The Durango Affair - Brenda Jackson [30]
“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