The Durango Affair (7 page)

She deserved more than a short-term marriage. She deserved a husband who would love and pamper her, for better or for worse and for the rest of her life. A smart man would be good to her and treat her right. Someone
who would treat her like a woman of her caliber should be treated. And more importantly, he should be a man who could introduce her to the pleasures men and women shared, pleasures she was denying herself.

He would never forget that night when she had gotten an orgasm. She had acted as if it had been her first one and she hadn’t expected the magnitude of the explosion that had ripped through her body. And now he was glad he had shared that with her. But he wanted to share other things with her, as well. And she was wrong if she thought them sleeping together would just be for his benefit. Somehow he had to convince her it would be for her benefit, as well. She needed to understand that a woman has needs just like a man. If nothing else, he needed to prove that to her.

But now was not the time to make waves. He was fairly certain there would be opportunities for what he had in mind before and after their wedding, and he planned to take advantage of both.

“I think of you as more than an available body, Savannah,” he said truthfully. “And I’m sorry that you see things that way. In my book, there’s nothing wrong with men and women who like and respect each other satisfying their needs, needs they might not be able to control…especially when they’re alone together.”

He sighed. She was listening to everything he said yet he could tell his discussion of needs was foreign to her. She might have experienced wanting and desire in her lifetime, but she hadn’t had to tackle the full-fledged need that sent some women out to shop for certain types of sex toys.

He studied her, watched how her fingertips softly stroked the side of her cup. Her light touch made him wish that she would stroke him the same way. He
realized that although she had no idea what the gesture was doing to him, he was excruciatingly aware of her. She looked beautiful just sitting there, absorbing his words yet not fully understanding what he meant.

But eventually she would understand.

“However, if you prefer that we don’t share a bed at any time during our marriage, then I will abide by your wishes.” Even as he said those words, in his heart he intended that in time her wishes would become the same as his.

She smiled, appearing at ease with what he had said. “So I guess the only other thing we need to agree on is when the marriage will take place and where we’ll live afterward.”

He nodded. “Like I told you, I’m flexible as far as living arrangements but I think we should get married right away, considering you’re already almost two months along.”

Savannah did agree with the need to move forward with their marriage but she didn’t want him to have to take a leave of absence from his job because of her. It would be easier for her to move to Montana. She could do freelance work anywhere. He could only do his work as a ranger here.

“I think I’d rather live out here, if you don’t mind.”

That surprised him. A city girl in the mountains? “What about your job? I thought as a freelance photographer you traveled a lot, all over the country.”

“Yes, but being pregnant will slow my travels down a bit. Besides, I think I’ll be able to work something out with my boss, if my moving out here won’t be a problem with you.”

Durango shook his head, still bemused but pleased. “No, it won’t be and I think you’ll be able to adjust to the weather.”

“I think so, too.”

A feeling of happiness—one he wasn’t ready to analyze—coiled through him as he thought of getting married to the mother of his child. “So, when can we marry?”

Savannah shrugged. “I’ll let you make all the arrangements. Just tell me when and where you want me to show up.”

“And then afterward you’ll move in here with me?”

“Yes, and we’ll remain married until the baby is at least six months old, which is probably the time I’ll be going back to work. Is that time period okay with you?”

“Yes, that’s okay. And you still prefer a small wedding?”

“Yes, the smaller the better. Like I said, I don’t have a problem eloping to Vegas. A lot of hoopla isn’t necessary,” she said.

Durango smiled at her. “All right. Considering everything, omitting the hoopla is the least I can do.”

Later that day, while Savannah was taking a nap, Durango had a chance to sit down, unwind and think about her decision to marry him.

She understood, as he did, that short-term was short-term. They weren’t talking about “until death do us part” or any nonsense like that. They were talking about him being there during the months of her pregnancy, the delivery and the crucial bonding period with his son or daughter.

