Chapter 02 ELI
When Sadie first texted me that my match would be late, my heart sank. I told myself it was fine—life happens—and honestly, it was better that he said he’d be late than leaving us to wonder if he’d stood us up completely. Sadie was able to adjust the studio time, and knowing it was still happening eased the disappointment more than I expected.
Looking at him now, I’m glad I waited as Sadie’s moving around with her camera, giving light directions, but all I can focus on is the way Collin’s eyes crinkle at the edges when he smiles. The way he keeps glancing at me like he can’t quite believe this is happening either.
It’s funny—most people think firefighting is about adrenaline, but it’s not. It’s about being calm, about learning how to breathe and steady yourself when everything else is chaos around you. Maybe that’s why this moment feels so disorienting. It’s quiet, still, and my pulse is racing because of him. No one teaches you how to relax when nothing’s actually wrong and it’s been a long time since I’ve felt nerves like this just from being around someone.
I can’t help but think… Maybe showing up today was my version of running toward a different kind of fire.
But I’m getting far too ahead of myself. We met mere minutes ago, and I don’t know if he’s even attracted to me.
It’s just that, leaning into him like this while his back’s against the wall and I’m essentially caging him in with my hand against the wall, is overwhelming my senses in the best way. He’s got a little more than a five o’clock shadow covering his face, and his eyes are an amber color, unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.
“Okay,“
Sadie says gently, “we’re going to try a closer shot. Collin, keep leaning against the wall, but bring your other hand up now and put it on Eli’s arm. Remember, if anything feels like too much, please say it.”
Collin lifts his hand slowly and rests it against my bicep as he lets out a shaky breath. My bicep twitches where we’re now connected, touching for the first time as my heart climbs into my throat at how intense and electrifying this is. It’s such a simple touch, yet it feels like being zapped with lightning.
“You okay?“
I whisper.
“Yeah,“
he breathes out.
Click. Click.
“Beautiful,“
Sadie compliments. “A little closer now, foreheads almost touching, if you're comfortable.”
He leans in, and I do too, as the space between us thins.
I can’t tear my eyes away from Collin’s full lips as our foreheads meet. “Still okay?“
I check, voice softer than I expected as I make sure I’m not pushing him too far, even though he’s going willingly.
“Yeah,“
he repeats his earlier answer, licking his lip again.
We’re touching now, but to me, it still isn’t enough. I want to pull him into me, to eliminate any space between us, but instead of doing that, I tentatively move my arm that’s hanging by my side and place it on his shoulder.
“Can I?“
I check, not clarifying what, because I’m not exactly sure what I’m asking, but he must be feeling the same way because he gives me a small, trusting nod.
I slowly move my hand even higher, up to his neck. He exhales, shoulders dropping as he relaxes into it. His body is just as responsive as his handsome face, and every reaction feels like a reward. We might have only just met, but I’m already hoping that this connection between us will lead to more than some pictures and a cool story.
Collin laughs quietly, and I already find it so endearing. “You know, I didn’t think this photoshoot would end up this… intense.”
“Intense, huh?“
I arch a brow and smirk.
“Maybe intimate is a better word?”
“Whatever the word,“
I say, “I’m not complaining. I’m really enjoying myself. Sadie did an excellent job selecting us.”
His laugh comes easier this time, that open sound that makes my stomach tighten. The desire to make him laugh again is now my sole focus.
Sadie lowers her camera slightly, smiling at us. “This is great. Keep talking, whatever this is—it’s perfect.”
Collin flashes her a look before looking back at me. “You hear that? We’re naturals.”
“Or she’s just trying to distract us from how awkward we actually look,” I tease.
“No way is this awkward,“
he says, pretending to be offended as he reaches out to grab my side. “It’s way too hot for it to be awkward.”
“Glad I’m not the only one who thinks it’s hot in here,“
I say quietly, eyes bouncing back to his lips, and I notice a blush creeping up his face.
“Do you want to try some on the couch next?“
Sadie checks.
I inhale deeply and force myself to pull my forehead back from his and give him a questioning look.
“Yeah, that works,“
Collin confirms and walks over to the green velvet couch set up for us in the studio.
He sits first, letting one leg hang off the couch while he tucks his other one in with his knee up, draping his arm over the back of the couch as he turns to face me. I drop onto the open spot beside him, mimicking his position. The couch is small enough that even trying to leave an inch of room between us feels impossible, which is perfect because I don’t want any space from him. My arm touches his, and I want to let my fingers trail down his shoulder, but I don’t do that yet.
“Okay, serious question,“
he says, a smile already tugging at his mouth. “Are you a dog or a cat person?”
“That’s tough,“
I say, pretending to think it over even though his knee is brushing mine now and my brain has officially stopped functioning. “I love them both, but I’d say I’m more of a dog person.”
