“Home sweet home,” Jack joked from the passenger seat. “Turn left here, man.”

“Your sister’s already there, huh?” Liam asked, starting to feel strangely nervous.

“Yeah. I told you, she came down early yesterday to help get things ready for the party.”

Liam pulled away from the guard booth and into the gated community. They were about an hour south of Atlanta now, in an area called Peachtree City. They’d passed several dozen private communities on the way to Carver Lake, where Jack and Audrey’s parents lived.

Liam gave a low whistle as he checked out the houses. They were all new affairs, tan or blue three-story homes situated around a man-made lake.

“Look at the size of these places,” he said. “They make my place look like a cardboard cracker box.”

“Yeah,” Jack said with a sigh. “They’re certainly not cheap.”

Liam glanced at him. “I’m gonna guess you know that for a fact?”

Jack’s lips thinned, but he nodded. “Take another left here.”

“Does Audrey know that?”

Jack gave a harsh laugh. “Yeah. She’s on my ass about it, non-stop. She thinks if I just quit giving them money, my parents will adjust on their own. Downsize, or whatever. She even went so far as to ask me not to tell them that she makes good money working for you.”

Liam frowned. “Why?”

“My mom has a way of… asking for things.” Jack didn’t say more, and Liam didn’t ask though his curiosity grew by the moment. “Hey, this is it. Turn in here.”

Liam pulled into a long driveway. There were already a dozen cars parked close to the house, so he chose a spot further back where he could still get the car out if he wanted to.

Haven’t even been here a full minute and already looking for an exit strategy, he thought to himself.

It wasn’t totally his fault that he was so on edge. He’d woken yesterday morning in Audrey’s bed… alone. Not a word from her since, either.

Jack made it sound like his sister had been summoned home to deal with the party, but Liam was pretty sure she was also hiding from him, from the intimacy between them.

He didn’t blame her. Liam himself was basically baffled by the whole thing.

“Fuck, let’s get this done with,” Jack said, climbing out of the car and walking toward the big blue house.

The Cross home was an entirely Southern Gothic affair, complete with a big wraparound porch. The lawn was immaculately manicured, and a Mercedes was peeking out of the open garage.

“How were you on scholarship, again?” Liam asked, glancing at Jack.

“Ah. Well, lucky me, dad lost everything in the stock market about a year before I applied for Academe Augustin,” Jack said. “When I came home for Christmas the first time after leaving, the house I grew up in was gone and the family was living in some corporate penthouse downtown. Dad sweet-talked some company secretary into letting us live there for like three years.”

“Hmmm,” Liam said. “He must have the kind of swagger that you have, mate.”

Jack laughed and walked up the steps to the sweeping front porch, pulling open an ornate glass front door to usher Liam inside. Liam went ahead, curiosity pulling him forward.

Inside, it was like some American sitcom about a rich Beverly Hills family. The furnishings were spare and low, every surface highly polished and gleaming.

Jack led Liam through several parlors, all themed differently — one was clearly Japanese inspired, another filled with pieces of ultramodern home decor. On pure instinct, Liam already hated the whole bloody place.

“Everyone’s probably out back by the pool—” Jack was saying.

Liam stopped short once they walked into the kitchen. The whole room was white marble and custom stainless appliances, like some kind of sales showroom. Liam couldn’t care less about the kitchen, though.

No, he was much more interested in the pretty redhead standing near one of the two sinks, mixing up what looked like a huge pitcher of iced tea.

“Aud!” Jack said.

Audrey turned, her gaze immediately narrowing in a way that said she was displeased by Jack and Liam’s presence. She was wearing a conservative white sundress, barely showing any skin, and her gorgeous hair had been bound into a single thick braid down her back.

It was a strange style for her, even to Liam’s limited knowledge of her personal grooming. Somehow, though it wasn’t to his taste, he still found her incredibly sexy in what he thought of as her church-going clothes.

“What the hell, Jack?” Audrey hissed, putting aside a wooden spatula. “You were supposed to be here last night. I’ve had to do almost everything by myself! And you sure as hell weren’t supposed to bring any guests.”

“Hello to you, too, then.” Liam folded his arms across his chest and tried not to feel affronted. From the look on Audrey’s face, she was more than a little stressed at the moment.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Audrey said, shaking her head. She glanced at the glass double doors that led out to the back yard and bit her lip.

“How bad can I be, darlin’?” Liam asked, deliberately breaking out his Cockney accent. “Or are you afraid I’m going to embarrass you in front of mum and dad, is that it?”

