Chapter 1

I have skin hunger syndrome.

On my first day at a new school, I tackled the school’s resident troublemaker and ran my hands all over him.

But officially, I was the school heartthrob’s obsessed admirer—the girl who had transferred schools just for him.

By that afternoon, the gossip that I was dating two guys at once had spread across the entire school.

This time, I was prepared. I dragged a suitcase full of cash in front of the school bully and asked,

“Mason Reed, let me touch you, and all this money is yours.”

The moment I reached the school gates, my body began trembling uncontrollably.

My face flushed, then turned pale.

I crouched down, digging my nails into my backpack strap as I struggled to steady my breathing.

I had taken my suppressant before leaving home. How could it flare up so quickly?

A pair of shoes suddenly appeared in front of me. A hand poked my shoulder.

“Hey, are you okay? Should I get a teacher?”

My vision blurred. My gaze grew hazy.

Body heat. Burning, wonderful body heat!

Just let me touch him. Just once…

Grabbing onto my lifeline, I sprang up and crashed straight into the person in front of me.

The boy was caught off guard and fell backward with the force of my impact.

If my backpack hadn’t cushioned his fall, his head would have hit the concrete. He could have been seriously hurt.

I pressed myself tightly against him, wrapping all four limbs around him.

Every cell in my body screamed with longing.

So warm. A little warmer…

My hands seemed to have a mind of their own.

They slid down from the back of his neck, inch by inch, then lingered lovingly around his waist.

I gradually came to my senses when I heard his muffled groan and the shocked gasps from the people around us.

Oh no!

I’d made a complete fool of myself on my very first day!

The boy’s face turned black.

“Hey, enjoying yourself?”

“Could you get off me already?”

I coughed and tried to sound as casual as possible.

“Sorry. It was an accident. Totally an accident.”

“I, uh… my blood sugar dropped. Do you have any candy?”

Even while getting up, I couldn’t stop myself from touching his waist twice more.

The boy jumped several feet away and walked off without looking back.

“No!”

I turned to the crowd watching the spectacle.

“Hey, I’m the transfer student who just arrived today. My blood sugar dropped.”

“Could someone point me toward the nearest convenience store or cafeteria?”

Since I had already started acting, I had to finish the performance. I bit into my bread and headed toward the classroom building.

But I couldn’t stop thinking about the boy at the school gate.

His body temperature ran a little high. It was exactly the temperature I liked.

His body looked firm, but when I touched him, he was surprisingly soft.

Especially the small of his back. I couldn’t get enough.

He was also unbelievably handsome.

The kind of handsome that left anyone stunned at first sight.

After wandering around for a while, I still couldn’t find my classroom. Then a person I hated blocked my path.

Ethan Cole hugged a stack of thick study guides and deliberately ran his fingers through his bangs a few times.

He lifted his chin, convinced he looked incredibly cool.

“Ava Carter, you really are crazy about me.”

“You transferred here during the second half of junior year, when academics matter most, just for my sake.”

“But I have to tell you, I don’t date.”

“Whatever feelings you have are your problem.”

I rolled my eyes.

Who liked him?

What an arrogant jerk!

All I’d done was touch his hand twice while we were preparing for the math competition.

What was the big deal? He had to spread rumors about it every day!

If I’d known this would happen, I would have chopped off my hand before touching him.