The Durango Affair

by Brenda Jackson

  Durango had explained that the Cascade had been vacant for almost a year after it was discovered that the previous owner had been using the casino as a front for an illegal operation. When it had gone up for sale, Ian and his investors had been ready to bring their casino business on land. Hurricane Katrina had made it impossible to continue his riverboat’s route along the Mississippi from New Orleans to Memphis.

  Ian had remodeled the establishment to be a small community within itself. Having been open for six months, the resort had already shown amazing profits and was giving plenty of stiff competition to the likes of the Las Vegas–style casinos situated close by.

  “This place is simply beautiful,” Savannah said when Durango brought the car to a stop. Within seconds, members of the resort’s staff were there to greet them and to assist with their bags.

  Durango smiled as he placed a muscled arm around her shoulders as they walked inside the building. The Cascade’s inside was just as impressive as its outside. Durango stopped and glanced around, letting out a low whistle. Moments later he said, “Ian really did it up this time. I think he’s found his calling.”

  “I think so, too, brother.”

  Both Durango and Savannah turned to find a smiling Ian standing directly behind them. He gave Durango an affectionate bear hug and leaned over and brushed a kiss on Savannah’s cheek. “I’m glad you like what you see,” Ian said and smiled.

  “We do,” Savannah replied, returning his smile and thinking that all the Westmoreland brothers and cousins resembled each other. They were all tall, dark and handsome; however, Ian’s neatly trimmed short beard added a rakish look to his features. “And I appreciate you having us here,” she added.

  Ian grinned. “No reason to thank me. It’s about time Durango came down from the mountains and went someplace other than Atlanta. Besides, it’s not every day that a Westmoreland gets married. Come on and let me get the both of you checked in. I have the wedding chapel reserved for five o’clock. That will give you time to rest and relax a bit before the ceremony.”

  “Have Chase and Jessica arrived yet?” Durango asked as he and Savannah followed Ian over to the check-in counter.

  “Yes, they got in a few hours ago and last time I checked they were getting ready to take a stroll around the shops.”

  A huge smile then touched Ian’s lips. “And I have a surprise for you, Durango.”

  “What?”

  “I got a call from McKinnon. That appointment he had scheduled for today got canceled and he was able to get a flight out and will be arriving just in time for the wedding.”

  Durango smiled, pleased his best friend would make the wedding after all.

  Less than ten minutes later Durango and Savannah were stepping inside what Ian had told them was a vacant owner’s suite, which to Savannah’s way of thinking looked more like an exclusive condo with its three bedrooms, two full baths, gigantic fireplace, kitchen area and beautiful balcony that overlooked Lake Tahoe.

  Savannah gave an inward sigh of relief at seeing the three bedrooms, although one of them she assumed due to its size was intended to be a master suite. She didn’t want a repeat of the temptation she had faced the previous night while in the hot tub with Durango, and was grateful for the spaciousness of the place.

  “I’ll let you choose whichever bedroom you prefer,” Durango said, closing the door behind him.

  She turned around and smiled sheepishly. “Because of all the stuff I brought along with me, I’ll take the biggest of the three bedrooms, if you don’t mind.”

  He chuckled. “No, I don’t mind.” He glanced at his watch. “We have a few hours to kill. Do you want to take a walk around the lake?”

  “I’d love to, and it was nice of Ian to let us use this suite, wasn’t it?”

  Durango grinned. “Yes, he can be a nice enough guy when he wants to be. But there are times when he’s known to be a pain in the ass.”

  Savannah knew he was kidding. Anyone who hung around the Westmorelands for any length of time could tell they were a close-knit group. “Give me a few minutes to freshen up, okay?”

  “Sure.”

  When she reached her bedroom, Durango called out to her.

  “Ian mentioned there’s a private hot tub on the twelfth floor if we wanted to try it out,” he said.

