Love in Montana (De La Fuente Family 1)

“Go out with me tonight,” he asked.

Sylvia couldn’t decide whether he wanted her to accept, or not, with his abrupt demand.

It was the look that quickly passed across his face that decided her answer. “Yes,” she whispered in agreement, unable to refuse him anything. She wanted to spend time with him. She wanted to just be with him. But now that she’d agreed, she wanted him closer. Stepping back into his space, she entwined her fingers with his. She reached up and kissed him—all too briefly—on the lips. Trying to step back, he refused to let her go, and with eyes that sparkled with lust, pulled her against him.

“Not so fast.”

His head lowered and her heart felt like it was about to jump out of her chest.

“Looks like someone’s hot and bothered.”

Eric cursed, and slowly stepped back. Sylvia found it difficult to meet Ruben’s knowing smirk.

“Thanks for that, Ruben.”

Ruben patted Eric on the back. “No trouble.” He turned to her. “Sylvia, we meet again.” He grinned.

She blushed.

“Ruben, we really need to stop meeting like this.” She straightened her dress for something to do and met the amusement dancing in his eyes.

“Yes, we should.”

“Don’t you have something better to be doing,” Eric grouched at him.

“Nope. I’m fine right here.”

Laughing, Sylvia picked up her latte and pushed in her chair. She glanced toward her office building that she’d escaped. She’d told Sebastian that she’d be ten minutes and she’d been gone for thirty.

“Well, I think I’ll be off.”

Eric frowned.

“I still have a few hours of work before I call it a day…So, Ruben, Eric, enjoy the rest of your day.”

“Bye, Sylvia. You too,” Ruben said.

Eric added, “I’ll be up to see you soon.”

Her heart fluttered at the prospect, but she couldn’t keep the grin from her face at the thought of spending the night with the handsome man.

Chapter Seven

Hanging up his cell after he’d talked to his brother—Dante—Eric felt unsettled. He’d always managed to stay in touch with his brother, even when they were kids and Dante was away at school.

Being the eldest, Dante had always tried to keep Eric and their other brothers together, but it wouldn’t always work. They’d been a restless group of boys who’d longed for adventure.

For the first time, he felt that there was something really bothering his brother, and he had no idea how to help or what the problem was, which was why he felt unsettled.

Dante was a priest in a small town outside of Denver, and he loved it there. Even though Eric had convinced himself that Dante loved the place he lived more than he did the priesthood. Dante had always been the religious one out of all of them. Much to their mother’s delight, Dante had been an altar boy and always seemed to shy away from girls. Eric didn’t think that his brother was gay, Dante just never seemed interested, but he also didn’t have any inclination to date. It surprised them all when he went off to a private school for boys after their mother had died. He hadn’t lived in the family home since then.

They always tried to call each other at least once a month to stay in touch, but he felt that Dante hadn’t been close to him, or any of their other siblings in a very long time. He just wished that Dante would confide in him about what troubled him. A visit to Denver was needed. Dante loved to walk in the mountains that surround his home and church. They could go camping like they used to do as kids before their mother became sick with cancer.

He sighed. He missed his brother, and, maybe, he needed to be with Dante as well because he’d be damned if he knew which direction he really wanted to go.

The contract work he’d done for the past few months had kept him out of trouble, but he couldn’t see himself being a security consultant for the rest of his life. He loved the outdoors and didn’t want to spend most of his time inside four walls, also known as an office.

He’d spent the rest of the weekend thinking about his future, and he hadn’t been impressed at constantly having Sylvia popping up in his thoughts. He didn’t want a girlfriend or even anything more permanent, at least until he had something to offer her. But what if she got a better offer while he tried to organize his life?