Hearing about his marriage would be a shocker to
everyone since the family all knew he’d never intended to ever settle down. But the one thing he did know was that his mother would be elated. She had initiated a campaign to marry her sons off. Jared had been the first to go down in defeat and ever since she’d been eyeing him with gleaming hope in her eyes. It didn’t bother him that Sarah Westmoreland would enjoy the taste of victory, at least for a short while.

No matter how brief it would be, Durango wanted to make his marriage to Savannah special. He thought of a place they could elope to rather than Vegas. His brother Ian had recently sold his riverboat and was now the proud owner of a casino resort on Lake Tahoe. Durango hadn’t had a chance to check things out for himself, but he’d heard from his brothers and cousins that Ian’s place was pretty nice. Perhaps Lake Tahoe would be a classier destination for his and Savannah’s quickie wedding.

A smile touched the corners of his lips. He planned on sharing an elopement with Savannah that she wouldn’t forget.

Now that her decision had been made, Savannah had to tell someone about it. She would tell the one person with whom she shared all her secrets, her sister, Jessica.

She reached for her cell phone off the nightstand and quickly punched in her sister’s number in Atlanta. Jessica answered on the second ring.

“Hello.”

“Jess, it’s me, Savannah.”

“Savannah, how did things go in Montana? What did Durango say when you told him? What are you going to do now that he knows?”

Savannah smiled. She’d known Jessica would be full of questions. “I’m still in Montana. I can’t fly out due to a severe snowstorm.”

“Where are you staying?”

“With Durango. He offered me a place to stay and I accepted.”

“That was nice of him.”

“Yes, it was. Besides, we had a lot to talk about. And as for your second question, I think I shocked him when I told him I was pregnant. At first he was in denial but then he came to his senses, and…”

“And?”

“And he asked me to marry him.”

“Oh, and what was your answer?”

Savannah knew Jessica’s point in asking that question. Jessica knew better than anyone how she felt about marrying as the result of an unexpected pregnancy. Her parents had been a prime example that a marriage based on responsibility rather than love didn’t work out. “At first I told him no, and—”

“At first?” Jessica cut in abruptly and asked, “Does that mean you eventually told him yes?”

A slight smile touched Savannah’s lips. “Yes, I’ve decided to marry him, but it’s going to be to my baby’s advantage and it’s only going to be on a temporary basis.”

“I don’t understand. What’s going to be on a temporary basis?”

“Our marriage.”

There was a pause and then Jessica said, “Let me get this straight. You and Durango have agreed to marry in name only for just a short while?”

Savannah sighed. “Yes, we’ve agreed to marry and
stay married until our child is at least six months old. That’s about the time I’ll be ready to return to work full-time.”

“And what about you and Durango during this marriage of convenience?”

“What about us?”

“Will the two of you share a bed?”

“No. Our marriage will only be temporary.”

“But the two of you will live together? Under the same roof? In the same house? Breathe the same air?”

Savannah frowned, wondering what Jessica was getting at. “Yes. Is there a problem with that?”

“Savannah, the man is a Westmoreland.”

Savannah rolled her eyes upward. “And? Am I missing some point here?”

“Think about it, sis. You’ve slept with him before.”

“Yes, and I wasn’t fully in my right mind when I did so.”

“And you think you won’t desire him without being tipsy?”

“Honestly, Jess, of course I’ll desire him! Durango is a sexy man. I might not be as sexually active as some women, but I’m not dead, either. A woman would have to be dead or comatose not to notice Durango. I’ll admit that I’m attracted to him but that’s as far as things are going to go. I can control my urges. I don’t have to be intimate with a man, no matter how sexy he is.”

“But we’re not talking about any man, Savannah, we’re talking about a Westmoreland. Trust me, I know the difference. Once you become involved with one, it won’t be easy to deny yourself or to walk away later.”

“For crying out loud, no matter what you might
think, Jessica, he’s just a regular man,” Savannah said, intent on making Jessica understand.

