Chapter 1 Pulsing Desires

• NEW EROTICA
• "I don't understand why we have to get another foreign exchange student," I huffed out while crossing my arms over my chest. We did this last year too and ended up with some nerdy guy from some country I couldn't pronounce then and still couldn't today.
• My mom glared at me over her shoulder from the passenger seat. "We don't have to. We want to. I thought you enjoyed our last student. He was such a nice boy."
• "If you mean a kiss-ass, then yes, I agree with that." I hated that my brother got us into this mess; because that jerk wanted to study abroad, I got stuck with a nerdy kid who could barely speak English to fill his shoes at home. I think they actually switched places if memory serves me right. Whatever the case is, this is bullshit.
• "Cora!! Language!" My mom scolded but not before I rolled my eyes at her. She tried to act like Mom-of-the-year but a hidden bottle of vodka in her closet would determine otherwise. And don't even get me started on her infidelity last year. How my dad stuck with her afterward is beside me.
• "We're here," my dad spoke as if we weren't there until just now. It was common for him to space out on us. Most days I called him Captain Space Cadet.
• My eyes roamed the crowds of people standing on the sidewalk in front of the airport as they landed on a boy with thick black glasses and corduroy jeans that went far above his belly button. The guy was a total nerd-fest, and I knew this was going to happen to me again. This seriously sucks. Why can't we get a student that's at least good looking? Maybe then I wouldn't be so miserable. Or, even a chick that I could have around as a new bestie. Instead, I'm stuck with a modern-day Steve Urkel. Fuck me.
• "There he is!" Mom cried as I crossed my arms over my chest and stared out the opposite window. If she thinks I'm going to be nice to the kid she'd be sorely mistaken. "Pull over, Rick!"
• I felt the soccer mom van come to a stop as I kept my eyes averted. It was almost like a carnival; if I didn't make eye contact with the carnies, they'd leave me alone. Would that work now? I guess we'll find out.
• Mom jumped out of the van as I heard her coo over the new student all while I kept staring out the side window. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we could go home, and I could lock myself in my bedroom until dinner when I'd be forced to make eye contact with our guest.
• The side van door slid open as Mom's voice became louder. Bags were thrown in the far back before I felt the weight of extra people climbing into the van. When both doors were closed, I squeezed my eyes shut and hoped this was a nightmare. But when I heard Mom's voice again, I knew I wasn't that lucky.
• "Nico joins us from Scotland. He's very excited to attend an American high school. Cora, you'll have to show him the ropes." Mom was obviously the only excited one in the van as I caught my dad's dry expression in the side mirror. I'm right there with you, Dad.
• But then I smelled a hint of cologne, trying to pinpoint the familiar scent. Was that Calvin Klein? Armani? What is a nerdy Urkel doing wearing an expensive cologne like that?
• Without thinking, I whipped my head towards the invader and nearly gasped at the guy sitting next to me. My mouth went dry at the sight of him. He was definitely not Steve Urkel. He was more like a young Mark Wahlberg when he was with the Funky Bunch.
• The dark grey tee-shirt he wore was tight around his bicep muscles and as my eyes traveled back up to his face, I noticed his strong sharp jawline. Most people notice eyes or teeth when they first look at someone, but for me, it was the jawline. And right now, I wanted to lick up it until I reached his earlobe. The guy totally gave me a lady-boner.
• He looked over at me, half grinning as he held up his fist toward me. I instinctively gave him a fist-bump as I continued to stare at him with awe. Those baby blue eyes of his were mesmerizing to look at. And knowing he was from Scotland took me off guard. He didn't have the infamous red hair. Instead, it was dark brown. And I wanted to run my fingers through it.
• "What's up? I'm Nico," he greeted as I nearly melted at the sound of his accent. I'm literally a puddle of hormones right now and I completely change my mind. He can definitely stay.
• "Cora," I breathed. It was as if I forgot how to speak entirely but that didn't seem to bother the sexy Scot sitting next to me.
• "He'll be taking over your brother's room, Cora. I'm going to need you to help get Nico settled in because Dad and I have a meeting to attend tonight."