He looks at me and smiles like I’ve answered correctly. “Another point for you, Eli.”
“Oh, we’re keeping score?” I laugh.
“Obviously,“
he says, leaning just a little closer. “You tell me something, and I’ll decide if it’s a green flag or red. Don’t pretend you’re not doing the same thing.”
“And being a dog person is a green flag?” I tease.
“A massive green flag,“
he says, eyes flicking down to my mouth for a split second. “Cat person would’ve been fine, but I’m a dog person, and my dog, Bear, will be glad to hear you’re already a fan of him.”
My stomach does a full somersault at the thought of him wanting to tell his dog about me… even though I know his dog will have no idea what he’s saying.
“Good to know,“
I say softly, nudging his knee with mine. “And you named your dog after a different animal?”
“Sure did. He’s a black lab, and he reminds me of a little bear cub.”
Sadie murmurs something about lighting adjustments, but it barely registers.
I laugh. “Okay, that’s adorable.”
He shrugs like it’s no big deal, but the way the corner of his mouth lifts tells me he knows exactly what he’s doing to me. “He is adorable. Total menace, though. He once chewed through the drywall by the door because I took too long getting home from work.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Guess I should be flattered you’re risking it again by coming here.”
“Oh, hugely,“
he says. “But he’s with his dog sitter, who he loves, so I’m sure he’s not even missing me that much.”
“I doubt that, no way he couldn’t miss you.“
I shake my head, trying not to come on to him too strongly. “Okay, serious question back at you now.”
He perks up instantly. “I’m ready to be judged, let’s hear it.”
I pretend I’m debating, but really I’m watching the way his fingers drum on the back of the couch, just inches behind my shoulder.
“Does Bear get final say in who you date?” I ask.
He laughs again, and the sound makes me smile. “Actually? Yeah. He kind of does. If someone doesn’t like him, or doesn’t let him in the bed, how could I date them? Just wouldn’t work.”
“That actually makes sense.“
I grin. “I guess I’d better meet him soon then.”
God, I hope I’m not pushing too hard, but there’s no way I can let today be the only time I see Collin. The way he blushes sends heat straight to my groin. I shift so that my erection is hidden. I don’t need stranger portraits with an outline of my dick showing all over Instagram. I can only imagine the internet’s reaction, but the second they saw Collin in the photos, I’m sure they’d understand.
“Maybe after this?“
he suggests, and the heat only intensifies. “I haven’t been home in a few days, so he should be extra excited to see me, and that’s gotta be good for you.”
“Love this,“
Sadie says in the background. “Don’t move.”
Neither of us even considers it.
“I like those odds. Count me in.”
“Absolutely,“
he says as he starts to lean into me a little more, clearly growing more and more comfortable since I think it’s pretty clear we’re both on the same page with our interest and attraction. “So, if we were on a real date right now, what would be your dealbreakers?”
I laugh. “Are we not?”
“I mean, it could be a first date if you want it to be. It feels like one, doesn’t it?“
He blushes as he says it, and my mind flashes back to him admitting he’s a bit of a hopeless romantic.
“I think this is better than any of the first dates I’ve been on,“
I admit, feeling my cheeks heat too “But if we were, I’d say my only dealbreaker is someone who doesn’t laugh easily or takes life too seriously. My job can be stressful, so I am a big fan of humor to cope.”
He leans in just a little closer, face only inches from mine now as he whispers. “Good news, then. I’m easily entertained, and my life motto is ‘Why not?’”
“So good. You’re both naturals,“
Sadie compliments.
Click.
Collin exhales a small laugh at Sadie’s compliment. “I can’t tell if I’m supposed to stay perfectly still when she says we’re doing good or actually breathe.”
“Breathing’s usually encouraged,“
I murmur. “But I do know CPR and am not opposed to performing some mouth-to-mouth should it be necessary.”
He lets out an uncontrolled laugh at that, head tipping back slightly. The sound hits me right in the chest. It’s so full-bodied and genuine that I can’t help but smile. I’m glad he gets my humor.
“Good to know,“
he finally says between laughs. “I might need a demonstration, though, just to make sure you’re legit.”
I grin, leaning in just a fraction so our foreheads are nearly touching again. “That so? You planning on faking an emergency mid-session?”
He raises a brow, smirking. “You might’ve tempted me.”
That pulls a laugh out of me before I can stop it. I love the playful flirting. “You’re trouble.”
“I’ve been called worse,“
he jokes, and the sparks coursing through my veins are so intense that it feels like I’m about to crawl out of my skin with how attracted I am to him.
Sadie clears her throat softly, like she’s trying not to laugh herself. “You guys are doing great,“
she assures us.
Collin turns to face her. “That’s because you’re working with naturals, remember?”