“If he was a regular man you wouldn’t be in the situation you’re in now. Okay, you did overindulge in champagne that night, but you can’t convince me that you weren’t hot for him already. You asked me about him just moments before the wedding, remember? You
were
interested. I even saw the heat in your eyes. Durango had gotten inside your head before you’d taken your first sip of champagne. That should tell you something.”

Savannah expelled a breath. “It does tell me something. It tells me that I’m attracted to him. I’ve already admitted that. But what you don’t realize is that now I’m immune to him.”

“And what about falling in love?”

“Falling in love? Lord, Jessica, you know I’m immune to that, as well, doubly so thanks to our poor excuse for a father. Besides, if I even thought about falling in love with Durango, which I won’t, all it will take is for me to remember that the only thing connecting us is the baby. The only reason I’m even considering marrying him is to give my child the things I never had, exposure to a warm and loving large family, which I believe the Westmorelands are, and to give Durango a chance to bond with our child. He really wants that and I feel good that he does. Our father didn’t care. He was too busy playing two women to give us the time of day.”

“At some point you have to let all that go, Savannah,” Jessica said softly. “You can’t let what Jeff Claiborne did or didn’t do dictate your life or your future.”

Savannah swallowed a lump in her throat. Some things were easier to get past than others. Her father’s
mistreatment of his three kids as well as two good women was one of them. “I can’t, Jess, and I honestly don’t understand how you can. You lost your mother because of him.”

“Yes, but I never thought all men were like him, and neither should you.”

When Savannah didn’t say anything for a long time, Jessica said, “Savannah?”

“Yes,” Savannah answered and then sighed.

“Be careful.”

“Be careful of what?”

“Of being surprised by the magnitude of a Westmoreland’s charm and appeal. When they decide to lay it on thick, watch out. Whether you want to believe it or not, it’s easy to fall in love with a Westmoreland man. Trust me, I know. I never intended to fall in love with Chase, remember? He was supposed to be the enemy. And now I can’t imagine living my life without him. I love him so much.”

“And I’m happy for you, Jess. But you and I are different people. I never believed in happy endings—you did. Just accept my decision and know that for me it’s the right one. When I walk away, that will be it. No love lost because there isn’t any. Durango doesn’t love me and I don’t love him, but we’re willing to come together and formulate a relationship for our child.”

There was a lengthy pause and Savannah wasn’t sure she had convinced her sister she had nothing to worry about, but she hoped that she had.

“So, when will the wedding take place?”

“I told Durango that considering the circumstances, I don’t want a lot of fuss. So we’re eloping to Vegas or
someplace and then we’ll tell everyone afterward. In a few months, when I begin looking like a blimp, they’ll figure out why we married, anyway.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

“Sure, I’m okay with it. And for the time being, be happy for me, Jess.”

“I am happy for you. Have you told Jennifer and Rico yet?”

“No, not yet. I’m not telling either of them until after the marriage takes place. I don’t want anyone to try to talk me out of it. You’re the only one I’ve told. I don’t know if Durango will tell anyone in his family.”

“And when is the trip to Vegas?”

“I don’t know, but I’m sure it will be soon. Probably in the next couple of weeks. Durango wants us to get married right away. But he’s warned me that once his family hears about our marriage that his mother will probably want to do a huge reception. I’m okay with that.”

“And knowing Jennifer, she’ll want to do one, as well.”

“And I’ll be fine with that, too. It will be simpler if they combine their efforts and host one party together. Mom met Mrs. Westmoreland at your wedding and they hit it off so I can see them getting together and planning a nice celebration.”

“Yes, I can see them doing that. I’m getting excited just thinking about it.”

Savannah smiled. “Get as excited as you want, as long as you remember the marriage won’t last. I’ll come out of this the same way I’m going into it.”

“And what way is that?”

“With realistic expectations.”

A
s soon as Savannah walked out of the bedroom and saw Durango, their gazes met. The instant attraction that was always there between them began sizzling toward a slow burn.

She would love to photograph him, would definitely appreciate the image she would capture through the lens of her camera and would tuck the developed pictures away to pull out whenever her wild fantasies kicked into gear.

