Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 18 – This Isn't What It Looks Like

Logan's silver Porsche pulled up behind Kevin's black one in the driveway of the Gilmore's beach front home. The drive from Hartford took nearly three and a half hours, but neither Logan nor Rory noticed. Their conversation never lagged and even now, the two were engrossed in a lively debate.

"I can't believe you would even consider that," declared Rory.

"Hey if it's one thing I've learned as the son of a newspaper man is you should never rule out any possibility," defended Logan.

"Yes, but what you're proposing is absurd. Professor Snape was positioned as a villain from the very beginning," said Rory. "He's done nothing but make Harry's life more difficult."

"I don't disagree with that, but consider the fact that he's had multiple opportunities to take Harry out and he never has."

"Whose to say he could have?" challenged Rory. "Harry's been under attack by the most powerful evil wizard since he was a baby, and he's survived. What makes you think Snape would even stand a chance?"

"That is so off point," argued Logan. "Magic protected Harry from Voldemort not Snape. I'm not saying Snape hasn't been a jerk, but if he was really evil and had truly wanted Harry dead, he would have made his move long before Harry learned so much."

"He's been playing both sides for years, Logan. And I think it's pretty clear from his actions in Half Blood Prince that he's on Voldemort's side."

"I think there's more to it than that. There had to have been a reason for why he did what he did."

"Yes, there is a reason," shouted Rory. "He's evil."

"I'm not fully convinced, Ace. I trust Dumbledore and Dumbledore said to trust him."

"Oh my God! That can not be your argument! That's ridiculous for so many reasons!"

"Not ruling out any possibilities. We'll just have to wait for the last book to come out and then we'll see who's right."

"Expect an 'I told you so,' mister, because I know I'm right."

Logan laughed as he cut the engine. "We'll see, Ace."

"Yes, we will," she added smugly.

"I say we put this debate on the backburner for a while. Besides, I think you owe me a thank you for getting you here safe and sound," he said smiling over at her.

Rory looked into his warm eyes and returned the smile. She leaned over letting her lips hover over his. "Thank you," she whispered.

Logan could feel her breath on his lips. "You're very welcome, Ace," he whispered in reply before closing the distance between them and capturing her lips in a slow, sensual kiss. Logan followed her lead, letting her set the pace for the kiss. He loved that every kiss he shared with Rory was so different from the last. Their kisses could be playful, passionate, slow, urgent, sweet, needy, but always full of emotion. His heart literally raced every time she kissed him. This particular kiss was warm and inviting, as if foreshadowing what was to come. His tongue was about to enter her mouth when a hand suddenly grabbed him by the hair and forcefully yanked him backwards.

"Kevin!" yelled Rory clearly angry at having their moment disrupted.

"What did I tell you about making out with my sister in front of me?" demanded Kevin who still had Logan by his hair.

The look on Kevin's face told Logan he was annoyed, but not enraged. He was slowly growing accustomed to the two of them being together, but public displays of affection had clearly not made it into his comfort zone. "Technically, I parked behind you," argued Logan as he pointed at Kevin's Porsche. "So, I'm kissing Rory behind your back not in front of you. It's hardly my fault that you decided to walk back here." It was a ludicrous defense, but a defense nonetheless. And it did succeed in getting a chuckle out of his friend.

Kevin rolled his eyes and released the hold he had on Logan's hair. "Don't push your luck, Huntzberger."

"Leave him alone, Kevin," said Rory running a hand through her boyfriend's messy blond locks.

"Don't forget the rules, Rory. While we're on this island, I'm in charge. And dad made me swear I'd keep an eye on you two."

Ignoring her brother, she turned to Logan and asked, "Could you help bring my stuff up to my room please?"

"At your service, Ace." Logan popped the trunk of his car and retrieved Rory's two bags. Rory climbed out of the passenger seat and the two headed into the house.

"Come right down as soon as you drop her stuff off, Logan. And your door stays open while he's up there, Rory," ordered Kevin.

Rory turned to give her brother an ice cold glare. Kevin merely smiled in response.

