The Durango Affair

by Brenda Jackson

  For a moment Savannah couldn’t speak since she of all people knew about the smoothness, as well as the intensity, of Durango’s ride. The very thought was generating earth-shattering memories of the time he had pleasured her in bed.

  She watched as he walked around the front of the truck to get into the driver’s seat. “You’re taking me to the mall now?” she asked, trying to get her heartbeat back on track. If she was having trouble keeping her thoughts off him now, she didn’t want to think how things would be once they were married.

  “Yes, I’m taking you to the Gallatin Valley Mall,” Durango said, pulling out of the parking lot and returning her attention. “You should be able to find everything you need there. Do you want me to stay and shop with you?”

  “No, I’ll be fine,” she quickly said, knowing she needed her space for a while. “If there’s one thing a woman knows how to do on her own it’s shop.”

  Stealing a glance at him she couldn’t help wondering how he really felt about marrying her and suddenly needed to know that he was still okay with their plans.

  “Durango?”

  “Yes?”

  The truck had come to a stop at a traffic light and she knew his gaze was on her but she refused to look at him. Instead she looked straight ahead. “Are you sure getting married is what you really want to do?” she asked as calmly as she could.

  “Yes, I’m sure,” he said in a voice so low and husky, Savannah couldn’t help but turn to meet his gaze. Then in a way she wished she hadn’t when she saw the deep, dark intensity in his eyes. He then smiled and that smile touched her, and she couldn’t help but return it.

  “If I wasn’t before, Savannah, I am now, especially after listening to our baby’s heartbeat. God, that was an awesome experience. And according to Trina, it has all the vital organs it will need already. It’s not just a cluster of cells but a real human being. A being that we created and I want to connect to it more so than ever.”

  Savannah sighed in relief. The last thing she wanted was for him to ever regret marrying her. She was satisfied that he wouldn’t.

  Bozeman, one of the most diverse small towns in the Rocky Mountains, was known for its hospitality and was proud of its numerous ski resorts. It was a city that attracted not only tourists, but also families wanting to plant their roots in a place that offered good quality of life.

  Durango drove straight to the mall and parked the truck. He even took the time to walk Savannah inside, saying there were a couple of things he needed to purchase for himself. He gave her his cell phone number in case she finished shopping early so she could reach him.

  Once they parted ways, Savannah became a woman on a mission as she went from store to store. Within a few hours she had purchased everything she needed and had indulged herself by getting a few things she really hadn’t needed, like a few sexy nightgowns she had purchased from Victoria’s Secret. It wasn’t as if Durango would ever see her in any of them, but still, she couldn’t help herself. She liked buying sexy things.

  A few hours later Savannah had made all of her purchases, and contacted Durango on his cell phone. He told her he had just pulled into the parking lot and would meet her at the food court in the center of the mall. He suggested that they grab dinner at a really good restaurant there.

  She had been in the food court for only a few minutes when she glanced across the way and saw him. Her pulse quickened. There was no way she could discount the fact that he was a devastatingly handsome man, and she wasn’t the only female who noticed. As he crossed the mall in long, confident strides, several heads turned to watch him, and for a moment Savannah felt both pride and a tinge of jealousy.

  She quickly dismissed the latter emotion. He wasn’t hers and she wasn’t his. But still, as he continued to walk toward her, closing the distance separating them, she saw the look in his eyes, deciphered the way he was looking at her with that steady dark gaze of his. It was the same way he had looked at her the night of Chase and Jessica’s wedding.

  And as if it was the most natural thing to do, when he reached her he leaned down and kissed her. Surprised, she returned the brief, but thorough kiss while her heart thumped ominously in her chest.

  “Did you get a lot accomplished today?” he asked softly against her moist lips.

  Not able to speak at first, she nodded. Then she said breathlessly, “Yes, I think I have everything I’m going to need. And I think I found an appropriate dress for tomorrow.”

  Durango chuckled as he took her hand in his and led her toward the restaurant where they would dine. “I’m sure it’s more than appropriate. I bet it’s perfect and I can’t wait to see you in it.”

  Later that night while packing, Savannah had to admit that it had been a simply wonderful day. First the visit to the doctor and then her shopping trip to the mall and last, having dinner with Durango at that restaurant. The food had been delicious and Durango’s company had been excellent. Over a candlelight dinner he had told her about his partnership with McKinnon’s horse farm and how well it was doing.

  Closing her luggage, Savannah smiled when she recalled the message Jessica had left on Durango’s answering machine, telling them to expect her and Chase at Lake Tahoe tomorrow. A part of Savannah had been both elated and relieved that elopement or not, a stubborn Jessica would not let her get married without her sister being there. Durango also seemed pleased that his cousin was coming, as well.

  She looked up when she heard the knock on her bedroom door. “Come in.”

  Durango entered, dressed in a pair of jogging pants and a T-shirt with a towel wrapped around his neck. “I was about to get into the hot tub and was wondering if you would like to join me.”

  “But it’s cold outside.”

  He smiled ruefully. “Yes, but once you get into the tub you’ll forget how cold it is. It’s the best thing to stimulate sore, aching muscles. Try it. I guarantee that you’ll like it.”