• I knew my mom had said something, but I couldn't register most of it as I continued to gawk at the hottie next to me. She said something about getting him settled in and that was something I could most certainly do. Right between my legs, I thought to myself.
• "I appreciate ye'r family letting me stay with ye," Nico turned his attention to my mom as I continued to stare. He was just too delicious not to. Where did this guy come from?! And that accent? Where is a fan when I need one? His English was pretty good, but a few Scottish words snuck in there, and damn was it sexy.
• "It's not a problem, Nico. We're glad you're here," Mom stated over her shoulder with a smile in his direction before she glared over at me. "Cora, why don't you tell Nico about all of the sports and clubs he can join at school? He might be interested in joining something." She turned back around as she tried to get into a conversation with my space cadet Dad.
• Nico turned and half grinned at me again, making me swoon even further for him. How is he doing that?!
• "Yes, Cora, please do."
• I couldn't tell if he was mocking my mom or if he was actually interested. Either way, he can keep looking at me like this. His eyes were hooded, and I kept catching his gaze drop to my lips before they came back up to my eyes.
• "What do you want to know?" I breathed out, holding his gaze with my own as my heart rate sped up in my chest.
• "What do ye like to do for fun?" There he goes with that grin again. He seriously needs to chill.
• Thinking about his question, I could only think of one thing but there was no way I was going to tell him that the thought of being on my back below him sounded like fun. My eyes immediately went to his groin region as I wondered if his dick was bigger than American men.
• A small chuckle vibrated from his chest as I watched him shift in his seat. My eyes shot back to his as he studied me with a burning glare. Did he know what I was just thinking about? And did it excite him as much as it excited me?
• This year is going to be a fucking blast.
• Dad pulled into the familiar driveway as Mom got out and he stayed put. Nico grabbed his bags from the back as I slid out myself.
• "We'll be back in a few hours. Get Nico settled in and be nice, Cora." She gave me a piercing glare as I waved her off.
• "Yeah, yeah, yeah," I mumbled out. "Don't have too much fun." I knew the meeting they were going to was for her benefit and not my dad's. It had something to do with the neighborhood committee. I had no idea what they were exactly but from the little I had heard, it was just a way for rich housewives to get out of the house while the men drank their livers into submission in the back of the room.
• Mom got back into the van before I watched them back out of the driveway. I had almost forgotten that I was still standing here with our new foreign exchange student as I turned and smiled at him. He was seriously the hottest guy I had ever laid my eyes on. And he'd be living in the next room over from me for the next three months.
• "Come on, I'll show you your room," I stated over my shoulder as I walked by him toward the front door. Nico was hot on my tail, his cologne swarming me as my senses went wild. This might be the longest three months of my life, especially knowing he was off-limits to me. It was no secret in my family that I had a little too much fun in the guy department and my mom told me there were a no-touching-rule and a no-relationship-rule with our male foreign exchange students.
• I can keep my hands to myself, though, right? Right?! But as I stepped inside, tripping over the threshold, Nico came to my rescue and prevented me from slamming hard to the floor. Except now he was super close to me, and his strong arms were around my waist as my back pressed tightly to his chest which caused an ache to quiver right between my legs.
• "Are ye okay?" Nico rasped into my ear as his hot breath cascaded across my neck. My hands came up and gripped his wrists that still held me to his body as I squeezed my eyes shut and tried not to move. It was difficult being this close to him and not being able to actually touch him. My nipples were hard as pebbles as they pressed uncomfortably against my bra, and I had to squeeze my legs shut to stop the pulsing desire raging there.
• "I'm cool," I breathed out. "L-let me show you to your r-room." I was a stuttering mess, but I couldn't help it. My hormones were raging through me and there was nothing that would stop them until I could find alone time to take care of myself.
• Nico slowly released me as I pushed forward and headed for the stairs. Three months. That's all I have to get through. I can do this. I looked over my shoulder to find Nico following right behind me, pulling his gaze from my ass. Fuck. I think I can do this.