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

Apparently there had been a lot more planning than Hayden was ever aware of. All the members of his family had more comfortable, casual clothes and shoes befitting an outdoor barbeque stashed in Neal’s spare bedroom. Weeks ago, Hayden had begun leaving clothes at the house, and he was terribly happy to shed his suit for knee-length khaki shorts, a light blue shirt, and sandals. Neal dressed similarly except his shorts were black, his shirt dark gray, and his sandals were much nicer.


It didn’t take long for his family to organize a pickup flag football game. Even though Neal claimed to have no knowledge of the game, he joined in. He was athletic enough he kept up even without an in-depth familiarity with the rules and nuances of the game. Twice Neal not only snagged the flag from Hayden’s pocket but got one arm around his waist in the process.


Chapter 61