Audrey flushed and shook her head. Jack bumped his shoulder into Liam’s and shook his head as well.

Curiouser and curiouser, Liam thought.

“Just go outside,” Audrey sighed. “Y’all are late, no surprise there.”

Liam wanted to stay and make a comment about the sudden appearance of Audrey’s Georgia accent, but Jack dragged him out to the back yard instead. There was a beautiful pool and grotto to one side, and an entertaining area to the right with a full bar, a fancy barbecue grill, and lots of glass tables shaded with colorful umbrellas.

There were a few kids in the pool, splashing around quietly. Over by the grill there were a couple dozen adults, all wearing what seemed like a standard uniform: men in khakis and polos, women in light-colored sundresses.

Now Audrey’s outfit was starting to make a little more sense.

“Wow,” was the only thing Liam could summon. His own jeans and t-shirt seemed a little underwhelming, but Jack wore the same so… at least they’d stick out together.

“Yeah. Let’s get through the introductions, then we can get to the drinking,” Jack said with an eye roll.

Liam straightened his shoulders and put on what he thought of as his celebrity smile, and followed Jack over to meet and greet.

“Mama!” Jack called.

An older bleach blonde in a light pink sundress turned to eye them. She was heavily made up despite the warm weather, and Liam could see that she’d gone through quite a bit of cosmetic surgery.

“Oh. My. Gawd,” she said, setting down her wine glass to raise her arms and run over to Jack with a squeal. “Look, y’all, it’s my boy!”

She hugged Jack hard, her movements a little awkward. She seemed drunk, or at least pretty bloody tipsy.

“Mama, Liam’s here. Liam, this is my mother Donna.”

“Goodness,” she said once she released Jack. “You must be Liam. You’re just as sexy as in your photos!”

It wasn’t the first time Liam had heard something like that, of course. He was fairly well-known in the UK, and didn’t exactly get to choose his admirers, after all.

“Oh, thank you,” was his only answer, and he held out his hand to her.

Donna flung herself on him in much the same way she had Jack, but her hands found their way to Liam’s hips, giving him an overtly touchy squeeze. Liam tried not to freeze up, but Audrey chose that moment to step outside. Their gazes locked, and she looked pissed.

“Mama!” she shouted as she rushed over to separate her mother from Liam. “I brought you some sweet tea. I thought you could use a little refresher after all that wine.”

Audrey’s smile was sweet as sugar, but Liam could see the steely glint in her eyes.

“I don’t personally care for the way you make tea, Audrey Lynne,” her mother said, giving Audrey a tart look and scooping up her wine glass once more.

“I made it just like Nana Ann used to do,” Audrey said, her smile turning tense.

“I doubt that,” her mother said, dismissing Audrey in favor of Jack. “Jack, honey, you look like you’re not eating enough. Are they not feeding you down in Atlanta these days?”

“Uhhh…” Jack glanced between his mother and Audrey, who was gripping the big glass pitcher of iced tea so hard that her hands were white. “Mama, I gotta introduce Liam to Dad.”

Liam gave Audrey a quick, curious glance. She just gave a tiny shake of her head and brushed past them to carry the pitcher to the bar.

“Dad,” Jack said, calling over a khaki-wearing man in his late fifties. “This is Liam. Liam, my father Beau.”

“Nice to meet you, sir,” Liam said, offering Beau a hand. Beau took it, but didn’t look pleased. “You and Jack look just alike, if you don’t mind me saying.”

“Where are you from, son?” Beau asked, giving Liam the hardest handshake he’d ever experienced. His Southern accent was more pronounced even than his wife’s, and Liam had to listen hard to dissect what the man was saying.

“England, sir.”

“London?” he asked, releasing Liam to sip his beer.

“Born and raised.”

“I’m gonna be honest, son, I can’t understand a damn word you’re saying. I hear you’re real famous, though. That’s gotta be nice.”

“Liam’s making millions just for this season, can you imagine?” Donna said, appearing at Liam’s side once more. She patted his arm and winked at him. “I read all about you in People magazine. I think Jack should be making just as much, don’t you Liam?”

What happened to the stereotype of Southerners not talking about money? Liam wondered.

“Err… absolutely,” Liam said.

Beau turned and drifted off, uninterested. Audrey returned with a glass of tea in her hand, sipping it quietly.

“Jack’s really moving up in the world, yes siree,” Donna continued, giving Jack an adoring glance. “He’s going to be an international superstar. Aren’t you, Jackie?”