"Don't you think you're taking this 'being in charge' thing just a little too far?" asked Joanna. She was leaning against Kevin's car and had watched the entire scene unfold. The two were actually parked in the driveway in the middle of a pleasant conversation of their own when he'd spotted the two kissing from his rear view mirror. Kevin had let out a disgusted grunt before climbing out of his car and physically separating his best friend and sister.

"No," was his only response.

Joanna rolled her eyes.

"It's for her own good," he assured her.

"I'm sure Rory feels that way too," she added sarcastically.

"I made a promise to my father," he reminded her.

"Rory's an adult, Kevin. She can take care of herself."

"She's still my little sister. And that means I'll always be looking out for her."

Joanna nodded. She couldn't really argue with that.

"Now, can I show to your room, m'lady?" he asked with a killer smile meant to relieve any tension caused by the previous discussion. Joanna would never understand his need to protect Rory and after hours of driving, he didn't have the energy to try to make her understand.

"By all means, lead the way." Kevin grabbed their belongings and showed her into the house.

Upstairs in Rory's room, the happy couple had picked up right where they'd left off before Kevin's rude interruption. Upon entering her room, Rory immediately slammed the door shut in protest to Kevin's orders. Within seconds, Logan had her pushed up against it, their mouths connecting instantly.

"How much time do you think we have before Kevin comes up here?" asked Logan.

"Joanna should be able to distract him for a least a few minutes," said Rory. She pulled him closer, moving his hands underneath his shirt. "Now I believe I was in the middle of thanking you," she whispered seductively.

Logan leaned into her and captured her lips in a passionate kiss. His hands began to wander from her hips down to her ass. Rory moaned when he pulled her flush against his groin, allowing her to feel his growing erection. Minutes passed when suddenly, a loud bang came from the door Rory had her back against. The two separated, sighing in frustration.

"Open this door," roared Kevin. He banged on the door again.

Rory straightened her clothes and ran a hand through her slightly mused hair before complying with her brother's request. "Can I help you?" she asked innocently.

Kevin did not look amused. He walked in and gave the two a reproaching glare. "Rory, I said to leave the door open while Logan was here."

"Was it closed?" she asked sarcastically. "I didn't close it. Logan, did you?"

"Not me, Ace," he declared with the same innocent expression that graced Rory face. "Must have bee the wind."

Kevin shook his head. "Right. The wind. Just make sure the wind doesn't blow the door shut again ok?"

"Can't make any promises, Kevin," said Rory sweetly. "I can hardly control the forces of nature."

Logan couldn't help but laugh. There was definitely a force of nature pulling the two of them together. And he, for one, was powerless against it.

Kevin rolled his eyes at her. "Do me a favor and call dad. Let him know we're here."

"Yes, sir," said Rory. "And don't worry. I'll also be sure to tell him what a pain in the ass you're being."

"You do that," encouraged Kevin. "Then he'll know I'm doing my job."

Rory grabbed her phone from her purse to make one of the three obligatory phone calls to her parents. It was annoying, but a small price to pay from being allowed to take this trip with Logan. She only hoped Kevin would lighten up as the day progressed.

While Rory was making her call, Kevin slapped a hand on Logan's back and ushered him to the door. "Well, Logan, thanks for bringing Rory's stuff up. You can go to your own house now."

"Kevin," began Logan, "don't you think you're pushing it just a little?"

"Let me think…umm…no."

"Come on, Kev, it was just a kiss."

Wincing, he replied, "Still gross. And still don't want to see it. We had an agreement remember?"

"I know. I know. No PDAs," admitted Logan.

"And what would you call what you were doing in your car?"

"Fine. Fine. We'll keep it to a minimum when you're around."

"That's all I ask."

"You didn't have to yank my hair like though," said Logan running a hand over his blond locks. His scalp was still sore.

"True," agreed Kevin. "I could have set the hose on you two, but then I would have damaged the interior of your Porsche. And I would have felt guilty about that. Or I could have punched you in the face like I'd wanted to, but I thought that would be inconsiderate seeing as how the bruises on your face from last time you pissed me off just healed. Or I could have…"

"Ok, Kev, I get it."

