Page 110 of Sapphire Sunset

“Okay. You’re a little altered right now, so that might be aconsent issue.”

“I consent,” Logan growled, waggling his eyebrows. “I consent.I consent. I consent.”

By the thirdI consenthe was rocking his hips backand forth like he was getting ready to line dance.

“Go upstairs.”

But Logan was swaying back and forth to a new tune only hecould hear. “I consent. Iconseeent. Icaaaanseeeeense,that cowboy’s going be our preferred position until my shoulder stops hurting.Hey, that’s clever.”

It wasn’t clever, but Logan was cute when he was high. “Goupstairs, Gay Will Rogers,” Connor said, trying to fight his smile.

“Give me a kiss first,” Logan slurred, lips pursed.

“Yeah, we’ve had our one public display of affection for theday.”

“C’mon, they’re waiting for it.”

Connor looked over his shoulder and saw the reporters were,indeed, waiting for it.

He gave them a wave, grabbed Logan’s hand, and pulled himtoward the doors.

The kiss, and other things, would have to wait.

He had an angry mother to deal with.

Families splashed in the sunlit pool. Before abackdrop of bright green coastal hills, a group of wildfire victims were beingled in a yoga class on the rolling lawn nearby. To the casual observer, thepool deck made it look like the hotel was back to its pre-scandal routines, ifyou didn’t notice that the guests were more diverse than usual and theiroutfits not as desperately trendy or needlessly expensive. His mother had notonly reserved a table, she’d cordoned off an entire corner of the deck that metup with the glass wall for Camilla’s. Brandon stood nearby, rigid as acenturion. He gave Connor a polite nod as Connor approached.

His mother had ordered them both iced tea, her preferred drinkfor moments ofBe quiet and listen, this is serious.

“I figured you’d rather do this in private,” he said,slurping tea.

“I figured out here we’d cut down on the possibility of atantrum.”

“I don’t throw tantrums.”

“Except for the other day, and on the subject of the veryman you were kissing on television just this morning.”

“Okay. We were not kissingontelevision. Peoplefilmed us kissing on the beach and then took their footage to—”

“I’m aware of how camera phones and social media work.”

“Well, then stop making it sound like we went onGoodMorning Americato make out.”

“At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if they asked you to.That’s how much attention this is getting.”

“Nobody at the hotel seems to care.”

His mother leaned forward and dropped her voice to awhisper. “Good. Because I don’t care about this hotel.”

“You care about this hotel, Mom. Come on.”

“The only thing I like about this hotel are the views andthe senior staff. I hate what it did to our family. I hate the power it gaveRodney over all of us. And I would have fully supported your decision if you’ddecided to sell it. And make no mistake, I would have married your father if hewas a CVS clerk.”

“You say that now, but you’ve spenta lotof hismoney since then.”

“Mind your tongue, Connor Harcourt!”

“Just saying,” he muttered, and he figured the best way tomind his tongue was to give it some more iced ginger tea. This stuff was thebomb.

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