But not always. Because it's all too easy to cross that thin, invisible line between simply flirting…and cheating on your partner. And it can be difficult to know when you've crossed it.

What Your Partner Considers Cheating

This may be an uncomfortable prospect, but it might be a good idea to sit down and talk to your partner about what he or she considers cheating – because his or her definition may be different from yours.

Here's an example. While she was in college, a girlfriend of mine was in a serious relationship with a guy she'd been dating for about two years. One night at a party, she had a little too much to drink, and – young and curious – got a little physical with another girl at the party. Because it didn't mean anything, and because it was "just a girl," my friend assumed that her boyfriend wouldn't see it as cheating.

But he did. Their relationship ended for a whole host of reasons…but my friend's lighthearted evening with another girl certainly contributed. She underestimated the boundaries he set between faithfulness and cheating.

To some people, "cheating" is simply defined as sexual intercourse with a person of the opposite sex. To others, a look or a touch can be considered cheating. It's a good idea to know where both you and your partner stand.

Betraying Your Partner's Trust

When you're in a relationship, you sign up to be faithful to your partner. And while faithfulness is something that should happen on both your partner's terms and your own, the idea of commitment implies that you won't cross the boundary lines set by your partner. That is, assuming those lines are not unreasonable.

If you were to act according to your partner's standards, knowing when you're simply flirting or outright cheating should be easy – the lines have been drawn and you know where they lie. But there are always some gray areas…relations that seem harmless, but can easily toe the line into cheating. So for a guideline, flirting is generally toeing the line into cheating (or outright stepping over it) when:

• You become emotionally attached to the object of your flirtation to the point where you prefer their company to your partner's

• You go out with the intention of finding somebody to flirt – or cheat – with. Whether you find them or not.

• When you advertise yourself as available when you're not because you're interested in somebody.

• You let physical contact become overtly sexual.

• You fall in love with somebody else.

Again, though, it all depends on the lines drawn in the sand by yourself and your partner. In some relationships, all of the above behaviors would be acceptable, as long as they don't lead to sexual intercourse. In others, any one of them could be enough to destroy the relationship.

So flirt, be sexy, and have fun…but tread lightly.

1. Relax. The first thing you should do is… try to relax. Don’t do anything rash. That means put down the phone, stay off of his email account, and take a deep breath. It’s time to do some serious thinking.

2. Evaluate yourself and your relationship. To begin, you have to know how seriously to take your suspicions. First, evaluate yourself objectively– and figure out if this is something that happens often. Are you paranoid or super possessive by nature? Have you believed that boyfriends or husbands were cheating in the past? Also take a look at your relationship. Do things seem fine between you, or are they strained or strange? Does he treat you the same way, or is he acting suspiciously?

3. Decide how far you’re willing to go. Women who think their partners are cheating can do some pretty crazy things. A college friend of mine agonized over a “maybe cheating, maybe not” boyfriend for weeks, driving by his house in the middle of the night to see what he was up to. Other women hire private detectives or call strange numbers on their partners’ cell phones.

If you think he’s cheating and aren’t ready to confront him, there are lots of ways to snoop and find out– but most of them aren’t going to leave you with a lot of dignity. Before giving in and hacking his email or obtaining his phone records (or, worse, hiring a private detective), take a minute to think about how snooping will make you look– and feel. If you want to go all out, do it. But do it cautiously, and try to maintain a bit of your dignity.

4. Get your decisions ready. Before confronting your (possibly) cheating partner, you need to decide what you’re going to do if it turns out he’s cheating. While you should, of course, give the decision a lot of time and thought, you’ll probably already be leaning in one direction or the other: you can either take him back, or you can cut and run. Either way, having a set decision beforehand is one of the best ways to keep the conversation from getting out of hand.

5. Confront him. If you’ve exhausted all of your snooping capabilities (or decided not to snoop– in which case, “good for you!”) you’ve probably come up with one of two options. One, he’s cheating and you’ve discovered it. Or two, you still don’t know. Now it’s time to confront him about your suspicions.

No matter how you do it, this isn’t going to be a fun conversation. If you know that he’s cheating and can prove it, it simplifies things a bit. You’ve already made your decision on what you’re going to do, and all you have to do is tell him. However, if you don’t know yet whether or not he’s cheating, try to keep an open mind. There may be a good explanation for his strange behavior. At the same time, trust yourself: in most cases, if you think he’s cheating, he is. Don’t let him off too easy.

Three years ago, I was involved with a man who meant the world to me, in typical cliche fashion. While on the surface things seemed fantastic, there was a storm brewing below that would end up destroying my self-esteem, my self-worth and my world. This man, whom I loved, was always surrounded by female friends. Because I have always gotten along better with males than with females, and was myself constantly around my male friends, I didn’t make anything of it. We were both involved in platonic friendships with people of the opposite sex, and I didn’t believe anything negative could come of it.

About a year into the relationship, I began to notice signs that something wasn’t quite right. While I didn’t understand what was happening at the time, I would come to find out that his commitment to me was shadowed by his emotional affair with another woman. At first, I thought it was me – perhaps I wasn’t giving him enough emotional support; I was filled with self-doubt. If he couldn’t confide in me, what was this other woman doing that I wasn’t? What triggered his emotional infidelity?

Eventually, I realized that his behavior wasn’t my fault. Ladies, emotional cheating can happen anytime, even in relationships that are seemingly without underlying issues or problems like mine. If you suspect your partner may be engaged in an emotional affair, keep a keen eye out for potential warning signs. Has your partner been acting secretive lately? Does he enter another room to make a phone call so you can’t hear, or quickly turn off the computer so you can’t read the e-mail he was just sending? If there are no signs of physical cheating, but your partner has begun to withdraw from you, he may be involved in an emotional affair with another woman.