  Savannah thought of all the walking she had done earlier that day at the mall and decided a soak in the hot tub sounded good. But still…

  “Is it large enough for the both of us to fit comfortably?” The thought of being crammed into a hot tub with Durango was too much to think about.

  “Yes, it can hold five to six people without any problems.”

  She nodded. Good. He could stay on his side of the tub and she could stay on hers. “All right, then let me change into a swimming suit.” She had bought one that day at the mall and had to dig it out from the suitcase.

  After Durango left Savannah changed her clothes, thankful that the swimming suit she had purchased was a one-piece and wasn’t overly provocative. The attraction between her and Durango was bad enough without adding fuel to an already hot fire.

  “For a moment I thought I was going to have to come back inside to get you.”

  She chuckled and quickly padded on bare feet across the deck to the hot tub. “Sorry. My mom called right when I was about to come outside.”

  His eyebrows lifted. “Did you tell her about our plans for tomorrow?”

  “Yes,” Savannah said as she quickly dispensed with her robe and eased inside the tub, deliberately sinking as far down as she could and letting a sound of “ahh” ease from between her lips. Once she got settled in a comfortable position she added, “I didn’t give her a lot of details and told her we can have a long discussion when she returns from Paris. But she is very astute in reading between the lines, so I’m sure she has an idea why we’re having a quick wedding.”

  Durango studied her eyes since her face was the only part of her he could see. She had water covering her entire body, from her shoulders to her toes. She was almost completely submerged.

  “Did your mom know we’d been involved?” he asked, wishing he had X-ray vision that would enable him to see her body through the water. But he had caught a glimpse of her curves when she had removed her robe. Although she had tried to be quick about it and to not draw any attention to herself, she had failed miserably. Her
swimsuit was sexy, and the cut was a snug fit that showed off her shapely thighs and bottom.

  “If she does it’s not because I’ve told her anything,” Savannah said, cutting into his thoughts. “However, she did mention when we met for lunch last month that she couldn’t help noticing that we were having a hard time keeping our eyes off each other at the wedding.” She decided not to add that her mother had also noticed when the two of them had left the reception together.

  “Hey, this feels nice,” she said, liking how the hot water seemed to penetrate the tired muscles of her body. “And you were right. I don’t feel how cold the temperature is.”

  “I’m glad. And by the way, you can come from hiding under the water. I promise not to jump your bones if you do,” he said slowly, grinning.

  She met his gaze and smiled sheepishly. “I didn’t think that you would. I was merely making sure I wouldn’t freeze to death.”

  “And now that you know that you won’t?”

  She took a deep breath and eased more of her body out of the water. When the hot, bubbling, swirling water came to her waist like it did his, she felt a sizzling sensation flow down her spine and settle in the pit of her stomach. He was staring at her. Her bathing suit was decent, but it was fashioned in a style that made anyone aware of the fullness of her breasts.

  “I like your swimming suit. At least what I’ve seen of it so far,” he said. His voice was low, intimate.

  “Thanks.” She then glanced around. “So what made you decide to put this hot tub in?”

  He gave her an intent look, knowing she was trying to change the subject. “It was an easy decision since I was taking advantage of one of the natural hot springs located on my property.”

  “Oh, you have others?”

  He grinned, knowing he had told her that already. “Yes, but don’t expect me to show them to you tonight,” he said, leaning back against the wall of the tub and deliberately stretching out one of his legs. He made it seem like an accident, an innocent mistake when his thigh touched her thigh. She gasped and slowly eased back to give him more space.

  “Going someplace?” he asked with a totally innocent look on his face.

  “No, I’m just trying to give you more room.”

  “I don’t need more room.”

  “Could have fooled me,” she muttered under her breath.

  “You say something?”

  She glanced over at him. “No, just thinking out loud.”

  Before she could blink he had pushed away from the wall and had glided over to her, putting his face inches from hers. “Now what did you say, Savannah?”

  Savannah pulled in a sharp intake of breath. Not only was Durango’s face near hers, but she could feel the heat from his entire body. He was within touching distance. He was making the already hot water that much hotter.

  “Did I ever tell you how much I like kissing you, Savannah?” he asked.

  A shudder of desire ran through her, first starting at her toes and easing its way to the top of her head. “I don’t recall if you have or not,” she said silkily, watching his lips inch even closer.

  “Well, let me go on record and say that I do. You have a unique taste,” he said in a deep, husky tone.

  “I do?”

  “Yes. It’s so tantalizingly sweet that I can feast on it for hours.”

  Another shudder ran through her. “No man has ever told me that before.”

  He smiled. “Then maybe you haven’t kissed the right man.”

  “Maybe.”

  “And although you haven’t given me any bedroom rights while we’re married, you haven’t denied me kissing rights, have you?” he asked in a sensual tone.

  “Ahh, no.” But maybe I should, she quickly thought.

  “Good, because I’m going to enjoy kissing you whenever I can.”

  She held her breath when he leaned forward, wrapped his arms around her waist and took the tip of his tongue and began slowly, sensuously, passionately tracing the outline of her mouth.

