A warm shiver raced up my spine, some true physical heat lapping up my back.

“Hey, Pixie.” Dean’s voice filled my ears, and I bit back my grin as I turned toward him.

“Hey,” I said, my voice cracking as I looked up at him. He was so tall and his eyes were so open and more blue than gray today. Probably because he wore a bright blue T-shirt that made his eyes—and his lithe muscles—pop.

“Hi, Dean!” Hannah said, with enough innuendo to curl my stomach inward. “Excited for Code Club?”

Dean and I cringed at the same time, but he smiled at her. “Always,” he said, glancing down at me. “Are you recruiting them?”

I burst out laughing. “These two?” I motioned to them. “No way. Leave them to their own devices in a dark, secluded room?” I huffed air through my lips. “They’d never get anything done.”

Dean laughed.

Jake shrugged. “Come on,” he said, wrapping his arms around Hannah from behind. “You wouldn’t, either, if you were dating someone as brilliant as this girl.”

Hannah blushed, rolling her eyes. “Stop,” she teased him. “We were just talking about Ask Me Anything,” she said, eyeing Dean. “Do you read it?”

Dean straightened and tilted his head back and forth. “Sometimes,” he said before glancing at me. “Whoever it is…the girl sure knows how to code. Any ideas on who it might be?”

A rock lodged itself in my throat, and I was certain I’d burst into flames right then and there. Why did Hannah have to bring it up? Why did he have to be curious?

I shrugged. “There are six girls in Griffin’s class,” I said. “Holly, Kristy, Sara, Quinn, Monroe, and me. Could be any one of them.”

There. I’d included myself. Not a direct lie.

I wanted to tell him.

But I didn’t want him involved if shit hit the fan and I was somehow uncovered.

Plus, it was the challenge rules to keep it a secret.

Didn’t matter, guilt still ate at my insides. I hoped my answer would satisfy his random curiosity and he’d soon forget he even wondered about it.

“Oh,” Hannah said. “I bet it’s Monroe.”

“Why?” Dean asked instantly.

“She’s quiet, keeps to herself. Don’t all the good hackers tend to do that?”

I rolled my eyes. “You always group us. Truth is, no two act the same.”

“Truth,” Dean agreed.

“Anyway,” I said, trying like hell to steer the subject somewhere else. “Speaking of coding…shouldn’t we be going?”

“Yeah,” Dean said, but something churned behind his eyes. Gears constantly turning.

Jake unwound himself from Hannah, stepping closer to Dean. “You’re being good to Amber, right?”

My jaw practically came unhinged. What the hell was with today?

“Jake!” Hannah and I snapped at the same time.