  Images of the two of them in the hot tub last night and the heated kiss they had shared floated into Savannah’s mind. Just the thoughts made a tingly feeling settle in the pit of her stomach. “I think I’ll pass on that.”

  “You sure?” he asked, grinning, making her remember in blatant details their hot-tub antics of the night before.

  “I’m positive.”

  “If I didn’t know the score I’d think you and Durango were excited about getting married.”

  Savannah glanced at her sister as she slipped into her wedding dress. She and Durango had run into Chase and Jessica while touring the grounds around the lake. Jessica had suggested that Savannah get dressed for the ceremony in the suite she and Durango shared. Durango would dress in Chase and Jessica’s room. That way the bride and groom wouldn’t see each other in their wedding attire before they were married.

  “You’re imagining things. Durango and I came to an agreement to do what’s in the best interest of our child. That’s the only reason we’re getting married.”

  Jessica Claiborne Westmoreland laughed, reached out and hugged her sister and said, “Hey, whatever, I still think the two of you look good together.”

  Savannah looked at Jessica in mild exasperation. “And I told you not to get any ideas, Jess.”

  “If you don’t want me to get any ideas, then how about explaining these?” she said, gesturing to all the sexy sleepwear Savannah had unpacked earlier. “If these aren’t for Durango’s enjoyment then who are they for?” she asked, picking up one of the negligees.

  “For me. You know how much I like wearing sexy things to bed,” Savannah said, reaching out and taking the item from Jessica and tossing it back on the bed. “Since Durango and I won’t be sharing a bed, what I sleep in is no business of his.”

  Jessica tipped her head, regarded Savannah thoughtfully and said, “You still haven’t gotten it yet, have you?”

  “Gotten what?”

  “The fact that a Westmoreland man isn’t anyone to play with. How long do you think the two of you will be able to fight this intense attraction? Even today he was looking at you when he thought you weren’t looking and you were looking at him when you thought he wasn’t looking. The two of you were doing the same thing at my wedding.”

  “And your point?”

  “The point is that you know what happened as soon as the two of you were alone and behind closed doors.”

  “We indulged in too much champagne that night, Jess. That won’t happen this time because I don’t plan to consume any alcohol while I’m pregnant.”

  “There’s another way a woman can get tipsy, Savannah. There is such a thing as being overtaken by sexual chemistry and losing your head,” she said, letting her gaze stray to the nightgowns once again.

  “I don’t plan to lose my head.”

  “What about your heart?”

  “That, either. Now tell me how I look.”

  Jessica glanced up and fell silent. She had seen the short, white lace dress on the hanger and thought it looked okay, but on Savannah the dress looked like it had been made just for her, and just for this special occasion. Savannah looked so beautiful it almost brought tears to Jessica’s eyes.

  “Well, what do you think?” Savannah asked when Jessica didn’t say anything.

  “I think that you look simply beautiful and I’m sorry that Jennifer isn’t here to see you,” Jessica said, almost choking with emotion.

  “Hey, knock it off, Jess. This wedding is no big deal. The only reason we’re getting married is because I’m pregnant…remember?”

  Jessica reached out to pick up another skimpy piece of lingerie only to have Savannah shoo her ha
nd away. She chuckled and then asked, “So when are you going to let Rico know you’re a married woman?”

  Savannah closed her luggage with a firm click. “Durango and I will be calling and telling everybody the news when we get back. We had hoped to take off for Philly and Atlanta next week to drop the bomb in person, but because one of the park rangers is out on medical leave, it will be another month before Durango can take time off work. Maybe that’s just as well since it will give everyone a chance to get used to the idea.”

  “I can’t wait to see the Westmorelands’ reaction when they hear the news. Durango is the last person anyone would have thought would marry.”

  “Yes, but let me remind you again that the only reason he’s doing so now is because I’m pregnant, and don’t you forget it.”

  Jessica laughed. “After seeing all those sexy things, the big question is whether after this weekend you’ll forget it.”

