As Long As I Have You

~ Chapter Twenty Seven ~

It was hours later when the sun finally started to take its leave for the day that Kirsten realized she was more confused about Evan Beaumont than ever.

True to his word, he took her back to the gallery where their relationship first began, then treated her to an unpretentious lunch courtesy of a food truck at a nearby park. They spent the rest of the afternoon discussing all manner of topics ranging from different styles of art to how her father learned about her passion as she studied to become a lawyer; he told her about his quest to own his Kandinsky painting once he discovered the artist, and she entertained him with stories of Parker's fabulous friends and the support the eccentric woman provided in helping make her own exhibition a reality.

"Speaking of your exhibition, will I get an invitation?"

She laughed. "Parker will probably invite you before me."

He nodded in agreement. "And knowing her, she's probably already ear-marked the most expensive piece for me to buy."

Their whole day was filled with easy conversation and finding common ground with one another. Granted, they stayed away from topics like her brother's vow to undo their agreement or the undeniable chemistry they shared and where it was leading them. Instead they simply focused on enjoying each other's company and nothing more.

It was as close to a real date as she had ever come with the man, and Kirsten knew her heart could easily be in trouble if she ever decided to truly let Evan Beaumont in. Each hour spent with him allowed her to peel back another of his enigmatic layers and helped her understand who he was as a businessman and as a son with allegiance and obligations to his family's company.

He shared stories of his challenges and successes at Beaumont Industries, and in short order she developed an enormous appreciation for his business acumen. In nearly fifteen years his extraordinary instincts had proven right every single time, and it became very apparent why he was a Chief Operating Officer at Beaumont Industries even if he was still well under the age of forty. In truth, it seemed the only reason he wasn't the President and CEO in his own right was because Patrick Beaumont had yet to retire and hand over the company reins.

If she understood more about Evan, she also realized she understood him less than ever. He was a strong family man, yet had no family of his own. He mocked his sister's odd tendencies and his brother's ever increasing number of children, but when he spoke of them it was with obvious warmth and devotion.

The same contradiction applied to her as well. Evan had told her flat out that he planned on sleeping with her, and she got the distinct notion he would be more than willing to start an affair with her, but paradoxically a real relationship felt out of the question.

No matter how many answers she got from him they were always in conflict with something else he either said or did.

The one answer she had for herself that was clear-cut was the decision to keep as much of her past as private as possible during the course of their marriage. She was determined to insulate Evan from the truth of her past, convinced it was the only way to protect the future of Travis Enterprises.

It was a great resolution to have but it was also a seriously challenged one when she was constantly bombarded by the mixture of delight and torture he subjected her to with every playful touch, every stolen kiss, and every sexy smile he cast her way.

It was on the taxi ride back to his office towards the end of the day that she decided she needed to lay out some ground rules for them once and for all. Her best defence was a good offence, and if she set firm boundaries she knew Evan would respect them. He had already promised her that, and no matter what deceptions had transpired in the past she knew he was a man of his word and that she could trust him on this.