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

Hayden completed his route and returned home. He took a shower and went back to studying for a few hours. Working on his project was more of a chore than it had ever been. Usually he loved school and his assignments, but today he couldn’t concentrate. Finally it was time to go to work. He gathered the clothes he’d wear on his date after work. His plan was to change at the coffeehouse after his shift ended. Just as he was getting ready to leave, he rushed back and grabbed condoms from his bathroom. After the last few days, he thought less and less that Neal was simply out for a night of fun, but if he’d misread the man, Hayden wanted to be prepared. He wasn’t opposed to a one-night fling, but he was hoping for something more.


Chapter 11