I hadn’t been…but the boy was always one step ahead of me.

“Maybe I am.”

“Terms?”

Heat flooded my cheeks at the spark in his eyes, the excitement mirrored in my own. He loved the rush of a challenge as much as I did. I had never felt that kind of camaraderie before.

“Rile up Principal Tanner, of course. Call it our epic senior year hack.”

“And the winner gets?”

“Besides bragging rights?” I bit my bottom lip. Most challenges between hackers were kept low-key, the bragging rights being the sole focus of the challenge—in the end, topping another skilled hacker was the ultimate prize. But a little added incentive never hurt. “A deadmau5 T-shirt.”

Dean smiled, tipping his chin up. “Rules?”

I sighed, nodding.

Rules. There always had to be rules.

While we liked to work beyond normal limits, it was unwise to work without a net.

“It has to be white hat,” I said. “No one can get hurt, livelihood or otherwise.”

“Naturally.”

“And it has to be a secret between us. No one can know. Siblings included.” I eyed him, knowing how close he was with his sister.

“Then friends can’t, either,” he countered.

“Of course.” Hannah wouldn’t want to know anyway. Not about a stunt this big. Not that I had a clue what I’d do yet.

“Time frame?”

“Spring break? So, that gives us a little over six months?” I smirked. “Maybe I’ll win and it’ll soften the blow of not competing against you at the TOC.”

Dean continued to look down at me with those blue-gray eyes. I tried not to budge. Tried to present a strong, independent front. Inside I was trembling. The rush of a bet, of a challenge with a more than formidable opponent, was a high I didn’t want to end.

“Deal,” he said, sticking out his hand.

I took it, chills ghosting my skin as he wrapped his fingers over mine. We shook hands, and his was so warm. Electric shocks buzzed where we connected, and I kept shaking his hand until he finally arched a brow at me.

Quickly I dropped it, brushing back some hair that had fallen over my eyes.

“Did we just turn a principal-appointed club into command central for the ultimate prank against him?” Dean asked.

I stood, gathering my gear. “Too much for day one?”

“Nah,” he said, grabbing his stuff and walking me toward the door. “Just the right amount.”

We walked silently to the parking lot, our cars not far from each other in the near-vacant lot.

“You have an idea what you’ll do?” he called to me from his car.

“No.” I tilted my head. “Do you?”

He smirked. “Oh yeah.”

I narrowed my eyes. He might be totally gorgeous and smell like a dream, but I was never one to back down from a competition. “Mine will be better.”

“We’ll see, Pixie.”