Page 7 of Sapphire Sunset

The music was still pumping, but the confrontation wasdrawing the attention of the other dancers.

Connor was calculating the best way to play both cool hostand bouncer when a sudden, powerful force gripped his right shoulder. He spun,fearing another interloper had snuck up on him. Instead, he found himselfstaring up into a face that looked very sober, very focused, and so handsomeConnor wondered if he’d accidentally been dropped into the pages of a men’sfitness magazine he totally bought for the articles on nutrition, promise.

“I’ve got this, Mr. Harcourt.” The security agent’s voicewas full of confidence and authority.

His nametag readLogan, and he was clearly new tothe security department.

Because if Connor had laid eyes on him before now, it wasentirely possible he would have thought of little else since.

He was tall. Not basketball player tall butclimb-you-like-a-tree-and-hold-on-in-the-wind tall. Broad shoulders and athick, muscled neck, and hands that looked like they were sculpted out ofmarble. Tan skin and fine dark hair. There was something adorable about the wayhe’d styled his hair into a side part, making it look like a boyish hat atop aguy who was all brawny man below. A small mouth and hard jawline gave a vaguelyangry cast to his face, but it was offset by his expressive brown eyesunderneath dark eyebrows that made him appear slightly devilish.

Maybe it’s the eyebrows. They’re making it look likehe’s undressing me with his eyes. But it’s an illusion, that’s all.Theguy was probably straight, which meant that in addition to being as hot aslava, he’d be about as good for Connor’s ass.

Connor, who usually talked a mile a minute, was speechless.

True to his word, Logan stepped past him. But it felt toConnor like he waited as long as possible before removing his hand from Connor’sshoulder.

Jose andMcGolfpantswere nowshouting in each other’s faces, and his buddies,DrunkyDee andDrunkyDumm, were closing farther in, actingas if Jose’s reaction to their friends’ provocation was somehow worse than theprovocation itself.

In his ear, Naser whispered, “Who is that security guy?”

“I don’t know,” Connor whispered back. “But I think myshoulder had an orgasm.”

And, of course, at just that point, the music stopped,allowing the shouting between Jose, Ken, and their uninvited dancing partnersto rip through the room. But it was quickly silenced by a commanding, decisivevoice.

“Gentlemen, is there a problem?” Logan asked the crew.

“Yeah, yeah.”Golfpantstried tostand up straighter and point a finger at Jose at the same time. The combinedeffort almost sent him over sideways. “This guy here’s getting all worked upover a little joke—”

“I wasn’t talking to you, sir.” Logan turned to Jose. “Everythingall right, guys?”

“No.” Jose crossed his arms and stood his ground, lookingsober as stone. “These guys are drunk and they’re harassing us and they’resaying all sorts of anti-gay crap.”

The douches erupted in a slurred chorus of protests, most ofit about Jose being too sensitive, and Ken chimed in with,yes, pansy isactually a gay slur when you shout it at a gay man you don’t know.

“Are you guys guests of the party?” Logan asked.

“Musta thrown out the invite,”DrunkyDee slurred.

“’Causeit was perfume scented,”DrunkyDumm added.

“I’m going to take that as a no, which means it’s time tocome with me.”

Golfpantsleered. “You just wantto get us alone so you can dance with us like nobody’s watching.”

Logan grinned. “Actually, if I dance with anyone tonight,it’ll be Baby Blues over there. He’s more my type.”

Logan threw a look in Connor’s direction when he said it.

Connor’s face got hot. Logan’s cheeks were flushed too. Whentheir eyes met, there seemed to be a slender crack in the guy’s stony composure.Maybe he was only joking and when he saw the hunger it brought to Connor’seyes, he regretted saying it. But another part of him thought,Straightguys don’t make jokes about other men being their type.

“I think you’re Baby Blues,” Naser whispered into Connor’sear.

“Maybe it’s you,” Connor whispered back.

“My eyes are brown, queen.”

“Chestnut. And they’re gorgeous.”

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