This time, I burst out laughing. “You really don’t quit, do you?”
“Why would I?“
he says, grinning. “It’s working.”
“I’ll give you that,“
I admit. Because it really is. So far, I like everything about this man, and I already want to get to know him better beyond this instant attraction.
“You really are making my job incredibly easy today,“
Sadie agrees, looking up from her camera, smiling. “Do you want to stay on the couch and do some relaxed, cuddled shots… or you can move to the bed setup?”
Collin glances at me, a question in his eyes, and before I can overthink it, I nod. “Let’s move.”
The bed’s covered in white sheets with a grey headboard. Sunlight filters across the mattress in uneven patches.
“Alright,“
Sadie says softly. “Just do what feels natural here.”
Collin wastes no time crawling onto the bed and sinking back against the pillows, half-sitting up with his legs sprawled out. “No pressure,“
he says, glancing at me with a teasing smile as I get into place beside him. When we stop moving, we’re close enough that our arms brush when we shift. Sadie says something faintly encouraging from behind the lens, but her voice is already fading into background noise because Collin is here, next to me, on a bed. Even if it’s completely innocent.
We stay like that for a moment, studying each other. Then, with a small, brave kind of grin, he swings a leg over my lap to straddle me. The move is fluid but cautious; he’s hovering over my thighs like he’s giving me a chance to say it’s too much.
But I don’t.
Because this feels so right in a way I never could have expected coming into today.
Collin’s hands find my shoulders lightly for balance, his thighs straddling mine as he slowly lowers himself. “This okay?”
Sadie doesn’t say a word, just keeps clicking. I’m vaguely aware of her moving to the side of the bed to get a different angle of us.
“Yeah,“
I say, and it comes out lower than I mean for it to. “It’s great.”
He laughs again, a nervous sound this time, and I can feel it more than hear it. His breath ghosts against my cheek, and I can’t stop noticing how close we are. Thankfully, he didn’t sit right on my dick or else I wouldn’t have been able to hide the erection in my pants.
Collin’s fingers tighten slightly on my shoulders as he uses me as balance and leans toward my ear. “I can’t tell if this is the weirdest thing I’ve ever done,“
he murmurs, “or the best.”
I smile before I can stop it. “Probably both. Definitely both.”
“Yeah, probably.“
He huffs out a laugh. “Also, the hottest.”
I nod, the air thick with tension and intensifying by the second as he pulls back to look at me again. This session isn’t supposed to be sexual, at least, I don’t think it is, but my dick isn’t getting the message as it grows harder with Collin’s weight on top of me. It doesn’t even care that it’s not being touched in any way. Not when Collin is this close and this goddamn attractive.
Collin’s eyes flick down, mischief sparking, and I can’t help but wonder if he can feel it too. I try not to blatantly stare at his dick while he’s literally on top of me and Sadie is actively taking photos. “You know,“
he says playfully, “for a photoshoot, this feels like a lot of trust.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.“
He pauses, grin spreading, and I have no idea what he’s thinking. “I could just—”
Before I can guess what’s about to come out of his mouth, he lets out this ridiculous cowboy “Yeehaw!“
and bounces once on my lap like he’s riding a horse.
I lose it. I mean full-body, can’t-hold-it-in laughter. Sadie gasps somewhere behind the camera—equal parts horrified and laughing, too.
“Collin!“
I manage to wheeze out between laughs.
He’s laughing too hard to answer, practically doubled over on me. “Sorry, sorry, it was too quiet and too tense! I panicked! It felt too serious in here!”
I’m still laughing, tears in my eyes. “You panicked and decided that was the move?”
“It worked, didn’t it?“
he says, grinning at me through the laughter.
And yeah, it did, because for a moment I almost forgot we were doing a photoshoot, not really in his bedroom. The heat between us is electric, and I wish I could slide his shirt off while he’s on top of me, then flip him over and press my mouth to his pale skin.
Collin climbs off me and collapses back onto the bed beside me, chest still heaving. The sound fades into a long, contented sigh. He stretches out, one arm flung above his head, brown hair messy, shirt slightly wrinkled. He looks like a gift as we lock eyes. I can already imagine the photo of this exact moment being something I hold onto forever.
“Let’s try something,“
Sadie interjects, breaking our gaze. “Collin, scoot to the middle of the bed, on your back. Eli, come around to the other side of the bed and lean forward on your elbows so your forehead is above Collin’s chin.”
“Like the Spider-Man kiss?“
Collin checks.
“Yeah, except you don’t have to kiss.“
Sadie grins at us with a shrug. “Unless you want to.”