  She moaned deep and eased his name from between her lips just moments before he slipped his tongue inside her mouth. Moaning more, she returned his kiss as their tongues met, mingled and stroked. The signals they were exchanging were intimately familiar, and all it took was the shift of their legs to bring their bodies right smack together, making her feel the very essence of his heat. She knew exactly what that huge, hot engorged body part pressed against her midsection meant.

  Savannah wanted to pull back, stop playing with fire, cease indulging in temptation, but she couldn’t. Her legs felt weak, her thighs were becoming a quivering mass and her mouth was definitely getting branded the Durango way. And when he reached up and touched the tip of her breasts through the soft and clingy material of her swimsuit, she almost lost her bearing. She would have done so if his hands weren’t still around her waist, holding her close.

  He pulled back slightly and whispered hotly against her moist lips, “I also like touching you. You feel hot all over.”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to say that thanks to him she was hot all over, but at that moment he leaned forward and took that same tongue into his mouth again, ending further conversation. Her heartbeat kicked up a notch when his hand moved from her waist and slid lower and when he shifted their bodies so he could sufficiently caress the area between her legs, through the soft material of her swimsuit, she almost cried out at the sensations he elicited.

  “I know this part of you is off-limits,” he said in a deep, throaty voice that sent even more heat running through her. “But I can tell it wants me. It wants how I can make it feel, Savannah. It’s hot for me, the same way I’m hot for you. For two months I’ve lain in my bed at night and thought about us, how we were that night, how good we were together and how good we could be again.”

  While he was talking, drumming up memories, his thumb continued to caress her, driving her mad, insane with desire and her head fell forward to his chest, her breathing became choppy and her mind was overtaken by passion.

  “It’s going to be hard for us to share space being such passionate individuals and not want to do something about it, don’t you think?” he asked hotly against her ear.

  “Yes, I’m sure it will be,” she agreed, easing the words from between her lips.

  “But I’m honor bound to abide by your wishes and I will…unless you change your mind and give me the word to do otherwise. And then there won’t be any stopping me, Savannah.”

  Savannah didn’t know what to say. And when she thought of what would happen if she ever changed her mind as well as the movement of his fingers on her, a needy ache flamed to life between her legs. And when a shudder began passing through her again, igniting every cell in her body, sending sensations rushing through her, she called out his name. Just with the use of his fingers he had pushed her over the edge, giving her the big “O” without fully penetrating the barriers of her clothing.

  Durango gently pulled on her hair to bring her face back to his and he kissed her, literally drank his name from her lips, as his hungry and demanding mouth devoured her, giving her a taste of what she would be missing, and giving him a thorough taste of her.

  Savannah forced her mouth away from his when breathing became a necessity. The first thing she noticed was that sometime during their kiss she had wrapped her legs around him. She didn’t remember doing it but Durango had been kissing her senseless and the only thing she did remember was the magnitude of that kiss, the explosiveness of it.

  She inhaled deeply. Jessica was right. This wasn’t a regular man. This was a Westmoreland and they didn’t do anything halfway. She had a pregnancy to prove it. What other man could make a woman scream his name in ecstasy while still wearing clothes?

  She looked up at him to say something and he leaned forward and kissed her again. This kiss was slow, lingering and just as hot as the kisses that he’d lavished on her before.

  When he pulled back his dark eyes held her with deep intensity. And his
voice was strained when he said, “I meant what I said, Savannah. I want to make love to you again, but unless you give me the word, kissing is as far as it will go between us.”

  She nodded and closed her eyes, knowing he would respect the boundaries she had set. But she also knew that he intended to use his kisses to break down her defenses. When she felt him easing away, she opened her eyes and watched him get out of the hot tub. His wet swimming trunks clung to his body like a second layer of skin, and the evidence of his desire for her was still evident.

  He was silent while he toweled off, watching her watch him. He smiled knowingly. “Tomorrow is our wedding day and regardless of the reason that brought us to this point, Savannah, I intend to make it a special day for you. For the both of us.”

  Moments later when the patio door closed behind him, Savannah sank deeper into the water, already feeling the loss of Durango’s heat. Whether she wanted to or not, a part of her couldn’t help but look forward to tomorrow, the day when—even though it would be temporary—she would become Mrs. Durango Westmoreland.

  Nine

  T he following day when they pulled up to the entrance of the Rolling Cascade Casino and Resort, Savannah was at a loss for words. As a photographer she had traveled to many picturesque sites, but she thought nothing could have prepared her for the car ride from Reno to Ian Westmoreland’s exclusive resort on Lake Tahoe.

  She and Durango had flown into Reno and had rented a car for the drive to Lake Tahoe. They decided to take what he declared to be the scenic route; the panoramic view was spectacular and more than once she had asked Durango to stop the car so she could take pictures of the snowcapped mountains, the enormous boulders and the clusters of shrubs and pine trees that grew almost down to the lake.

  Just minutes from Stateline, Nevada, the Rolling Cascade looked different from the other sprawling casinos they had passed. Ian’s resort was a beautifully designed building that overlooked Lake Tahoe and was surrounded by a number of specialty shops, clothing stores and a myriad of restaurants.