  Durango turned around the moment he felt Savannah’s presence in the wedding chapel. Immediately his breath caught at the sight of how strikingly beautiful she looked in her dress. It was perfect. Typically you couldn’t improve on perfection, but in Savannah’s case she had by adding the string of pearls around her neck, as well as with the way her hair shimmered like a silk curtain around her face, making her hazel eyes that much more profound. She was a vision straight out of any man’s fantasy.

  “Your bride is a beautiful woman, Rango. I’m not sure that’s a good sign.”

  Durango arched an eyebrow and switched his gaze from Savannah to the man standing by his side, who’d leaned closer to whisper in his ear. McKinnon Quinn was the only person to whom he had told the real reason he was getting married, although he was sure Chase knew, as well. “Somehow I’ll deal with it, McKinnon.”

  McKinnon chuckled. “I’m glad it’s you who’ll be doing the dealing and not me. A woman that beautiful might cause me to have a few weak moments.”

  Durango hoped like hell that he would be a stronger man than McKinnon when and if those moments occurred. He glanced over at Chase and Ian, wondering if they had the same thoughts as McKinnon since they had shifted their gazes from Savannah to stare at him.

  A few moments later Durango was standing beside Savannah as they faced the older man who was employed by the Cascade to perform wedding ceremonies. Durango had no problem saying I do to any of the things the man asked him since he planned to adhere to his marriage vows for the brief time the marriage lasted.

  Although he had been fully aware of each and every question he’d been asked, he’d also been fully aware of the woman standing beside him. The subtle scent of her perfume was zapping his senses. She could arouse feelings in him that were better left alone. And today of all days, the flesh beneath his suit was burning with memories of the time they had spent in the hot tub together.

  “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

  The man’s words intruded on Durango’s thoughts, giving him a mental start at the realization that the ceremony was over. He was now a married man and it was time to seal his vows with the traditional kiss. He turned to Savannah and saw her tense although she gave him a small smile.

  At that moment he wanted to assure her that everything was going to be all right and they had done the right thing for their child. He reached out and touched her, gently ran the backs of his knuckles down her cheek while looking deeply into her eyes. And within seconds he felt her relax.

  When a sigh of contentment eased from her lips he leaned forward. The kiss he’d intended was to be brief and light. But the moment his mouth touched hers, a strong sense of desire overtook him and he kissed her with a force that surprised even him.

  His common sense told him that now was not the time for such a strong display of passion, but slipping his tongue into her mouth, wrapping his arms around her small waist and hungrily mating his mouth with hers seemed as natural as breathing. And the feel of her palms gliding over his shoulders wasn’t helping one iota.

  It was only when McKinnon touched his shoulder and jokingly said aloud, “I see these two are off to a good start,” that Durango pulled back.

  “I’d rather the two of you not mention anything to the family about my marriage just yet,” Durango said to Ian and Chase a few minutes after the ceremony had ended and he could speak with them privately. “I want to be the one to tell them.”

  Both men nodded. Then Ian said, “Mom isn’t going to be happy about not being here at your wedding.”

  “Yes, but this is the way Savannah and I wanted to do things.”

  “When are you going to tell everyone?” Chase inquired. It wasn’t easy keeping secrets in the Westmoreland family.

  “I’m going to call the folks when we get back. Once I tell Mom, the news will spread like wildfire. But it will be another month before we’ll be able to travel home. One of the rangers is out on medical leave and we’re shorthanded.”

  “When you do come home expect Aunt Sarah to have one hell of a wedding reception planned,” Chase said, grinning. “She might be upset at first about your elopement, but she’ll be ecstatic that another one of her sons has gotten married.”

  Durango nodded, knowing that was the truth. “I don’t have a problem with her planning a reception,” he said, thinking his mother was going to be surprised when she did see Savannah because she’d be showing a little by then. Then Sarah Westmoreland would be happy for two reasons. Another one of her sons would have married and she would have her first grandchild on the way.

