Hayden Owens is just a typical graduate student working his way through school as a barista for the Owens Coffee Company -- no relation. But he keeps the "no relation" part to himself when he meets dashing, older Neal Kirchner, a successful architect from an old-money family. Hayden doesn't exactly lie, but he figures it can't hurt for Neal to believe he's a rich kid. After all, Hayden doesn't want Neal thinking he's a gold digger.<br><br>Neal Kirchner is Asian Indian and British decent. His parents became Christians, shoving their heritage to the side. Neal has returned to the customs and religion his grandmother cherished. On top of being a very successful architect he's heir to the Indian Rose Tea Company, a business that's been in his family for generations.<br><br>Neal's passion is high performance cars and he meets Hayden at a fundraiser for the automotive engineering department of Clemson University. They are immediately smitten with each other. The closer they become, the harder it gets for Hayden to come clean. Something always seems to get in the way. When a company bankruptcy and a jilted, vindictive woman threaten to expose his charade, Hayden thinks it's all gone down the drain. Luckily Neal is ready with some innocent trickery of his own, but will their relationship survive?

High Test

Neal’s eyes were on him the entire time, and every few minutes he’d brush his hand down Hayden’s back or touch his arm.


“I understand what it’s like to love your work. I feel the same way,” Neal commented as they moved to another classroom.


“In here is where the new students begin. They work on developing skills with paper and computer design,” Hayden explained. He expected Neal to become bored any second, but he simply seemed to become more interested.


“I’m an architect and use many of these same tools. Architecture and car design are simply different aspects of the same theory.”


Hayden grinned, finished his martini, and practically gushed, “Yes, yes they are. Imagine my good luck to meet a man who speaks my language.” He cringed inwardly. That sounded too much like a pickup line heard in a bar.


“Imagine that,” Neal said softly and put his hand on Hayden’s shoulder for a few seconds


Chapter 3