"Logan, I could go on and on about the number of ways I should cause you physical and psychological pain for making out with my sister in front of me when I specifically asked you not to, but frankly, I don't have that kind of time. I turn twenty in less than twelve hours," he said pointing to his watch. "And there is so much to be done before our lovely, lovely guests begin to arrive."

Logan took in Kevin's lascivious smirk and asked, "Exactly how many people are we expecting tonight?"

"I'm not sure. I left the inviting up to Colin and Finn. But Finn has reassured me that there will be a bevel of beauties anxious to make this the best birthday I've ever had."

Logan smiled knowing what kind of night lay ahead. "So what exactly do we need to do?"

"Well this is my grandparents' house. There will be a lot of people here tonight so we'll need to make a few modifications."

"Modifications? You mean protecting the breakables, hiding the valuables, and triple stocking the liquor?" asked Logan.

"Exactly," said Kevin. "Plus, I need to make sure the hot tub is in working order."

"What's a party without a hot tub?"

"Correction, what's a party without a hot tub full of hot girls?" said Kevin.

Logan laughed. "All right. Let me stop by my house, drop my stuff off and I'll be back to help you. Colin and Finn should be here any minute."

"I thought they were right behind you. How did we get separated?"

"They stopped to load Finn's car with alcohol before they got onto the ferry."

"Makes sense."

The two made their way downstairs continuing to discuss plans for the evening. "All right, I'll be back," said Logan when they reached the front door. "What time are people supposed to start arriving?"

"According to Finn, around eight."

Logan checked his watch. "We've got plenty of time. Why don't you sit and take a load off. It's early and this is going to be a long night for you. Plus I have a feeling you're going to need your energy tonight, birthday boy."

While Rory and Joanna enjoyed some girl time on the beach, the four boys had a busy afternoon prepping the Gilmore's house for an evening of drunken debauchery. When Colin and Finn arrived, they had with them more alcohol than Rory had ever seen assembled in one location. As Finn set up both an indoor and outdoor bar, Colin and Logan unpacked an elaborate sound system and began placing speakers all over the house. Kevin, meanwhile, was rearranging furniture, but only after he'd made sure the Jacuzzi was in working order. They were like a well oiled machined.

"Clearly you've done this before," Rory accused them.

Four sets of eyes stopped what they were doing and looked up at her. "Done what, love?" asked Finn.

"This," she answered waving her hands. "All of this—the booze, the music, the hot tub. All designed to lure the young and impressionable for an evening of drinking in excess that will more than likely lead to scandalous behavior."

"Are you worried?" asked Kevin.

"No, I'm impressed," she admitted.

Kevin laughed. Throughout the years, he and the boys had perfected the art of throwing a party and while this would not be the first Rory experienced first hand, it would be the wildest. Kevin was, after all, leaving his teens and entering a new decade. That called for an increase in their usual efforts. In this case, that meant more alcohol than usual and a guest list with a girl boy ration of two to one.

"I can't believe you put all of this together in only a few short hours. And it was just the four of you."

"We're not anywhere close to being done," complained Colin. "The speakers in the back aren't working, the food's not here, the staff hasn't arrived."

"There's a staff?" questioned Rory.

"Bartenders and caterers," answered Logan.

"And I hired a guard to make sure no one goes upstairs," added Kevin. "Less we have a repeat of Colin's eighteenth birthday party."

All four boys shuddered at that comment.

"I won't even ask," said Rory. "Did I hear you say food?"

"Of course," said Logan. "You can't have a party without food."

"And you especially can't have a birthday party without cake," added Finn.

"Cake?" she asked with a twinkle in her eye. Her excited expression made her look so much like the little girl Logan remembered. "There'll be cake?"

"Yes," replied Logan making his way over to her and wrapping his arms around her waist. He knew Kevin was watching, but he couldn't help himself. He had to touch her. "It's a birthday party, so there has to be birthday cake."

"A real cake right? Not a big fake one with a naked girl in it?"

Logan laughed and kissed the tip of her nose. "Yes, it's a real cake, with candles and frosting and everything."

