“So, do you direct, or do we just do whatever we feel like doing?” He picks up the tequila and pours two shots into the glasses, glancing at me between each one.
“Just pretend I’m a fly on the wall. My place is yours for as long as you want. I’m nothing more than a prop with a camera.” I hold my camera up to peer through the viewfinder and snap a shot. He grins, not a shred of self-consciousness evident as he balances two lime wedges on the rim of each shot glass, then picks them both up in one hand and grabs the saltshaker in the other.
Celeste averts her gaze when I direct the camera at her, and I catch the subtle flush of her cheeks. She’s shy about this, but not frightened. When she licks her lips and watches Leo approach her with their shots, her excitement is apparent in the heated gaze they share.
The chemistry between them is palpable, and I have to force down a ball of pure, acrid jealousy so I can focus on what I’m here for. I ease out from behind the counter and approach as if I’m stalking skittish wildlife. They both shoot a look at me, then Leo pulls Celeste’s attention back to him with a nudge of his finger against her chin. He hands her one shot, plucks the lime wedge from it, and tucks it between her lips, rind-first. Then he gently tilts her head to the side, brushes her hair away from her shoulder and dips down to suck at the bared curve of shoulder he’s revealed.
I begin shooting in earnest, easily slipping into the zone behind my camera as Leo begins his seduction. He’s smooth, but she’s already willing, her body arching toward him ever so slightly when he salts the wet spot he made on her skin, licks it again, then tosses back the shot of tequila she holds in her hand. He ends the ritual by capturing her head with both hands, leaning in, and taking the lime straight from her mouth with his. He lingers there for a moment to suck on it while she still holds it between her teeth.
Now it’s her turn, but rather than target his neck, she steps close and undoes several buttons of his shirt. The ritual repeats, but this time she’s bolder, baring his tattooed chest and sucking one of his pink nipples into her mouth so hard he gasps around the lime she placed between his teeth. She flicks her tongue over it once more when she releases it and gives him a wicked smile as she shakes salt on his wet skin. Then she licks the salt off slowly, follows through with the shot, and leans up and takes the lime, sucking as she settles back on her heels.
He takes her lime and sets her shot glass down on the edge of the coffee table next to his, then closes in with a hungry stare. Threading his fingers into the hair at her nape, he nuzzles her neck again where he sucked on it earlier and murmurs into her ear.
“Being watched turns you on, doesn’t it, ángel?”
I move close to capture the play of his mouth on her skin and hear her whispered, “Yes.” The sound travels down my spine, and my dick strains painfully against my jeans. Hopefully, they’ll remain too engrossed in each other to notice my own state.
Leo’s erection is apparent in his jeans, a thick ridge bulging to the left and looking like it might extend past his waistband if he untucked his shirt. My body aches with the need just to see them both in action, even if I’m not here to be more involved than I already am. This might be the closest I’ll ever get.
It will have to be enough because it’s painfully apparent how perfect they are together—how intense their connection is—when they finally kiss. I hold the camera button down to capture a burst of their mouths. Leo’s fingers bracket Celeste’s chin, and she curls her arms around his neck, her body molding into his.
He tugs at the tie of her dress while she slips her hands between them, pulling his shirt free of his waistband and unbuttoning it the rest of the way. At the same time, he begins walking her backward, kissing her the entire way. He’s aiming her at my bedroom, and I skirt them quietly to move ahead, snapping more shots on the way past.
I wait near the bathroom door, out of the way while they slide deeper into the private mental space they share when they make love. Every action is driven by lust and passion but interspersed with the most intense looks and gentle caresses. My heart aches at the sight, but it’s too beautiful not to capture with my camera.
I get both their faces as I move around, along with shots of their hands on each other’s bodies as they work to strip each other bare. Celeste circles behind Leo and pulls his shirt off his shoulders, baring him to the camera as it slides to the floor. For the first time, I get a look at the carnelian-colored scar piercing the ink on his shoulder. I’m briefly stunned by the reminder that he came so close to dying when I catch Celeste’s gaze over his shoulder. We lock eyes, and she searches my face, frowning as if she’s worried. I raise my camera to hide behind once more, and Leo finally turns, pulls the belt free from her dress, and pushes the sides apart.
Celeste’s head tilts back, and she gasps as he lowers his head to her breasts, biting at her nipples through her bra. Then she moans, and