  “Your bride is on her way over here to claim you for more pictures,” Ian said, grinning since he had been the one to hire a private photographer for the occasion. He wanted to have lots of pictures for his mother once she found out about the quickie wedding. Although Durango hadn’t told him why he and Savannah had eloped, Ian thought he knew his brother well enough to know there was only one reason why a devout bachelor like Durango would have gotten married. Time would tell if his assumption was true.

  “Savannah is a beautiful woman,” Ian said, pretty sure his brother already knew it.

  “She is, isn’t she?” Durango agreed as he watched Savannah cross the room.

  “You’re a lucky man,” Ian decided to add for good measure.

  Durango continued to watch as Savannah came closer and at that moment he couldn’t help but think the very same.

  An hour or so later Savannah was stepping out of the shower. She glanced around the bathroom and noticed that the spa-style bathtub was large enough to accommodate at least four people.

  She couldn’t help wondering what Durango was doing. After sharing a wedding dinner with Ian, Chase and Jessica, they had returned to their suite, said goodnight and gone to separate bedrooms.

  A part of her was disappointed that he hadn’t kissed her goodnight. But she knew the reason why he hadn’t. One kiss would lead to another, then another and eventually to something neither of them could handle. Durango was intent on keeping his word to keep his distance and she appreciated him for doing so.

  He had looked so darn good at the ceremony that for one tantalizing moment she had wished that their wedding was real. But she knew that wasn’t possible. In about a year or so, he would be going his way and she would be going hers. After all, they were sharing an in-name-only marriage.

  But still…

  Would having Durango for a temporary lover be so bad? It was amazing how you could develop an all-consuming craving for something you were perfectly fine doing without only months before. Prior to her one night with Durango she’d dated, but had never been into casual sex. She hadn’t been involved with anyone since she’d broken up with Thomas Crawford and she hadn’t felt as if she was missing out. But all of that changed the night she and Durango had conceived their baby. From that night on she had been acutely aware of her body and its needs.

  And then there were the memories that wouldn’t go away. Durango and their night together had definitely left her with some lasting, vivid ones and a
particularly special little moment, she thought, affectionately rubbing her tummy.

  She glanced over at the bed and looked at the gown she intended to sleep in tonight. Alone. If she decided to share an intimate relationship with Durango, she had to remember that it would be with no strings attached. He didn’t love her and she didn’t love him. Remembering that would definitely make things easier emotionally when the time came for them to part ways.

  She crossed the room and picked up the low-cut, short, barely there, flesh-tone nightgown and thought about the kiss they had shared after the man had announced them man and wife. She could still feel the heat from his lips on hers and just thinking about that kiss and the one they had shared last night in the hot tub sent shudders racing through her body. There was something about Durango Westmoreland that just kept her blood heated. Jessica had been right. Westmorelands weren’t ordinary men.

  Durango had been right, as well. There was no way they could entertain the thought of being married—even on a short-term basis—without there ever being a chance of them sharing a bed. She could see that now. Some marriages could truly be in name only, but she realized now that theirs would have to be in bed and name only. And she could handle that because once the marriage ended, she would begin living a solitary life. Her total concentration would be on raising her child. She wouldn’t have time to become involved with a man. To be perfectly honest, it wouldn’t matter to her if she never had another lover. Her affair with Durango would be enough to sustain her.

  She knew what he said about abiding by her decision until she indicated she wanted things to be different between them. Well, now she had decided. She wanted things to be different.

  Savannah saw Durango the moment she stepped out of the bedroom. He was standing on the balcony, gazing out at the lake. His chest was bare and he was wearing a pair of black silk pajama bottoms. His broad muscled chest and shoulders seemed to catch the remnants of the fading sunlight and it gave his dark skin an even richer glow. She wished she had time to get her camera and capture him on film so she could always have the breathtaking image at her fingertips.