“Seeing anyone? Officially… or not?”
“No.”
“Fresh break-up?”
A beat. “Depends what you mean by fresh.”
“Last few months.”
“No.”
“Alright…” Jude leaned back a fraction. “So how far does that relationship history go?”
Warren’s mouth quirked. “You’re the historian. How far back is history?”
“Everything’s history.”
“That’s… poetic.”
“If you mean how far back we look, about twenty years.”
Warren’s smile was faint, crooked. “You want my relationship status to backdate the last twenty years?”
Jude realised that was ridiculous. So he asked, “Are you still carrying a torch for your childhood sweetheart?”
Warren breathed out a laugh. “No.”
Jude studied him a moment longer before finally asking, “Are you bi?”
Warren glanced to the empty sink, then back. “Okay, I get it. You’re confused. So am I. And if you’re asking if I’m out, then no. Until recently, I’d’ve ticked the straight box. I did. On the bloody job application form.”
Jude didn’t blink. “So…I’m your first try with a man?”
Warren drew in a breath. “No. Not exactly.”
Jude tilted his head. “So youhavebeen with men?”
“Sort of.”
Jude arched a brow. “What the hell does ‘sort of’ mean?”
“It means…” Warren dragged a hand over his face, eyes sliding away. “It’s a long, complicated answer. And one I can’t give you without trampling over about a dozen lines I’ve already edged too close to tonight.”
Jude’s voice lowered. “Which lines?”
“The one where I took advantage of someone who’s clearly hanging on by a thread.”
That stung. Jude looked away.
Warren exhaled hard, set his bottle down with a thud. “Look… what happened in the car? There are a hundred reasons why it shouldn’t have. And I’m sorry.”
Jude braced, waiting for the blade to drop.
“But don’t mistake that for regret.” Warren leaned in, eyes locking to Jude’s until his voice softened. “I wanted it. I liked it. Was it a surprise? Yeah. Absolutely. Should I have done it? Probably not. But I like you, Jude. I like seeing you, talking to you, hearing your voice. And…” His jaw flexed, words catching in his throat, breaking his gaze away as if looking at Jude pressed too heavy. “Christ, I fancy you. More than I should. More than I ever thought I could. Enough that it feels like there ought to be barricade tape wrapped around the whole thing.”
He paused, shoulders tense, as if there was something else on the edge of his tongue. Something bigger. Riskier. But he bit it back.
“So yeah, I tested it. And I want more. A lot more.” His voice roughened, the restraint clear. “But right now… that’s a headfuck I don’t know if I can untangle without making things worse. What Icansay, the only thing Ishouldsay, is that none of this is a game. Not with you. I mean it. Every word. Every look. Every touch. That’s as real as I can give you right now.”