“Mmmhm,” Jack said noncommittally.

“Then the Cross family is gonna be big time, I tell you,” Donna said. She snorted to herself. “Maybe then we can finally convince somebody to marry little Audrey Lynne over here. She’s getting dusty up there on the marriage shelf, aren’t you honey?”

“Mom, I’m only twenty four,” Audrey said.

“And not a single proposal of marriage to your name yet,” Donna tsked. “By twenty, I’d recieved… oh, let’s see… no less than seven, surely.”

“Well, it’s the modern age in the rest of the world,” Audrey said mildly. Liam noticed that her fingers were going white again, though. “Nobody’s getting married at twenty these days.”

“It’s probably all that red hair,” Donna said, as if Audrey hadn’t spoken. She reached out and captured a tendril that had escaped from Audrey’s braid, tucking it behind her ear. “I blame your father, all that Scottish blood. Never seen a head of hair so red in my life, right from the day you were born. I do so wish you’d let me take you to my salon and get it fixed up. Red is just so…. I don’t know, vulgar…”

Audrey’s eyes closed for the briefest moment, but otherwise she didn’t react.

“I know, mama,” she said.

“I think it’s a very pretty color,” Liam said, feeling the need to come to Audrey’s defense. Audrey’s mother didn’t seem to think the color vulgar on Jack.

Donna gave Liam a considering look.

“Well, you would. Y’all English and Irish and Scots, whatnot. Why y’all like that pale skin and red hair is beyond me. To each his own, they say.”

“Yes ma’am,” Liam said.

“Liam, let’s go get some drinks,” Jack said, pulling Liam away from the conversation.

A little distance didn’t stop Liam from hearing Donna as she continued to list each and every one of Audrey’s perceived flaws, though.

“Now Audrey, honey, you are showing far too much leg in that dress. Your Nana Ann would be ashamed of you…”

“Seems like you got the luck in your family too, eh?” Liam asked Jack as they dug some cold beers out of an ice chest.

“Huh? Oh, you mean my mom? Yeah… she and Audrey don’t get along so hot.” Jack twisted the cap off his beer and took a long sip, then shook his head. “Audrey practically bends over backward trying to please her, and that’s how mom reacts. Dad’s more… well, he just plays a lot of golf.”

“Why’s your mum so hard on Audrey?” Liam asked.

“Oh, it’s beyond me. You know Audrey set up almost every single thing at this party? Mama just sat and directed her, like she always does. I wish Audrey would grow some balls and ignore her for once,” Jack said with a sigh.

“No wonder she didn’t want me here,” Liam said.

“What? Why?” Jack asked.

Liam gave him a long look. “You ever think maybe your sister didn’t want an outsider to see your mom rip her up like that?”

From his startled expression, it genuinely had not occurred to Jack.

“Steaks are ready!” Beau shouted.

Everyone served themselves from a table set up with lots of different kinds of food, mostly Southern specialties. Jack and Liam ended up at a picnic table with Jack’s parents, eating and chatting.

After a few minutes of watching Audrey flit about, trying to make sure everyone had absolutely everything they could ever possibly want, Liam called over to her.

“Audrey! Come sit with us, have a bite to eat!”

She gave him a cross look, but did come over and sit across from him.

“Where’s your plate?” he asked.

“Audrey’s on a diet, aren’t you honey?” Donna said, breaking from her own conversation to answer Liam.

“What for?” Liam asked, his Cockney slipping out.

“You wouldn’t understand, darlin’, because you’re a man. And you’re so active, unlike our little Audrey. She’s supposed to be catching herself a husband down there in Atlanta, not an extra twenty pounds.”

“I think she looks fine,” Liam said, anger bubbling up inside him. Audrey looked absolutely perfect to him, and he’d seen enough gorgeous women to have an expert opinion on the topic.

Audrey plastered on a smile. “I’m not hungry.”

“So Liam!” Beau said, turning his attention Liam’s way. “How long are you in Atlanta?”

“Oh…” Liam said, setting down his beer and clearing his throat. “I don’t really know.”

“How long’s your contract with Atlanta Unified?” Donna asked.

“My initial contract is for a year,” Liam said slowly.

“And do you plan on staying after that?” Beau asked. “We’re all very curious to know how long Jack’s contract will last, and I figure you two are linked more than Jack likes to admit.”

“Again, I don’t really know. It depends on the terms, I guess,” Liam said.

“Well!” Donna exclaimed. “I guess we better not make any grand plans yet, Jackie!”

