As Long As I Have You

~ Chapter Eighteen ~

Evan didn't say much on the drive back to her loft, and Kirsten was just as content as he was to ride in silence. She found herself in need of the quiet and struggled to hold onto any one thought, instead bouncing between a laundry list of to-do's and an unexpected and even longer list of what if's.

Yesterday's spontaneous decision had checked off countless to-do's, and each one was worth its weight in gold. Save her father's company from financial ruin – check. Protect the reputation of Travis Enterprises and avoid corporate scandal – check and check. Provide Evan Beaumont with the means to fulfill the terms of his father's contract – check. All in all getting married had been the perfect solution for them both.

Unfortunately, their perfect solution also created a slew of brand new problems that even now twisted her stomach into tangled knots. There was no way of knowing how people would react to news of Evan Beaumont's new wife, or the fact that she married him just as his company negotiated the purchase of a near majority share in her own family's corporation.

It wouldn't take much of a leap for people to brand her a gold digger and Evan an opportunist. It was hardly an ideal scenario and wouldn't exactly bolster either of their reputations, but it was definitely one she could live with if it meant neither of their secrets became public and Travis Enterprises was pulled off the chopping block.

At this point she was more concerned with the reactions of those people closer to home, namely her family and Evan's. Her stepmother Elizabeth would most likely assume her steadfast demeanour and declare assurance that everything happened for a reason, and that Kirsten knew exactly what she was doing. Of course everything would work out just the way it was supposed to.

If Elizabeth was the calm, then Danny was most certainly the storm. She could already see him marching away from the conversation, convinced that Evan had somehow taken advantage of her and the precarious state of Travis Enterprises, even if they were getting exactly what they wanted for exactly the price they were looking for.

It wouldn't be difficult dealing with Danny's temper, but it would be exhausting. Since the two of them were twelve years old and became siblings by marriage it was always the same. His fuse would spark, he would stop talking to her for a few days while he pulled some harebrained stunt to prove he was right, and then the two of them would end up screaming at each other and hurling ultimatums before the dust settled and life went back to normal.

If she thought to avoid that pattern this time around she knew it was a wishful thought at best. She seriously doubted she would get his blessing right away, but she did hope he would give it once she explained the situation in its entirety. Barring that, she would have to ask their mother to talk some sense into him. Should her brother do something particularly stupid she also had to consider asking Elizabeth to swing her shares into a deciding vote for her and Travis Enterprises. Her father's will clearly provided a strategic advantage, but it was the type of leverage she didn't want to use unless there were truly no other choice. To do so could cause irreparable damage to her relationship with Danny, and she wasn't sure creating a rift using her father's will was one that could ever be bridged.

And what of Evan's family? He was confident his brother would keep quiet about their arrangement, but what would the rest of his family think about a mysteriously appearing wife? Would Evan be able to handle them as deftly as he promised? Or would they also be quick to judge and see her as an opportunistic gold digger who came out of nowhere? Convincing the Beaumont clan of her moral character would be no easy task given the number of secrets and half-truths she would be juggling for the next year.

Of course the biggest dilemma, the biggest what if was Evan himself. Their marriage was barely official and already it felt as if the whole thing was going to hell in a hand basket. He referred to their union as a business arrangement, but given their heated tryst last night and awkward conversation today, they both knew it was already much more than a simple arrangement. She felt helpless to stop the runaway emotional train she was suddenly on, and part of her wasn't sure she wanted to. The veiled exchange of looks and perpetual flirting was intriguing and exciting when she met the man some two months ago, but now intrigue had become excitement, and temptation had become exceptionally more dangerous.

Elizabeth would have argued that more than a year had passed since Jason's death and that she was entitled to move on, but Kirsten didn't think that included being so reckless as to wantonly mix business with pleasure. Her bargain with Evan still rested on a good faith agreement, and that meant her father's company wasn't truly safe until every last 't' was crossed and 'i' dotted with paperwork filed by lawyers and money safely in the bank.

But even once that process was done, would exposing herself to a romantic involvement with a built-in expiration date be a wise decision? By ridiculous comparison it was either an awful dilemma to have or the perfect arrangement to consider.

With a long sigh she turned her stare out the passenger window and watched the buildings continuously speed by, occasionally catching the fleeting reflection of herself inside Evan's Porsche.

It's the perfect metaphor, she thought ruefully. The complications in her life were picking up speed just as quickly and she could barely find her sense of self in those either.

When the car finally stopped in front of her building she reached down to undo her seatbelt and Evan stilled her hand with the steady grip of his fingers.

"If you keep thinking about everything this hard, kitten, your hair is going to start on fire."

She laughed despite herself. Was she that easy to read?

"Trust me. I'll take care of you."

It sounded like the easiest thing in the world to do.

And also the hardest.

"What if we've made the wrong decision, Evan? My brother could try and block the sale and your father will never believe you. And what if—"

"You'll take care of your brother and I'll worry about my father."

"What about the rest of your family? And your reputation?"

"We'll sort through the details, I promise." He chucked a finger under her chin and lifted it until their eyes met. "C'mon now, where's the hellcat I faced off with the other day?"

"Hiding under the covers where it's safe?"

He nodded. "Why don't you get some extra sleep and we can have dinner later tonight? Come back to my place for eight and we'll eat around nine."

She opened her mouth to argue and he cut her off with, "You don't have a date tonight, do you?" He laughed at the shocked look on her face. "What? A man deserves to know if he's got to fight for his wife's attention while he's still on his honeymoon."

She smiled wryly. "I can't say I've ever double-booked a honeymoon dinner with my husband and another man. Well, at least not yet."