The best thing to do in order to either confirm or deny your suspicions is confront him about it. He may act defensive or in denial at first, but you need to explain specifically what causes you to believe he’s doing something wrong. Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that your partner will see things your way. However, if you take the time to voice your concerns, he will have to deal with your feelings. If indeed he is having an emotional affair, it’s up to you to decide if the relationship can be saved.

Whatever happens, don’t fool yourself into believing that just because no physical intimacy was involved makes what your partner is doing okay. Emotional cheating can be just as devastating as physical cheating, and an affair is still an affair.

Before the days of the World Wide Web, people were limited to cheating or committing adultery by acting out their feelings with another person. Now, the Internet has brought a whole new meaning to the word, "affair". Today, it is very common for couples to feel that their partner was cheating on them by sending emails, Instant Messages, or communicating with people via My Space. This is often referred to as an online affair, and what is interesting to note, is the fact that an online affair may not culminate in physical or sexual activity.

Many people are surprised to discover that an online affair can be just as devastating to a relationship as a sexual affair. However it should also be mentioned that an online affair might result in a sexual relationship, though a partner may feel betrayed just to learn that their partner was communicating with another person secretly. Online affairs may not lead to sexual activity, but they are clearly indicative of the fact that the person involved is having trouble with or losing satisfaction in their current relationship. Jealousy is a strong emotion and when it comes to love and relationships, an Internet affair can be just as devastating as a sexual affair, and the wounded partner may be left with feelings of jealousy and rage.

An emotional affair is often harder to determine. An emotional affair occurs frequently between close friends and co-workers. With an emotional affair, there may not be any sexual activity, however the other person may meet the partner's need for affection, love, or attention. It is usually understood that when two people are in a committed relationship, they will find all of their attention, affection, and love in their partner. When one person shares those areas with another person, it is considered an emotional affair.

When a person finds that their partner is involved in an emotional affair, they may be left with many questions. Since the affair is emotional, there may not be any sexual activity taking place. This often leads the partner who is having the affair to feel as if he or she isn't doing anything wrong. However, it doesn't take long for the partner to let the guilty party know that they are in fact guilty of high relationship treason. If you are engaging in an emotional affair, you will find that you are seeking love, affection, affirmation, or attention from someone other than your partner. You may feel that your actions are justified, but if you take a closer look you will recognize that your partner is being affected, just as if you were having a sexual affair. The good news is that an emotional affair is much easier to end than a sexual affair. Usually, emotional affairs signify that communication has been neglected in the relationship, and once the couple begins to work on their communication, they can begin to meet each other's needs for love, attention, and affection. Once this is restored, the need for an emotional affair will diminish.

Often times, the biggest misconception is the use of pornography by someone in a relationship. Many individuals, both men and women, view pornography – not because they are dissatisfied in their current situation, but because they enjoy it as entertainment or to get new ideas for the bedroom. Whatever the reason, it needs to be discussed with your partner – as some may consider viewing this explicit material as cheating.

Many people feel they aren't fulfilling something within their partner's sexual appetite that has them looking at this material. If this isn't the case, make it clear! Don't risk hurting your partner’s feelings because you're embarrassed bringing up the topic. If you are as close as you seem to be in the relationship, talking about this shouldn't be difficult. Do it now! Call them up and make sure this issue is addressed; otherwise, there’s a risk that it may affect the success of your relationship. Understanding is important in any relationship!

Pornography can be viewed together for a powerful experience as well. If your significant other is the one watching the pornography, take time to understand their stance and perhaps embark on the experience to see if you gain anything from it as well. Keeping an open mind also helps you grow both as an individual and as a couple in the future

One of the first signs that your boyfriend may be cheating on you is in the area of intimacy and sex. You may find one of two situations; either he may be initiating sex more frequently and trying new things, or he may have a significant lack of interest. Any change in the sexual area of your relationship, coupled with other signs may point to the fact that he is cheating on you. However, it is always important to realize that just because you suspect infidelity doesn’t necessarily mean that he is guilty. Always look for more than one sign and put the pieces together. If he is cheating though, you can be sure that his affection towards you will change. Also, simple signs of intimacy may diminish. This includes kissing, hugging, or simply spending time together.

Another sign of infidelity may be in the form of unusual aggressiveness. If your boyfriend is cheating on you, he may try to cover it up by accusing you or blaming you. He may begin to find fault with everything you do, since he is romancing someone else. If you are fighting a lot more, find that he is blaming you for little things, and has lost an interest in being intimate with you then he may be cheating.

On the reverse, you may find that he feels guilty for his actions and tries to make up for it by being overly generous. He may suddenly start bringing home flowers, candy, cards, and begin acting romantic to cover up his true feelings. If you suspect that he is cheating yet he becomes increasingly apologetic and suddenly develops a romantic side, there is good reason to suspect he is covering his betrayal.

Another important area of concern that can help clue you in as to whether or not he is cheating is his cell phone. If your man suddenly begins to lock you out of his cell phone, there is probable chance that he is cheating. Erasing messages or numbers before you can see them, or just locking you out completely shows that he is hiding something. If you suspect that your boyfriend or husband is cheating, try to get a hold of his cell phone when he isn’t around. If you can get a look at his recently called list or dialed numbers, you may find the answer to your search.

If you do eventually discover that your man has been cheating, you will be faced with some serious decisions. Trust is the most important element in any relationship, and once it has been broken, it can take a very long time to restore the relationship to where the wounded party feels comfortable.