He cocked that damn eyebrow at me, and I swore I felt myself melt.

“Good to know,” he said. “Night, Pixie.”

“Night,” I said as he let the door swing shut behind him.

I had to fan myself from the heat racing over my skin. The way my friend kept looking at me, kept making me laugh, kept making me feel…he was rapidly competing for my number one anything spot.

And the scariest thing?

The walls I’d so carefully constructed after Brandon? They felt wobbly with each hour I spent with Dean.

If he had the power to bring them down…

Then maybe I’ll be happy again?

No.

He’d have the power to crush me.

Question of the Day

Sk8er4Life2416 asks: “My girlfriend and I have been together more than nine months. We’re smoking hot together and have hit every base but one. I’m ready to round home, but I don’t know if she is. How will I know? Is there some secret signal you chicks use?”

Well, Sk8er4Life2416, I’m going to let you in on a total “chick code” secret. While we may have many unbreakable rules like joining your BFF on any bathroom break or watching drinks while the other dances, we don’t have a secret universal symbol that spells out “we’re ready for you to stick it to us.”

Picture me rolling my eyes on that one.

Now picture me smiling at you, maybe even saying “aw.” Because I will commend you on actually thinking about what your girlfriend wants and when she’ll be ready even though you’ve already hit that marker. Good for you, dude. Please let all your bros know about this. It’s a big deal. Waiting to make sure your partner is ready and respecting their time frame goes a hell of a long way in making a “smoking hot” relationship work.

This chick applauds you.

As for knowing when she’s ready, the best piece of advice I can give you?

Ask her.

And in a way that doesn’t make her feel cornered or pressured. Speaking as one of the girls, there is already a ton of pressure on her. I don’t even know her, and I know that much. Be supportive, and if she says she’s not there yet, it’s not because of something you’ve done. It’s simply that she hasn’t hit that mind frame yet. And that’s okay. Sex is a massive step in a relationship, but with the right—consenting—partners, it can be off-the-charts amazing.

So, keep being the good guy. Talk to her about it. And be willing to wait.

It’s worth it.

In the meantime,

Stay Sexy. Stay Healthy.

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

Dean

Monday morning and at school an hour before it started.

Kill me now.