“How was your nap?”

His question snapped her out of her naughty thoughts. Because she’d gone to sleep right after talking with Jessica, she had closed her eyes with Durango on her mind. She had thought about him, dreamed about him, relived the night they had made love….

“Savannah?”

She quickly realized she hadn’t answered him. “The
nap was good. How about if I make dinner tonight? While hunting for saltines the other day I came across all the ingredients I’d need to make spaghetti.”

He lifted a concerned eyebrow. “Will that agree with your stomach?”

She chuckled as she dropped down on the sofa, trying to ignore just how sexy he looked with his shoulder leaning against a doorway that separated the living room from the dining area. He was standing with his thumbs hooked in the front pocket of his jeans, and the chambray shirt he was wearing was straining across his muscular chest.

“In the afternoon everything agrees with my stomach, Durango. It’s the mornings that I have to worry about. So how does spaghetti sound?” she asked, hoping her voice didn’t contain the sizzle that she felt.

He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Great, if you’re up to it. That will give me a chance to take a shower. And I need to talk to you about a few things.”

Savannah’s dark brow lifted, which helped to downplay the fluttering she felt in her stomach. “Talk to me about what?”

“While you were resting I took the liberty to make a few calls and check on some things. You did say you were leaving all the arrangements to me and would be fine with everything as long as I left out the hoopla.”

“Yes, I did.”

“Well, I’ve made wedding plans and want to discuss them with you, to make sure they meet your approval.”

She blinked in surprise. While she’d been napping, he’d evidently been busy. “Wedding plans? Then we definitely need to talk after your shower.”

“All right, I’ll be back in a minute.” Before turning
to leave, he asked, “Are you sure you don’t need my help with dinner?”

“No, I can handle things.”

“Yes, I’m sure you can,” he countered, smiling.

And when he walked out the room she had a feeling that he’d been hinting at more than just her spaghetti.

“Everything tastes good, Savannah.”

“Thank you.” She tried looking at anything and everything other than the man sitting across the table from her. Doing so was simply too tempting. After glancing out the window and seeing it was still snowing, she scanned the room and took in the beauty of his kitchen and again mentally admired the setup of everything, including the pots that…

“Are you okay?”

His question forced her to do something she hadn’t wanted to do. Look directly at him. The moment she did so she felt fiery tingles move down her spine. “Yes, I’m okay. Why do you ask?”

“No particular reason.”

Sitting this close to him she could actually smell his scent, one that was all man. But that didn’t compare to how he’d looked when he had entered the kitchen after his shower wearing jeans that hung low on his hips and a shirt he hadn’t bothered to button.

“Are you ready to talk about the plans I’ve made?”

His question pulled her mind back from lurking into a territory where it had no business going. “Sure.”

He stood and began gathering the dishes off the table. “Instead of going to Vegas I thought it would be nice if we went to Lake Tahoe instead.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Lake Tahoe?”

“Yes, my brother Ian recently bought a casino resort there. I heard it’s truly spectacular and I would like to take you there.”

“Lake Tahoe,” she said again, savoring the idea. She had visited the area a few years ago and had thought it was beautiful. She smiled across the table at Durango. “All right. That sounds like a winner to me, so when do you want to do it?”

“Day after tomorrow.”

“What!”

He chuckled at her startled expression. “I think Friday would be a perfect day for us to leave for Lake Tahoe. Starting today the weather will begin improving and tomorrow you can—”

“Hold up. Time out. Cut.” She caught her breath for a moment and then said, “Durango, there’s no way I can marry you on Friday. I have to go back home and take care of a few things. I have to plan for the wedding. I have to—”

“We’re eloping, remember? And besides, I thought you didn’t want a lot of hoopla.”

He had her there.
“I don’t, but I hadn’t thought about getting married
this
soon.”

“The sooner the better, don’t you think? You’re a couple of months already. Jayla began really sticking out there by the fourth month. I remember when I went home for my father’s birthday during Easter and she was huge, almost as big as a house.”

