Theo was trying to tell himself he wasn’t on a lunch date. It was a lunch meeting. Just because James had an adorable picnic basket in his hand didn’t mean anything other than they were going to eat while they talked.

Theo knew he probably should have said no. It wasn’t good to be hanging around one-on-one with a gorgeous guy who was out of bounds. But, was he crazy, or did it feel like James was flirting with him? Theo’s curiosity had got the better of him and before he knew it, he was heading down to the castle’s storage area.

He would have been thoroughly confused as to why they were headed there, but he had discovered yesterday that here was where Bodiam got their deliveries, via a small dock. It was a little archaic but better than wrecking the bridge at the front, or modernising it so cars could turn around. The docks were part of Bodiam’s quaintness.

Now, though, there wasn’t a delivery waiting for them. There was Manjeet, standing by a rowboat that he’d moored up on a stone boulder at the end of the jetty. His face lit up as he and James approached, passing by all the boxes of stationery and Christmas decorations.

“All right, boss,” he said, clapping his hands. “You’re all ready to go. Just moor it back up when you’re done. Mr Glass,” he added, nodding at Theo.

“Hi,” Theo said, shaking his hand before he left. Then he gave James a look. “Are you taking me out on the moat so I can’t run off?”

James burst out laughing as they walked down several steps to a small stone jetty. The little wooden boat was bobbing on the water, which was sparkling in the sunshine. “It’s one way to make you sit and relax,” he admitted with a shrug. He seemed genuinely concerned that Theo take a break. It was endearing in more than a ‘boss looking out for his employee’ sort of way.

Theo didn’t really believe James was flirting with him, did he? Even if he was into guys in some way, he wouldn’t go for someone like Theo. He was a common little twink from Essex. He could imagine James with a handsome rugby player type, someone who went to a private school and drove a Ferrari. But not Theo.

All the same, James did offer his hand to help Theo get into the boat, which he appreciated because he had absolutely no sea legs. James had a firm grip that sent shivers down Theo’s spine. Before he could stop himself, he wondered what it might be like to be held with such strength.

By the time James also stepped onto the boat, Theo had calmed himself down again. He was being ridiculous. Even if James did give him that dazzling smile of his as he took hold of the oars.

“So?” James began to ask as they pushed off into the water. He obviously knew what he was doing. “How’s everything coming along with the preparations?”

It was another beautiful summer’s day, so Theo slipped on his sunglasses. “Great,” he said honestly. He couldn’t help but get a little excited when he thought about everything he had been able to accomplish in such a short time. It was amazing what having an actual budget to work with could achieve. “We’re ahead of schedule, actually. The courtyard is coming along nicely and the carpenters will soon move to set up the fireworks display platform on the bank of the moat. I just booked a brilliant string quartet to perform on Saturday evening and Jemima pointed me in the direction of a great agency to provide us with servers to go around with food and drinks and stuff.” He bit his lip, trying to remember what else he had organised that morning. “Oh, and we’ve already confirmed our two hundredth ticket. We should make three hundred guests easily.”

Although he was also wearing sunglasses, Theo could still see James giving him a funny look.

“What?” he asked, feeling a bit nervous.

James shook his head. “It’s just nice to see you so enthusiastic about it. I’m glad the job is working out for you.”

Theo bit his lip and grinned. “I’m loving it, thank you,” he said. “It was proper decent of you to give me the chance.”

James didn’t reply, he just smiled and nodded.

It only took a few minutes to get them into the middle of the water. James steered them around to the west where the bigger oak trees grew out over the moat edge so it might give them a bit more cover from the early afternoon sun. Thanks to the external perimeter half a mile or so away, Theo knew they weren’t at risk of random dog walkers gawping at them from the shore. He was glad. He kind of wanted to enjoy this moment in private.

“I hope you’re hungry,” James said once they stopped on the still waters. He moved the hamper between them to begin dishing up. “Peggy packed us a small feast.”

“Oh wow,” Theo said, leaning forwards to look. Then he spied something that caused him to burst out laughing. “Look under your seat,” he said as he took a breath. “We have a stowaway.”

James frowned, then looked between his knees.

“Oh, Bertie,” he cried in exasperation. “What on earth? How did you get there?”

