said the words with a shit-eating grin.

“I know.” Dean cringed, rubbing his palms over his face.

“I mean, you could’ve at least come up with a better name.”

“Wouldn’t have helped, would it?” He smirked.

“Nope.”

“Tanner made me do this.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Because of the presentation?”

He nodded, smacking his hands on his jeans. “Like I could’ve stopped it.”

“Of course you couldn’t,” I said, and he arched a brow at me.

“You’re not going to ask if I did it?”

“No.” I shook my head. “One, if you wanted to pull something on Tanner, it would’ve been a hell of a lot more stealth than whatever that was this morning.” My heart stuttered when he smiled. “And two,” I pushed on, “there would be no trace of you there. No reason for you to get punished.”

He inched closer to me, studying. The breath in my lungs stalled, heat raking across my skin like flames.

“You’re one to watch, PixieBurn.” He leaned back again.

I jolted at the use of my alias but quickly adjusted. “Whatever you say, NightLocker.”

He chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest.

I sucked my teeth. “Now, what are we supposed to do in this club?”

“I’m supposed to tutor all our interested classmates.” He dramatically looked around the empty room. “That and maintain the school’s website. Which will take me all of two seconds each club. So…whatever we want, I guess,” he said, shrugging. “I mean, as long as Tanner forces me to hold it. I’ll be here. Three times a week…”

“For the rest of your life,” I joked.

“Tanner would like it that way.”

I groaned. “I wasn’t totally unhappy to see him humiliated today.” The man cared about two things: his awards from the district and state boards and the grants/bonuses he received because of his outstanding student performances. And after what Hannah said about his job…God, he’d likely get worse.

“Whoever did it sure fucked me over,” he said, and I softened my features.

“Totally. Sucks.” The conversation with Hannah this morning, the presentation, and the crazy prank all swirled in my head, an idea taking shape in my mind. “You know,” I said, “someone should really put him in his place. Someone with more tact.”

Dean arched a brow at me. “Careful,” he warned. “You sound dangerously close to posing a challenge.”