Savannah raised her eyes to the ceiling, hoping he had the good sense not to mention such a thing to Jayla. Even pregnant, women were sensitive when it came to
their weight. “She was carrying twins, Durango, for heaven’s sake.”

“And how do you know you aren’t? Multiple births run in my family. My father is the twin to Chase’s father and both of them had twins. Then Uncle Corey had triplets, so anything is possible.”

That wasn’t what Savannah wanted to hear. She much preferred having one healthy baby, but of course she would gladly accept whatever she got. “I couldn’t possibly get ready for Lake Tahoe by Friday. I didn’t bring any clothes here with me and I would need to purchase some things.”

“There’re several stores in Bozeman that will have everything you need. Tomorrow can be a shopping day.”

Savannah felt rushed and decided to let him know it. “I feel like you’re rushing me,” she said briskly.

A smile touched his lips. “In a way I am. Now that we’ve decided to do it, why wait? I want us to marry as soon as possible.”

She couldn’t help wondering why. Did he think she would change her mind or something? She was carrying his baby, and until she’d shown up and announced that fact, he hadn’t been interested in marriage. She had thought she would have at least a couple of weeks, maybe even a month before they actually did anything. She’d assumed she would leave tomorrow to return to Philadelphia and they would make plans for the wedding over the phone. This was definitely not what she had expected.

“Savannah, why are you hesitating? We should move forward and get things over with.”

Get things over with?
Well, he certainly didn’t have to make it sound like marrying her was something being
forced upon him. No one had asked him to do it. Getting married was his idea and not hers. She was about to tell him just that when he did something she hadn’t expected. He tugged her hand and pulled her out of her chair, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her against him.

Startled, her head came up the moment her body pressed against his. Very little space separated them. A smile touched the corners of his mouth for a few seconds before he said softly, “You’re trying to be difficult, aren’t you?”

She swallowed. It wasn’t easy to gaze into the dark eyes holding hers captive. “Not intentionally.”

“Then why the cold feet? I’ve already checked the airlines and there are plenty of flights available, and I’ve talked to my brother Ian.”

At her frown he said, “And yes, I told him we decided to get married, but I didn’t tell him why. He said that he would love to have us as his guests for the weekend. He’s making all the necessary arrangements.”

He studied her features for a moment then asked, “Are you having second thoughts about eloping, Savannah? Do you prefer having a small wedding here so that we could invite our families?”

“No,” she said quickly. “I still prefer keeping things simple. I guess I’m hesitating because it never dawned on me that I might be returning to Philadelphia a married woman.”

“Then I guess you aren’t prepared to return to Philadelphia with a husband in tow, either.”

His words were a shocker. “You’re going back with me?”

“Yes. You’ll have to introduce me to your family sometime.”

Her head was reeling from the thought of him returning to Philadelphia with her. “You’ve already met my family at Chase and Jessica’s wedding.”

“Yes, but I met them as Chase’s cousin, not as your husband. Besides, we’ll be newlyweds and it will seem strange for us not to be together.”

“Yes, but—”

“And I want to take you home to Atlanta, as well, to meet my family. Not as Jessica’s sister but as my wife. Although everyone will probably reach their own conclusions as to why we eloped and got married, it’s really none of their business. We’ll tell them that we met at the wedding, fell madly in love and decided to get married.”

Savannah couldn’t help but smile at Durango’s ridiculous statement. There was no way anyone would believe such a thing, and from the mischievous grin touching his lips, he knew that, as well.

“Let’s keep them guessing,” Durango said, chuckling. “Our decision doesn’t concern anyone but us.”

Savannah couldn’t help but agree with that, especially after her conversation with Jessica. Everything he was saying made sense. Now that they had decided to marry, why prolong things? “Fine, if you think we can pull it off, then Friday is fine.”

“Good. And there’s something else you’ll need to do tomorrow.”

“What?”

“Visit the doctor in town. I’ve already made you an appointment for tomorrow morning.”