Bertie yawned like he always fell asleep on boats and woke to find himself in the middle of a lake. He didn’t fuss at all as James pulled him up to cradle in his arms and rub his belly.

“You love them dogs, don’t you?” Theo asked. He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but how he looked after the Yorkies was one of James’s most attractive.

James smiled, guilty as charged. “They’re part of the family,” he admitted before putting Bertie down and delving into the picnic basket. “What about you? Don’t you have any pets?” he asked. “You and your grandmother seem like you’d be well suited to having some furry friends.”

Theo shrugged and reached forward to stroke Bertie’s head himself. “Pets cost money, don’t they?” he said sadly.

And there they were again. It always came back to this chasm of class between them. James handed Theo a roast chicken sandwich and offered him a small smile. “Well,” he said softly, “after the fundraiser, you might be able to look after a rescue dog, perhaps?”

Theo hadn’t even thought about that. He broke into what was probably a goofy grin. Yes, the funds would be used to expand the charity. But if Nan had a proper salary and stopped spending all her extra cash on the halfway houses, maybe they could get a dog.

James was smiling back at him. It made Theo’s stomach flip. “Oh,” he said. “Now that’s a nice idea. I bet Nan would love that. She’d take home half of Battersea Dogs Home if I let her.”

They laughed together. James looked so different when he was relaxed rather than stiff and formal. He was even wearing jeans today, Theo noticed. They probably cost ten times what Theo’s had, but in that moment, where it was just the two of them in the boat, it felt like they weren’t so different, after all.

“Oh, look,” said Theo excitedly around a mouthful of sandwich. He pointed out over the lake. “There’s the swans!”

James shielded his eyes against the sun and looked across the sparkling water to where the pair of swans were swimming silently beside each other. Their bodies created little ripples as they moved. They really were beautiful.

“They’ve been here for years,” James commented.

Theo nodded and swallowed his next bite of chicken and bread before speaking this time. “Manjeet said. He also said they were both boys.”

He probably shouldn’t have mentioned it. But he wanted to gauge James’s reaction to the fact his swans were gay.

His heart did an embarrassing flip when James’s expression brightened. “I know,” he said eagerly, talking as he popped open a cold bottle of bubbly and pouring them two glasses. “It’s nice to see them so happy together. I’m hoping one year they might persuade a female to mate with one of them. I’d love them to have a family of their own.”

Theo was touched James would even think of such a thing. “That would be so cute,” he agreed.

They ate their lunch in silence for a few minutes, watching the swans float by. It wasn’t an uncomfortable quiet, but it did give Theo a chance to think. “Can I ask you something?”

James turned back to look at him and nodded. “Of course,” he said.

Theo licked his fingers and made sure he didn’t have mayonnaise around his mouth. “Why did you give me this job?”

“Because I wanted someone I could trust,” James said without missing a beat. Theo blinked. That wasn’t the answer he’d been expecting. “The truth is,” James continued, “that I needed a kick up the arse. I’ve been drifting and I needed something to do, something to give me purpose. When I met you, you weren’t afraid to tell me exactly what you thought. You also worked in charity events management and the pieces just sort of fell into place.”

Theo gave himself a further few seconds to think by pouring another glass of bubbly. Then he offered the bottle James’s way. He allowed Theo to top him up.

“You put on this ball…because you met me?” Theo asked slowly.

James shrugged. “In a way, yes,” he said. Then he grinned over the lip of his wide-brimmed glass. “Why do you think I was so keen for you to take the job? It would all have been a bit pointless otherwise. Besides, I like hanging around someone who doesn’t automatically say ‘Yes, Sir. No, Sir. Three bags full, Sir.”

He was still smiling at Theo, but Theo was feeling somewhat overwhelmed. All this, just because he gave a prince a bit of a telling off? They’d barely spoken for two minutes. Most of it had been a misunderstanding about a dog and a vase.

Now, goodness only knew how many people were going to be benefiting from a fundraiser with the potential to raise thousands of pounds, all thanks to Theo?

“Are you quite all right?” James asked, his voice soft with concern. He leaned forward and looked at Theo. Theo glanced away, rubbing his eyes under his glasses as inconspicuously as he could.

