Page 12 of Sapphire Sunset

Connor was blushing again. And that was fine as far as Loganwas concerned. If making Connor blush was as close as he could get to making Connormoan, he’d do it frequently and with pleasure.

“Thank you. I really am grateful for what you did in there.Seriously. The other security guys wouldn’t have… There was just a lot going onin that moment they might not have understood.”

“I get it,” Logan said. “They weren’t just drunks. They werebullies. They were trying to shame your friends out of dancing together.”

“Exactly.”

“And that was a pretty impressive party you put together inthere. I wasn’t going to let those jerks ruin it.” Logan rested his elbows onthe balustrade, pretending to stare out to sea when really he was hoping theconviction in his tone was sinking into Connor’s pores.

“Thank you. You want to know what my favorite part of thewhole thing is?” Connor emulated Logan’s pose exactly. From a distance, theyprobably looked like two guys who’d come outside to study the stars instead ofeach other, when nothing, it seemed, could have been further from the truth.

“The dancing? You’re pretty good at it.”

“You know how to make a boy blush, Mr.…”

“Murdoch. My last name’s Murdoch.”

“Like the guy fromLethal Weapon.”

“Yeah, his last name’s actually Murtaugh, but you’re not thefirst person to make that mistake,” Logan said.

“Can I call youLethal Weaponanyway? I mean,you’ve already come up with a nickname for me. It’s only fair.”

“Baby Blues, you mean?”

“Yeah. Baby Blues.”

“You like it?” Logan asked.

“I brought you a shitty gift bag, didn’t I?” Connor answered.

“ThenLethal Weaponit is.”

“Look at us.” Connor went to bump one shoulder against Logan’sbefore realizing the height difference between them would make it almostimpossible. He brushed up against Logan’s bicep instead, then, eyes widening,he looked out to sea again. “We’ve already got nicknames. So anyway, have youmet my grandfather?”

“They introduced me earlier,” Logan answered.

“’Causehe was eating dinner athis special table at Camilla’s, right next to the window?”

“Yep. Cool dude. Really nice.”

“Yeah,” Connor said, “and he doesn’t just eat here everyweekend because he loves that they make a fuss over him and he doesn’t reallyhave to do the work of running the place anymore. Although those are definitelyperks.”

“I’m sure.”

“But what he loves is this,” Connor said, “this moment rightnow. When the hotel’s winding down for the night and you can hear peoplewalking back to their rooms. And if you watch closely late at night on theweekends, you’ll see him lingering out by the pool so he can take it all in. Hesays it’s one thing to stand in the hustle and bustle of the lobby with peoplewho might only be stopping off for lunch. But listening to the guests settlingin, getting ready to spend the night under the roof you built. That’s when hefeels like the hotel’s a true success. He calls it the magic moment.

“But see, me, I’m the opposite,” Connor continued. “Myfavorite part of the whole party planning process is those last few minutesbeforethe first guests walk in. You’ve got everything locked and loaded. Lights inplace. Caterers in position. There’s no time to really rearrange anything major,so you have tokindasit with it even if you’re notsure it works. You just have to be there. Surrender. Be with all the hard workand the expectations at once. There’s something about that moment, the way itcombines everything. Anticipation, excitement, fear of failure. I don’t know,it’s like… It’s why I do this.

“Am I boring you?” Connor asked.

No, you’re not, Prince of Sapphire Cove,Loganthought.You are a new kind of beautiful I’ve never been this closeto before, and the more I look into your baby blues, the more risk seems likereward.

“I’m boring you,” Connor said.

“No, you’re not. And you don’t talk like you just graduatedcollege. You talk like you’ve been throwing great parties your whole life.”

“Planning them, maybe. With foam core and fabric swatchesand printouts of possible place settings and pitch sessions to my mother in theliving room, all of which abolished any doubts about my sexuality, I’m sure.But I don’t want to bore you with the details.”

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