I smirk at Collin as I get into position, leaning forward on the bed while he’s on his back looking up at me. I’d love to kiss him, there’s no doubt about that. His lips are slightly parted, and his eyes are wide, looking up at me. I just met him, and yet he feels like a piece of me. It sounds insane to anyone who doesn’t believe in soulmates, but that’s how I feel around him. The urge to kiss him, to know him, to learn him is strong.
Sadie lifts her camera. “Good. Just like that.“
The quiet room is filled with her shutter as we stare into each other’s eyes. Collin’s are a golden-brown color with a darker brown rim around the lighter color. They’re unique and beautiful. Just like him.
I shift, placing one hand on the side of his cheek and lean in over him. He blinks up at me, a seriousness brought back to his face as he stares at me with parted lips.
His gaze flicks from my mouth to my eyes. “Hey,“
he whispers, as if we haven’t been talking this whole time.
“Hey,“
I whisper back.
Sadie lowers the camera slightly. “Perfect,“
she says quietly. “Now, Eli, look at me for a sec.”
I reluctantly drag my gaze from Collin’s face to the camera, but it feels like my focus barely makes it past him. The second I look away, I can feel his eyes on me, and the pull to look back down at him is overwhelming.
“Good,“
Sadie praises, and I turn my gaze back down to Collin’s.
He smiles at me softly, and I feel it everywhere in my body.
“Now, Collin, look at me. Eli, look at him.”
We do as she instructs. His face is turned in the palm of my hand and instead of keeping the space between us, I lightly press my nose to his cheek I’m now looking at.
“Perfect,“
she murmurs, the camera shutter clicking quietly. “Now both of you, eyes on each other.”
We do just that, and the pull to lean down and kiss him is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.
Sadie lowers her camera but doesn’t speak for a moment before whispering, “That’s the one.”
We stay here in this position, me hovering over him, even after her confirmation. Collin’s chest rises and falls beneath me. His gaze flicks down for half a second to my mouth again, then back to my eyes. I see the hesitation, the question written there.
“Spider-Man kiss?“
he asks in a whisper.
I give the smallest nod. “Spider-Man kiss.”
Then, finally, the space between us evaporates as he tilts his chin up and I lower mine. The kiss is soft at first as his lips brush mine, before I capture his mouth with more intensity. It knocks the air out of my lungs and floods them with heat and want and desire. I’m still leaning over him, and the angle is awkward, but his lips part, and I can feel him everywhere. My pulse is thundering as I kiss him deeper, tongue pushing into his mouth the best I can, not wanting to separate. It’s messy and hungry and awkward and not even close to enough. I want to flip around and pin him to this bed, want to taste him, consume him, but I know this isn’t the time nor place.
We break apart, both of us breathing hard. My hands are on his chin, and I rub my thumb over his stubbly skin. We’re both quiet for a long moment—just staring, breathing, trying to process what we’ve just done. Thankfully, I see no regret in his eyes, only a slow, dawning smile that matches the one tugging at my own lips.
Sadie exhales softly, almost like she’s been holding her breath too. “That,“
she says quietly, “was beautiful. Thank you both for trusting me.”
Neither of us looks away from the other.
“Guess we’re done,“
I whisper.
“Yeah,“
Collin says, still smiling. “Guess so.”
But neither of us moves. His face is still in my hands as I hover over him.
Then he laughs softly, that same lighthearted one from before. “Well… we definitely nailed the connection part for a stranger session.”
I grin, pulling myself back and standing slowly, coming around to his side of the bed to offer him a hand. “Yeah,“
I say. “Think we just raised the bar for stranger sessions everywhere.”
He takes my hand, and when I pull him up, we end up standing too close again—close enough that I can still feel the ghost of the kiss between us.
Sadie exhales like she’s been waiting for the right time to speak. “That was… wow,“
she starts as she takes her camera off. “You two made my job very easy today.”
Collin rubs the back of his neck, still pink-cheeked. “Pretty sure we made it weird at least once, though.”
Sadie laughs. “No, don’t stress, it all totally worked.“
She glances at her camera screen. “I’ll send a few sneak peeks tomorrow, if that’s okay.”
“Definitely,” I say.
“Alright, well, we can pack up and head out of here,“
she instructs, but I didn’t bring anything else with me besides my wallet, phone, and keys. I grab those from the table in the kitchenette area where she had me wait originally, and it seems like Collin does the same.
Once we have our things, we walk with her to the door, the late afternoon sun spilling through the glass as she locks up with the keycode.
Sadie waves as she heads toward her car. “Thanks again, guys. You were perfect together.”
“Thanks for letting two amateurs crash your photography project,“
Collin calls after her.
She laughs and shouts. “Anytime!”
Then it’s just the two of us, standing in the afternoon sunlight, quiet again.
Collin looks over at me, that same small smile still tugging at his mouth. “Well,“
he says, “that was unexpectedly great.”
“Yeah,“
I agree. “It was.”