"Hands in the air, Huntzberger," called Kevin from across the room. "Don't make me come over there and separate you two…again."

"Relax, Kevin," said Rory. She turned around so she was facing Kevin, but made sure Logan's hands remained fixed on her body. With her back to her boyfriend, she laced their fingers together and wrapped his arms around her. Logan was only too happy to have her enveloped in his embrace. Rory snuggled closer to him and smiled at her brother before saying, "If you keep scowling like that, you're face is going to freeze that way."

"Logan," warned Kevin, "do you want me to get the hose?"

Logan was not in the mood for a show down. He took a moment to breath in the sweet scent of his girlfriend before releasing the hold he had on her. "I should get back to work, Ace. There are still a million things to do before everyone gets here." He smiled warmly his eyes letting her know they would definitely continue this later.

"All right," she whispered just before lightly kissing his lips. Her brother's feelings and apprehensions aside, she was going to kiss Logan whenever she wanted. "Do you guys need any help?" she offered.

"Sure," said Colin, who was equally eager to separate her from Logan—not because it bothered him, although it did a little, but because he wanted to avoid a confrontation that may result from any more displays of affection between Rory and Logan. "The number for the caterer is on fridge. Can you call them and make sure they'll be here by six?"

"Will do, boss."

Hours later, the food was delivered, the sound system was perfected, the bartenders were in place, and the first wave of guests were pulling up to the house. A troupe of Yale males, all of whom were members of the Life and Death Brigade, arrived first. Apparently, they'd come by early in order to do a special toast to the birthday boy.

"A room full of guys? Now that's my idea of a party," whispered Joanna as she walked up behind Rory.

"I don't think it will stay that way for too long," she informed her friend. "Trust me, I know these guys and in a few minutes, a bus full of scantily clad bimbos is going to pull up in the driveway." The two girls were standing at the foot of the stairs watching the dozen or so boys gathered around Kevin.

"Yes, but until they arrive, ley's say we get this party started," said Joanna with an evil look in her eyes. The boys had yet to realize they were there, something that Joanna found absolutely unacceptable. "Gentlemen," she called out getting the attention of every guy in the room. She walked slowly toward the crowd, making sure every eye was on her, and asked, "What does a girl have to do to get a drink around here?"

Kevin looked up and suppressed a groan when he laid eyes on Joanna. She had on a little black dress that clung to every one of her beautiful curves. He couldn't tear his eyes off her. If he had, he would have noticed that all his friends were silently staring at her as well.

"Yeah," added Rory walking up behind her friend. "What does a girl have to do to get a drink around here?"

Before she even finished her question, half of the guys present were tripping over themselves to get to the bar. The two girls laughed and as Joanna took a seat next to Kevin, Rory felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist.

"You look gorgeous," whispered Logan. She was wearing a fitted white skirt and an off the shoulder blue silk top. He recognized the outfit as one he'd bought her during their shopping expedition.

"Thank you," she replied looking over her shoulder and smiling at him.

Taking a step back in order to better admire her, Logan said, "You look a little too gorgeous actually. There are way too many guys in this room for you to look this beautiful."

Just as a blush crept its way into her cheeks, the couple was interrupted by three boys, all of whom were holding a drink out for Rory.

"We weren't sure what kind of drink you'd like," one of them said, "so you have a few to choose from. I got you martini," he offered holding out the drink.

"I thought you'd prefer a vodka tonic," said the taller boy standing next to him. Rory remembered him from the pub.

"And I thought you might like a Malibu bay breeze," said the last boy offering her the pink concoction.

"I don't know," she said with a coy smile. Turning to Logan, who was a standing two feet behind her, she asked, "Which one do you think I'd like?"

Logan took a step toward her, smirking the whole time. He placed a protective arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. With his free hand, he snagged the bay breeze away from bachelor number three and held it up to Rory's lips. "I think you'll like this one. It's sweet," he said, not taking his eyes off her.

Rory took a sip of the drink that Logan held before her. He was right. It was sweet. When he pulled the glass away, a few drops of alcohol beaded against her glossy lips. Logan leaned down and kissed her mouth, licking off the excess drops.

