Chapter 1

CHAPTER

ONE

Bradley

The sun is a blazing tyrant in the sky, but it's got nothing on her —the girl in the ticket booth with a smile that could light up the darkest corners of my soul. She's all sunshine and sweet summer vibes, greeting families and lone wanderers alike, handing out maps like she's doling out invitations to paradise.

"Welcome to the zoo!" Her voice is like music, light and melodic, even from here where I'm pretending to be absorbed in fixing the damn sign that warns about not feeding the animals.

Yeah, right. The only hunger I'm concerned with is the gnawing one inside me as I steal glances at her, wondering what name is attached to such a face.

Her hair is this cascade of chestnut waves, pulled back but rebellious, strands escaping to cling to her flushed cheeks. It's hot as hell today, but she's this vision in khaki shorts that hug her like they're grateful for the privilege. And that polo shirt? It's a standard issue zoo uniform, but on her, it's a tease, hinting at the curves beneath.

I can't help but imagine those legs wrapped around my waist, her breath hitching as I bury myself into the heat of her. There's something about her, an innocence mixed with a spark of something else, something that makes me want to ruin her in all the best ways. I wonder if she tastes as sweet as she looks, all honey and warmth.

"Bradley," I chide myself silently, "pull your shit together." But it's no use. My mind's already sprinting down a path lined with the barest whispers of lace and the softest moans only I could coax from her lips.

"Hey," I mutter under my breath, as if saying it out loud would break the spell, "what's your name?" Not that she can hear me from here, but it's like an incantation, a plea to the universe to put her name on my tongue, and more, so much more.

A group of rowdy kids barrels past me, snapping me back to reality for a moment. I straighten up, trying to look like I've made any progress with the sign. But my gaze betrays me, darting back to the ticket booth, back to her .

Sabrina, I'll call her in my head until I know the real one, because she looks like a Sabrina—all fiery spirit and bewitching smiles.

"Get a grip, Bradley." I shake my head, trying to dispel the dirty thoughts clouding my brain. But who am I kidding? They're etched there now, as permanent as the ink on my skin, fantasies of Sabrina and all the wicked things we could do when no eyes are watching.

"Later," I promise myself, "I'll find out her name." For now, though, I'll keep watching, keep wanting, until opportunity turns these filthy daydreams into reality.

I lean on my rake, pretending to be absorbed in the task at hand while I watch her from across the path. The way she hands out tickets, flashes that million-dollar smile—it's like she's not just giving them a pass into the zoo but a personal invite to something special, something secret.

"Who's the new girl at the booth?" I ask Tim, one of the groundskeepers, as he wheels a barrow full of mulch past me. I keep it cool, casual, like I'm asking about the weather or the score of last night's game.

"Ah, you mean Sabrina?"

I almost choke on my water.

How in the fuck did I guess her name right?

It's perfect. It's fate .

Tim grins, winking as if he's read every filthy thought scrolling through my mind. "Started last week. She's a college kid, works like a charm with the crowds."

Sabrina .

The name rolls off his tongue and lands on me like a spark. It fits her perfectly, like it was crafted just for those lips, that smile, the way her eyes light up when she talks to the kids. It's exotic but familiar, sexy but sweet—a perfect mix that makes me want to taste it on my own lips.

"Thanks, man," I say, my voice a low rumble, and I'm already turning away, letting the name simmer inside me.

Sabrina.

It's like a piece of her I can carry around, stoking the fire until I can get close enough to turn these smoldering thoughts into a full-blown blaze.