“Oh, yeah, fine,” he said, clearing his throat. “Thanks. You’re helping so many people by doing this. People, um, like me. Who didn’t have the easiest starts in life.”

James pulled a grape off the bunch and considered it. “Is that why you live with your grandmother?” he asked. The sun had gone behind a cloud, so he took his sunglasses off and regarded Theo with those piercing blue eyes. “I understand completely if you’d rather not say.”

Theo wasn’t used to guys being interested in his life. Probably because he never let a single one get close enough to ask. But he found he wanted to talk to James.

“No, that’s fine,” he assured him, taking off his own glasses. “Do you want to hear my story?” he asked.

James nodded, sipping his Champagne. “Very much so, please.”

Theo brushed the crumbs from his fingers and thought about where to start.

“Once upon a time, there was a lovely girl called Ella and a cheeky chap named Ash. One night, Ash was in the chippy after a night down the pub. It was gone midnight, so all the weirdos were out. He sees this girl, Ella, getting a hard time from some twats who seem to think her skirt’s too short. He’s about to step in and save the day when she turns around and gives them a right old earful.”

Theo laughed, thinking of his mum telling those bastards where to get off. He’d loved hearing his mum telling him all about it when he was little.

“Ash falls in love there and then, asking Ella out. A year later they’re married, another year and Ella has a bouncing baby boy on the way.”

Theo paused, looking down into the dark lake. Ripples expanded out from the side of the boat, sunlight glinting off the dancing water. As much as he wanted to share this with James, he hated telling this story.

“This is where young Theodore’s life of tragedy begins. Ash is deployed in the First Gulf War but doesn’t come home from his tour in Kuwait. A nasty landmine meant he never got to meet his baby son, although Ella always told Theodore that his daddy loved him very much.

“When Theodore was five years old, Ella met and married a new man called Jacob. He seemed very charming, as did his sons, Andrew and Derek. But Jacob was a bit of a dodgy dealer, and whenever Theodore was left alone with his stepbrothers, they made his life hell. Theodore loved his mum more than anything, though, and wanted to see her happy. So he did what his stepdad and brothers told him and never said a word against them.”

Theo could feel the tears in his eyes, but he kept his gaze on the lake. It was pointless to try and bottle them up. It was best to just tell this part as fast as possible.

“When little Theodore was seven, the beautiful Ella was killed in a car crash. Theodore stayed living with his stepfamily, but they were always very cruel to him. He liked rainbows and unicorns too much. Then when Theodore was thirteen, he got caught kissing an older boy behind the bike sheds at school. So his stepfamily kicked him out for good.”

For a brief second, that had been the greatest moment of Theo’s short life. He’d kissed his crush, who was a whole two years older than him. The boy’s name had long since vanished from Theo’s mind. But he remembered how triumphant he felt. Like he was finally being his true self.

He often wondered how many other queer kids’ first kisses made them homeless.

“Luckily, Theodore’s godmother was his nan, Mabel, the real hero of this tale. Mabel would have fought to get full custody of young Theodore, but she didn’t need to. His stepfamily gave him up with no fight at all.” As much as Theo hated Jacob and his sons, it still hurt that they couldn’t wait to be rid of him. “Mabel told him every day that he was perfect and there was nothing wrong with him, then set up a charity so she could tell every child like Theodore who came her way the same thing.” He blinked, allowing the tears to spill, running down his face and clinging to his eyelashes. He looked up at James, who was watching Theo intently. “The end.”

For a while, James didn’t speak. “I’m so dreadfully sorry that happened to you,” he said eventually. “But…it’s not the end.”

Theo rubbed the last of his tears from his eyes. As much as he loathed crying, it had been somewhat cathartic to tell his story to James. Theo couldn’t help but believe that James did care and was sorry for him. It was nice.

“Are you going to give me an inspirational speech now?” he asked James with a rueful chuckle. “About how I still have the whole of the rest of my life ahead of me to prove those wankers wrong?”

“I don’t need to,” James said. He briefly touched Theo’s knee, almost making his heart stop. The moment was over before Theo could embarrass himself, though. “You’re already doing it. You’re stronger than I ever could be, Theo Glass. Men like that will never be worthy of your time.”