"What'd you think?" he asked in a seductive whisper, although he made sure he was loud enough to be heard.

"Yummy," she said smiling up at him.

Logan turned to the three boys who stared at the couple in shock. They all knew Logan well and had never known him to be this hands on or possessive about a girl. "Thanks for bringing my girl a drink," he told them, "but I think I can take it from here." He gave them all a steady glare letting them know in no uncertain terms that they were not to pursue this girl.

Luckily, this entire interaction went completely unnoticed by Kevin. He was far too mesmerized with the girl that claimed the seat next to him.

"Hey there, birthday boy," Joanna said with a smile.

He looked her up and down, his eyes moving very slowly. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, it's your party," she replied with a shrug.

Taking a sip of his drink, he leaned toward her and whispered, "What exactly are you trying to accomplish with this dress?"

"What's wrong with my dress?" she asked innocently.

He chuckled lightly and took another sip of his drink. "I seem to recall you expressing a desire to find a guy that would rather look in into your eyes instead of your….well those," he said gesturing toward her chest.

"Yes, so what?" she asked.

"Well, speaking as a guy," he began, "that dress does not scream 'look into my eyes.' It screams 'hey, check out my ti…'"

"Kevin," she interrupted slapping him on the arm. She was silent for a moment before she said, "I'm not sure whether or not I should be offended by that."

"You look beautiful," he said sincerely.

Joanna smiled warmly at him. "Thank you. Well, aren't you going to introduce me?"

Kevin looked around at his friends, all of whom appeared anxious for an introduction. With a roll of his eyes he turned to them and said, "Guys, this is Joanna. Joanna, meet the guys."

"Hello," she said to no one in particular. Joanna carefully looked through the crowd of well dressed, finely quaffed, eager-looking young men before picking one out. "You," she said pointing to one of them, "come here." The boy did as she requested. "What's you're name?"

"Eric," he answered with a cocky smile.

"Hi, Eric. Go fetch me a drink," she ordered in a smooth, gentle voice. At first Eric looked a bit confused, but after Joanna sat back, a small smile on her lips, and slowly crossed her legs, he headed to the bar, only to happy to comply.

"Wow, just like that?" asked an impressed Kevin.

Joanna smiled sweetly and shrugged. "Must be the dress," she said coyly.

Kevin shook his head and laughed.

"What's so funny?" asked Rory. She walked up to Joanna with Logan following closely behind.

"Kevin likes my dress," was her only response.

Rory caught her brother's eye and smirked.

"Got you a little something, Kevin," said Logan handing him a wrapped gift. "Happy birthday."

Kevin put his drink down and accepted the unexpected present eagerly. He shook the box the way a child would, as if trying to guess its contents. "What is this, Logan?"

"Open it," he encouraged.

Kevin tore the box open and laughed out loud when he realized what its contents were. Reaching into the box, he pulled out a set of handcuffs. "What exactly is the purpose of this gift, Logan?"

"Well, I bought those with you in mind so I certainly didn't want to keep them. And I know you didn't particularly enjoy the time you spent in them," he reminded Kevin with a smirk. "So, since it is your birthday, and since every pretty girl within a hundred mile radius is on her way here right now, I figured you'd probably enjoy making some new memories in those. Happy, happy birthday, Kevin."

Rory looked appalled. "That is so disturbing, Logan."

Kevin burst out laughing. "That makes perfect sense. I love it."

"Logan handcuffed you?" Joanna asked Kevin. "Why?"

"I'll tell you later," offered Rory. "Right now, I'd like to propose a toast."

"Oh a toast!" said Joanna. "Eric," she called out, "where is my drink?"

The boy in question rushed over with drink in hand. "Here you go. I didn't know what you'd like. Sorry that took so long."

Joanna took the drink, but didn't say a word, not even a thank you. Instead she gave him a disappointed glare that caused him to shrink slightly in shame. Rory laughed and Kevin and Logan looked on with admiration. Eric was a friend of theirs and not one to normally be so docile. In fact he was usually pretty cocky and assertive. Watching Joanna reduce him to a whimpering puppy with just one look was very amusing…not to mention impressive. Kevin was somewhat relieved he wasn't only one to be so affected by this girl.