Savannah pulled back slightly and frowned. “Why?
Don’t you believe I’m pregnant? Or do you want to have it verified before going through with the marriage ceremony?”

“No, that’s not it,” he said tightly. “I just want the doctor to check you out to make sure you’re okay. You gave me a scare this morning and I just want to make sure you and the baby are fine.”

Savannah met his gaze and saw the sincerity in his eyes and knew he had spoken the truth. “Okay,” she finally said. “I’ll go to the doctor for a checkup if it will make you happy.”

“It will,” he said. “And thank you.”

Savannah drew in a deep breath. She needed space from Durango and took a step back. “I’ll get started on the dishes and—”

“No, you did the cooking so it’s only fair that I clean up the kitchen.”

“Durango, I can manage to—”

“Savannah, that’s the way it’s going to be. Just relax. You’ll have more than enough to do over the next couple of days, and it seems the weather is going to cooperate.”

She glanced out the window and saw it had stopped snowing. This was the break in the weather she’d been waiting for. But now, instead of packing to return home to Philly, she’d be preparing for a wedding.

“If you’re sure that you can handle the dishes by yourself, then I need to call and talk with my boss. I had told him I would be back in the office on Monday.”

“Okay.” When she turned to leave he said, “And Savannah?”

She turned back around. “Yes?”

“I planned for us to stay in the same suite but it has two bedrooms. Will that be a problem?”

She swallowed deeply as her gaze held his. “No, that won’t be a problem as long as there will be two bedrooms.”

The smile that suddenly touched his lips made her stomach flutter and made heat flow all over her. “Then we’re all set. I’ll call the airlines and book us a flight.”

They were eloping to Lake Tahoe.

Durango’s announcement of last night was the main reason for Savannah’s sleepless night. And the magnitude of it must have shocked her system because she had awakened the next morning without any feelings of nausea.

However, it seemed that Durango intended to be prepared because when she opened her eyes, she found him sitting in the chair beside her bed with a plate of saltines and a cup of tea all ready for her.

“Good morning.”

The sensuous sound of his voice so early in the morning sent shivers all through her, and the concerned smile that touched his lips wasn’t helping matters, either.

“Good morning,” she said, pulling herself up in bed. Although she appreciated his kindness and thoughtfulness, she would have much preferred if he had given her a minute or two to freshen up. She would have liked to comb her hair and wash the sleep from her eyes.

“Are you feeling okay this morning?”

“Yes, thanks for asking. For some reason I’m not feeling nauseated.” She decided not to tell him her suspicions on the reason why.

“I’m glad to hear that.” He then nodded his head toward the fireplace. “I tried keeping it warm in here during the night.”

Her gaze followed his to the roaring flame. “Thank you.” Because she hadn’t been able to sleep, she had been aware of each and every time he had come into her room and checked the heat.

“This is going to be a busy day for us since we’ll be flying out first thing in the morning.”

Savannah’s gaze returned to his. “I imagine that it will be.”

“After our doctor visit, I’ll take you to the mall. I figured you would probably want to shop alone, so I’ll use that time to pay McKinnon a visit and then come back later for you. You do remember my best friend McKinnon, don’t you?”

“Yes, I remember him.” She definitely remembered McKinnon Quinn, just like she was sure a number of other women would. With his beautiful golden-brown complexion and thick ponytail, she had admired his handsome features that reflected his mixed-race ancestry. She had actually blinked twice when she’d first seen him because the man had been simply gorgeous. But even with McKinnon’s striking good looks, it had been Durango who had caught her eye and held it.

“I guess I’ll leave you alone so you can get dressed now,” Durango said, standing and placing the tea and saltines on the nightstand.

It took fierce concentration to keep Savannah’s mind on their conversation and not on Durango as he got out of the chair. He was dressed in a pair of jeans, a pullover sweater and a pair of black leather boots. She didn’t care
how many times she saw him dressed that way, but each time his appearance grabbed her attention. “Thanks for the crackers and tea,” she said.