Theo stared at him. The moment stretched out between them.

“You’re a prince,” said Theo after a few moments passed. “You’re going to be in history books.”

James shrugged and offered Theo a wry smile. “I was just born into that. You’ve made something of yourself.”

They held each other’s gaze for a moment. Theo gave James a nervous smile. “Thank you,” he said.

Bertie whined from the bottom of the boat, catching both their attention and breaking the moment. A fat drop of rain hit Theo’s arm, making him jump. When had it got so dark?

“That doesn’t look great,” James said as thunder rumbled overhead.

“Yeah,” Theo agreed. “Maybe we should…”

Before he could finish suggesting they head back indoors, the heavens opened. Theo gasped as cold rain poured from the sky, soaking them in seconds.

“Fuck!” James shouted, startling Theo with his profanity. Although he had been in the Army, so it wasn’t all that shocking.

Theo had to agree with him. Fuck, indeed. They were getting drenched.

James scrambled for the oars as Bertie hid back under his seat again, whimpering with his tail under his legs. Theo only had one concern, though.

“No, no, no!” he cried, trying to hide his phone from the rain under his seat. But it was no good. The rain was dripping everywhere and bouncing back up off the moat.

He had to keep it dry. It already had a substantial crack along the screen, and there was no way he was risking it getting ruined and losing all his data. His whole job, his life was on the blasted thing. So he didn’t think twice about whipping his T-shirt off and wrapping it several times around his phone, clutching it to his chest in an attempt to protect it from water damage.

He could feel James’s eyes on him as he hurriedly steered them back to the castle dock with long, strong strokes of the oars, but Theo kept his gaze lowered. He was embarrassed enough as it was without hunky James judging Theo for his slim physique.

Bertie was whimpering and shivering by the time they approached the steps. He launched himself over a foot of water to land on the stone and hurtled himself back inside where it was dry. Theo couldn’t blame him. He was already standing by the time James threw the rope over the stone boulder to moor them.

He should have remembered his lack of sea legs, though.

He lost his balance again almost immediately, tipping the boat violently as the storm thrashed down on the lake around them. He cried out, throwing his wrapped-up T-shirt to the safety of the step. But he couldn’t help himself.

“Theo!” James cried as Theo stumbled and slipped on the rain-soaked boat deck. He was in the water before he knew it.

Only for a second, however. Strong hands plunged in after him and hauled him back out as James dragged him coughing and spluttering onto the jetty. He was sure he hadn’t really been in any danger of drowning. But that wasn’t his main concern just then.

“My Converse!” he cried, staring in horror at his moat-soaked trainers. One of the soles had come halfway off, detaching from the rest of the shoe. There would be no saving them in the washing machine this time.

But James already had him on his feet, hauling him back through the open door into the deserted storage area. “Are you all right?” he gasped. He dashed back out to scoop up Theo’s phone, unwrapping the pink T-shirt from around it when they were under cover to check it was unscathed. Theo was thoroughly relieved to see it was.

James pressed it into his damp hands as they stood shivering and dripping on the flagstones. Theo suddenly realised how close they were. And that he was naked from the waist up.

James was cradling Theo’s hands with his own much larger ones, the mobile phone nestled between Theo’s palms like something precious. He supposed it was, really. But right then, Theo felt utterly ridiculous for having made such a spectacle of himself. James was still standing so close, his own shirt soaked through and displaying the defined muscles clearly underneath the material. Their breaths mingled in the quietness of the storage room.

Theo looked up into James’s blue eyes. He was close enough to kiss. He wasn’t letting go of Theo and his gaze searched Theo’s face. The moment stretched out.

All of a sudden, Theo came to his senses and stepped back, letting James go. “I’m sorry,” he said, yanking his shirt back on. “I’m a bloody drama queen, falling into a sodding lake to save my phone. But it’s okay and thanks to you I didn’t drown, so, it’s okay. Um…” Fuck, he felt like an absolute tit. And then on top of all that he’d almost kissed James. He started walking backwards through the storage area. “I’ll see you later, yeah? Just text me or something. Thanks for lunch,” he gibbered. “Thank you, bye!”

He ran away before he could humiliate himself any further.