"Attention, everyone," yelled Rory. The boys in the room turned to face her. "I would like to propose a toast to Kevin, the best big brother a girl could ever have. Happy twentieth birthday! I love you." She smiled at him at yelled, "To Kevin,"

"To Kevin," answered the crowd. As the crowd cheered, the door burst open and in poured a wave of partygoers—mostly female.

"Let the games begin," yelled Finn.

By the time the next wave of guests arrived, the party was in full swing. There must have been close to a hundred people there. As the guest of honor, Kevin had the pleasure of personally greeting every pretty girl that walked through the front door. He was busy tending to a handful of particularly enticing guests when Rory took the opportunity to pull her boyfriend away from the crowd.

"Having fun?" she asked.

Logan finished the drink in his hand before placing a warm kiss on her lips. "Are you?"

Rory returned the kiss, pushing her body into his. He tasted like scotch—warm, sensual, inviting. "What do you say we disappear for a little while?"

"And just where might we disappear to?" he asked pulling her in is arms.

"Well as it turns out, I have a big, empty room upstairs," she whispered in a none-to-innocent tone.

"Really?" Logan looked discretely over his shoulder.

As if sensing his apprehension, Rory added, "Don't worry about Kevin. He's far too preoccupied with the current brigade of bimbos vying for his attention to notice we're gone."

Logan knew she was right. At that very moment, he doubted if Kevin even remembered that Rory was there. "We have to be back down before midnight. Kevin will definitely notice if neither one of us is here when he cuts the cake."

Rory grabbed his wrist and checked the time. "So that leaves us a little over an hour. Whatever will we do upstairs for all that time?" she teased pulling him towards the back stairwell. She wobbled slightly and used Logan for balance.

Laughing, he asked, "Ace, how much have you had to drink tonight?"

"Only the two pink drinks that you gave me," she insisted.

"It was three," he informed her, "and there was quite a bit of alcohol in those."

"Ok, three."

"Plus, the shot I saw you and Joanna do."

"So four. Why do you ask?"

"You feel ok?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?" Logan already had his fair share of drinks for the evening, but his body was accustomed to copious amounts of alcohol. He had a nice buzz happening, but was not drunk by any standards.

"Yes," she repeated. "I will have you know I am the perfect amount of tipsy right now."

"The perfect amount?"

"Yes. I am feeling the happy mind numbing effects of the rum, but am not suffering from negative side effects." She leaned into him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and initiated a passionate, mind blowing kiss. "See? I'm perfectly in control of all my senses."

"I can see that," he said smirking.

"And except for this overwhelming need to take my boyfriend upstairs to do naughty, naughty things to him, I'm perfect."

Looking over his shoulder one last time, Logan grabbed her hand and practically dragged her the rest of the way. "Let's go then." At the top of the stairs, they encountered a large man, the guard that Kevin hired to make sure all the guest remained on the lower level. Upon seeing who it was, he let the two pass.

They entered Rory's room and she immediately locked the door behind them. No sooner did she hear the click of the lock, than she felt Logan's warm mouth on the back of her neck. He spun her around and found her lips, kissing her softly. As the kiss intensified, Logan began moving backwards toward her bed. Before his mind clouded over completely, he pulled out his cell phone and began pushing a serious of buttons.

"What are you doing?" asked a somewhat annoyed Rory. "Calling in for reinforcements?"

"Relax," he assured her. "I'm just setting my alarm. You and I have a tendency to get carried away and I want to make sure we have plenty of time to put our clothes back on before we have to go back downstairs."

Feigning a shocked expression, Rory dramatically said, "Why, Logan Huntzberger, this is scandalous. Did you bring me up here to try to get me to take my clothes off?"

He laughed out loud, but decided to play along. "If I recall correctly, you, my dear Ace, were the one who initiated this little rendezvous."

