Page 65 of Sapphire Sunset

Logan broke the silence. “Thank you. And I didn’t know thatabout the trust. That’s intense. I’m sorry.”

“Thank you. It is. Intense.”

“And it’s probably another reason I should quit,” Logan said.

“How’s that?” Connor asked, panic flaring in his gut.

“I’m a distraction. On every level. You don’t needdistractions right now. You need help and support.”

“Shouldn’t I be the one to decide if you’re any help?”Connor asked.

“Maybe.”

“Do you want to leave?” Connor asked.

There was pain in his eyes, or at least what pain lookedlike on Logan Murdoch. Lips tensed and slightly parted, eyes narrow, but thestrain visible in the muscles of his neck and the tense set of his jaw. Painmade worse by a man trying to hide pain. “No. I love it here. I loved it enoughto put up with all the shitbags I worked with who’ve brought hell down on thisplace. But to be honest, even though I didn’t do what you thought I did, I wouldleave before I’d hurt you again.”

“It was just a five-year-old kiss,” Connor lied.

“Apparently not.”

Connor’s heart thrummed, and Logan stared into his eyes withan intensity that made the back of Connor’s neck feel caressed, held, gripped.Supported.

“If you want some time to—”

“I need you.” The words came from Connor before he couldstop them.

Logan went very still.

“I need someone in the security department who knows this hotel.Especially in the middle of all this. I need you to stay, Logan. Will youstay?”

“Absolutely.”

“All right. It’s settled then. Great.”

“Right,” Logan said.

“So obviously we need a new security department.”

“Already underway,” Logan said. “There’s one catch, though.”

11

Donnie grunted as he affixed the power drillto the metal bolt in the ceiling directly above his head. “So what you’resaying is that you were a huge dick.”

He fired the drill into action before Logan could defendhimself, leaving Logan no choice but to glare up at the man from the base ofthe ladder he was holding in both hands. “Not sure I’d put it exactly likethat,best friend,” Logan said once the squealing stopped.

“That’s all right, buddy. I did.”

After he’d introduced Connor to the new security team, Loganand Donnie had started removing security cameras from the guest room corridors.Now that the FBI had made off with the system’s nerve center, the camerasdidn’t connect to anything, but their redundancy and visibility was a blatant reminderof Rodney’s crimes to all who passed. They needed to be gone. Now.

Logan held the ladder. Donnie worked the drill.

As Logan had feared, Connor had recognized their newsecurity agents Brandon, Scott, and J.T. from their previous work as Parker Huntermodels. Contrary to his fears, however, Connor wasn’t remotely bothered bytheir work history. He’d shaken hands with all three men, then laughed underhis breath as he and Logan walked back toward the lobby, suddenly more cheerfulthan he’d been since his arrival. “So my uncle said I’d ruin this hotel one daywith all my various and sundry gay agendas. Now he’s in jail and I’ve got asecurity staff gay America used to jerk off to. That really works for me.”

Logan had laughed, and the tension between them had easedeven more.

Now Connor was making calls to introduce himself to theorganizers of the conferences that had decided not to bail.

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