Liam cleared his throat. “Jack’s contract is independent of my own. After this year, anyway.”

“It sounds like you probably will leave after this year, is what it sounds like,” Beau said. “Am I right about that?”

Liam suddenly felt the heavy weight of Audrey’s gaze on him, but he couldn’t just outright lie.

“That’s probably right, yes,” he said.

Audrey cleared her throat and stood up, looking flushed. “I’m going to go make some lemonade.”

“Not too much sugar, dear,” Donna said immediately. The second Audrey was gone, Donna turned to Liam once more. “Don’t want her getting ideas about you, darlin’. She’s giving you that puppy love look, poor thing, and I think we both know that’s not a good idea. Audrey clings so bad to things, probably why she’s still unwed.”

“I told you we should have just sent her to finishing school instead of that fancy college. She’s got too much education for a girl,” Beau intoned.

“Well, at least one of our children will be here to care for us in our old age,” Donna sighed, then reached across the table to pat Jack’s hand. “I know my Jackie’s gonna have a big family of his own, he’ll be too busy to take care of us.”

Liam opened his mouth, feeling something unpleasant about to spill out, but Jack tapped him on the arm and stopped it in time.

“Let’s go get another beer, man,” Jack said. When they were further away, Jack shook his head. “Don’t let them get to you, man.”

“I can’t believe you let them talk like that,” Liam snapped. “All Audrey does is bloody worry about you and your fucking antics, and you can’t even stand up for her to your own family?”

Jack looked shocked. “Look, it’s always been like this.”

“I don’t care about family history, Jack. This is…” Liam stopped, then took a breath. “I’m going to go find Audrey.”

“I’m sure she’s fine, man.”

Liam’s fists clenched. For just a fraction of a second, he thought about punching Jack square in the nose. Instead, he just sucked in a breath and walked away, trying not to let his anger boil over.

It took a few minutes of searching to find Audrey on the front porch, hastily eating a peanut butter sandwich.

“Are you hiding?” he asked when he stepped out.

She gave a little cough, frowning at him as she chewed.

“No,” she mumbled.

“You’re hiding from your mum to eat a sandwich,” Liam said, crossing his arms.

Audrey glared at him. “All I’ve had in the last twelve hours is a handful of popcorn and some grapes. I deserve a damn sandwich if I want one.”

She finished the last bite and turned to go inside, but Liam snagged her wrist.

“Don’t go back in,” he said. “Stay with me. I’d never thought I’d say this, but… I’m nicer.”

Audrey’s scowl wavered, and he could see her repressing a smile.

“I have to. My mom probably needs something by now,” she sighed.

“So fucking what? She’s not disabled, is she?” Liam asked, arching his brows.

“Well, no, but—”

“But nothing. Stay out here with me. Hell, we can leave right now if you want.”

“I shouldn’t be going anywhere with you,” she sighed. “Clearly I can’t be trusted.”

“Trusted to do what? Catch yourself a husband?” Liam asked, pulling her over to sit on the front steps.

“Trusted not to get intimate with someone who’s leaving town in six months,” she said, her faint smile falling away once more.

Her words hung heavy between them for a moment.

“Listen, Audrey,” Liam tried.

“Nope. No,” she said, cutting him off. “I don’t want to hear whatever you’re about to say, I really don’t. I knew better, and I… I instigated things anyway.”

“You don’t even know what I was going to say.”

“Doesn’t matter, Liam. I already understand that it’s not going to be pretty promises and talk of the future.” She pursed her lips. “You’re not like that. I knew that from day one.”

Liam couldn’t think up a clever retort, so he leaned down and kissed her instead. He meant it to be quick, just to shut her up, but the second his lips touched hers it turned heated, demanding. In mere moments they were both breathing fast, and it was all Liam could do to let Audrey go when she finally pushed him away.

“You don’t understand,” she whispered. “I can’t do this.”

“What, kiss me? You’ve proved to be pretty damn good at it.”

“No, Liam. I can’t… mess around with you. Do you know why my mom keeps talking about me getting a husband?”

“Because she’s a bit of a twat?” Liam asked.

“Ugh, that word is gross.” She wrinkled her nose. “And no. She needs me to marry someone rich. Jack’s current bit of luck, playing for Atlanta Unified, that will only last for so long.”

“And that’s your problem, somehow?” Liam asked.

“Yeah, Liam! It is. Not everyone’s family is so well off that they never have to worry about money, okay?”

