Abbie and Jake watch the other couple

Jake didn't answer at first. The seconds stretched uncomfortably as Abbie watched his attention drift past her shoulder. She felt a flutter of irritation in her chest, realizing that whatever intimate moment she thought they were having was being thoroughly upstaged by the other couple.

"Don't turn and look," Jake whispered, his voice low and urgent. "Just ... let them be." His expression was rapt, like someone who had spotted rare wildlife and was afraid any sudden movement might send it fleeing.

"What's so unusual?" asked Abbie, trying to keep the edge from her voice. She shifted closer, her thigh brushing against his under the water.

Jake's eyes flickered briefly to her face before darting back to the scene behind her. "They're making out. And I'm watching."

"Not unusual, Jake. People kiss all the time," Abbie replied, unable to keep the sarcasm from her tone. "We were just kissing until you got distracted by something apparently more interesting." The words came out with more bite than she'd intended, the sting of being so easily forgotten making itself known.

"Ssh!" Jake hissed, his fingers tightening slightly on her waist.

That was enough. Abbie wasn't going to be kept out of the moment or treated like an afterthought. She pulled her leg off Jake's with deliberate slowness and turned to see what was happening behind her. The water swirled around her body, the splash louder than she'd anticipated. As she turned, the other couple heard the disturbance and paused mid-embrace, the woman's hand freezing against her partner's chest.

"Well, there you go," whispered Jake, sounding both disappointed and relieved. "They stopped."

The Latina woman leaned outward, her ponytail swinging gracefully as she adjusted her position. Her eyes, dark and expressive, met Abbie's with unexpected warmth. "Looks like someone has similar ideas." She was smiling, not at all put off by the interruption. If anything, she seemed amused by the situation.

Abbie grinned back, feeling a strange camaraderie with this beautiful stranger. "That's what I thought." She shot Jake a pointed glare that spoke volumes about her annoyance with his behavior.

"I hope we're not bothering you," the woman said to Abbie, her voice carrying a melodic accent that somehow made the grotto feel even more exotic.

"Not at all!" replied Abbie, suddenly aware of how her body was positioned, half-turned between Jake and this fascinating couple. The water lapped gently around her waist, cool against her heated skin.

Jake leaned forward, his mouth close to Abbie's ear. His breath was warm against her neck as he whispered urgently, "I don't think this is getting better!" His discomfort was palpable, radiating from him in waves that contradicted his earlier voyeuristic interest.

Abbie continued, making a point of ignoring Jake's discomfort. "It looked like it was either you watching us or us watching you." The words came out with a playful lilt that surprised even her. She held the woman's gaze, aware that her expression could be perceived as flirtatious, even if it wasn't her conscious intent.

The Latina woman's smile widened, revealing perfect white teeth. Her partner was now blatant in his efforts to avoid eye contact with anyone, his gaze fixed on the water's surface as if studying its molecular structure. His powerful shoulders tensed slightly, but he made no move to separate from his girlfriend.

"If I may be so bold," the woman said, her voice a silky purr that seemed to ripple across the water between them, "I think your boyfriend was watching us." She paused, letting the words hang in the humid air of the grotto. Her dark eyes, framed by thick lashes, flickered between Abbie and Jake. "Would he like us to keep going?"

Abbie turned to Jake and gazed at him, her eyes wide with a combination of hope and curiosity.