Liam stared at her for several long moments, trying to work through her words.

“Audrey, what kind of family do you think I’m from?” he asked, staring her down.

“Um, the kind that sends their kid to Swiss boarding school,” she said, giving him a funny look.

“And Jack never talked about visiting my family when we were lads?” he asked.

“No. Jack and I weren’t really close back then. I was here, and he was off frolicking with you at endless summer camp.”

It seemed that there was quite a lot that Jack hadn’t filled in for her, including the constant bullying he’d lived through in his first couple years of Academe Augustin.

“I was on scholarship, just like Jack,” Liam informed her.

She paused, cocking her head. “You were?”

“Yeah. And I hate to tell you this, cupcake, but I come from a much harsher place than Peachtree City, Georgia.”

She seemed to consider that for a few moments.

“I didn’t know,” she said. “I’m sorry for… for jumping to conclusions, I guess.”

“My point in telling you this, love, is that we don’t owe our parents much beyond a little thank you for making me once in a while. You can’t be running around trying to…” he paused to wave his hand at the house, “support all of this. Honestly, Jack shouldn’t be giving them money either. He’s not a great footballer, he should be saving his money and investing it.”

Audrey pressed a hand to her forehead.

“Yeah, I keep telling him that,” she sighed.

“And you, what do you keep telling yourself?” Liam asked. “It sounds like you buy into some of that evil shite that keeps coming out your mum’s mouth.”

Audrey snorted. “Well… I’ve just heard it for so long, it’s kind of like… a hum in the background. I barely hear it, but it never quite leaves my head, you know?”

“Well, she’s fucking wrong. You’re very fit, and your hair is gorgeous. Like fire, if fire was soft like silk.”

He gave her a half smile, brushing a lock of her hair back from her forehead. She smiled back for a second, then sighed and pulled back.

“What? I’m being all… romantic, like,” he said, teasing.

“I don’t want you to be romantic,” she said, sobering. “Ask yourself, Liam, truthfully. Is there any scenario here where you and me getting closer doesn’t end in catastrophe?”

“I think it’s likely to end in amazing sex,” he said with a grin.

“I think it’s going to end up with you back in London and me totally brokenhearted,” Audrey said, looking away from him suddenly. Was that a glint of tears in her eyes?

“Oh, Ginger, don’t be like that.”

“Liam…” she said, her lower lip beginning to tremble. She glanced at him, and he could see that she was indeed only moments from tears. “If you care for me, even a little bit, you won’t make me…” She sucked in a breath, then finished, “Please don’t make me fall for you. You can’t help the way you are, and I can’t help getting attached. Trust me, it’s better this way.”

Liam couldn’t think of a single thing to say to that. Nothing that wasn’t just a growled curse, followed by yanking her against his body and kissing her until she changed her mind, anyway.

Audrey gave him a look, a truly sad sort of smile, then slipped away into the house.

Liam gave himself a couple minutes of alone time, trying to shake off the sudden gloom that fell on him. It was hard, knowing what sort of man Audrey really thought him to be. Like looking at himself in the mirror the morning after an all-night bender, shocking and unpleasant.

When he’d calmed himself down, he headed back to the party. Another full hour dragged by, Liam and Jack hardly talking, Liam gritting his teeth every time Audrey’s mum made another critical comment.

Audrey herself didn’t reappear, and Liam was just a little too proud to go looking for her again. Her words rang in his head, all the reasons that she didn’t want to get any closer to him.

At the end, Jack waved off Liam’s offer of a ride home. Liam left the party with a dark thundercloud over his head, his thoughts jumping around wildly.

Was he really just not good enough for her? He knew it, of course, but… it was difficult to hear that from her lips.

Maybe there was someone else. Maybe she had a secret.

Maybe, maybe, maybe…

He made it back to Atlanta in record time, but instead of going home he went to a hole-in-the-wall pub near his house and put down pint after pint.

Why the hell am I even this miserable? he wondered to himself. I’ve never been this tangled up over a woman, ever.

That was the problem, though. Audrey wasn’t just any woman. She was funny and caring, efficient and smart, all in one irresistibly sexy package. And she tolerated Liam amazingly well, though he wasn’t certain how or why.

All at once, an ominous realization flickered to life in the back of his beer-soaked brain.

You care about her. You fancy her, you stupid sot.

And then, well, this is completely and totally fucked.

Throwing some cash on the bar, he stood up and propelled himself out into the night air, hoping it would give him some small bit of clarity.

Just what the hell was he supposed to do now?