"I did, didn't I," she admitted proudly. "In that case, what are we waiting for?" Within seconds Rory had successfully stripped Logan of his shirt and was pushing him down on the bed. Logan wrapped his arms around her waist effectively pulling her down with him.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered against her skin. He buried his face in the crook of her neck kissing his way down to her collarbone. Rory moaned in response and Logan took that as encouragement to pull her shirt over her head. Upon removing the blue silk, he stared in awe at the black lacey bustier that adorned her body. It fit her perfectly, hugging her soft curves, and accentuating her breasts. "My God, Ace," was all he could say before latching his mouth onto her right breast.

Rory continued to moan, arching her back and thrusting her chest towards him. After several minutes of lavishing her breasts, Logan's lips once again found hers. He kissed her over and over for several long minutes, their lips clinging to each others as if their lives depended on it. Never had Logan been so satisfied with just kissing. But with Rory, he was. In fact, he was more than satisfied. Rory, however, felt the need for more. Her hands moved to the zipper of her skirt. She pulled the zipper down and Logan eagerly pushed her skirt off, making sure to take the time to worship the silky perfection of her thighs as he did. The removal of her skirt revealed a matching black lace tanga that left Logan drooling. He stopped his actions for a moment in order to fully admire her.

"You are so incredibly sexy," he said as he flipped them over.

Rory smiled up at him from her new position. "You like it?" she asked somewhat shyly.

"Are you kidding? I love it," he assured her.

"I bought this for you," she admitted as a slight blush rose to her cheeks.

Her admission warmed his heart and he could do nothing but smile. "You did?" he asked.

Nodding, she continued, "I've never bought lingerie for anyone before."

"Another first," he said smiling again. "Why'd you buy it?" he asked half teasing and half wanting to know how she would answer.

Rory blushed a deeper shade of red before answering. "I love the look in your eyes when we're like this," she replied candidly. "The way you look at me is…it makes me feel…"

"What?"

"I don't know," she said, now blushing furiously. "Sexy. Exhilarated."

"Yeah?" he asked not tearing his eyes off hers. Rory's eyes had deepened to an amazing shade of blue. He couldn't look away.

"Yeah," she said in a whisper. "The way you're looking at me now, makes me feel incredible. It's intoxicating."

"You're intoxicating, Ace. Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever get enough of you."

She smiled at him with so much passion in her eyes that for a moment, Logan felt his heart stop.

"Ace, I love that you bought this with me in mind. Believe me, you have no idea what a turn that is, but trust me it's not really necessary. I would look at you like this no matter what you were wearing."

"Or not wearing?" she asked playfully.

He laughed and lightly kissed the tip of her nose. "Yeah. Or not wearing."

Rory reached up and traced the line of his jaw. He turned his head to kiss the tips of her fingers. She could feel the warmth of his mouth radiate through her body. It sent chills up her spine. The look in her eyes at that moment was enough to send Logan over the edge. He crashed his lips into hers sending a surge of sensations through both of them. Rory reached for the button of his pants, taking the opportunity to cup him before unzipping his fly.

Logan kicked off his pants. Clad only in his boxers, he hovered over Rory and once again, felt completely overwhelmed. There were no words to describe how he felt, so he showed her. He gently kissed her lips before beginning a trail down her neck, to her breasts, and then her stomach. When he ran his tongue along the black lace of her panties, Rory's hips bucked involuntarily. "Shh, Ace. Relax."

"Logan," she moaned.

He continued to move further down, leaving a trail of wet kisses in his wake. Placing a hand on her knee, he gently spread her legs apart and then turned to lick her inner thigh. Logan placed hot wet kisses further and further up her thigh at an agonizingly slow pace. He could feel Rory quivering. He could hear her moaning in anticipation of what he was about to do. As his fingers reached for the sheer black lace that covered her heated core, a shrill beep penetrated his consciousness.

"What is that?" asked Rory, complaining of the noise that brought her out of her blissful haze.

Groaning, Logan answered, "My alarm. Damn. We have to get up, Ace."

"What?" she asked still slightly disoriented. "No. It can't be time yet."

Logan sat up and reached over to grab his cell phone. "It's 11:30, Ace. We need to get back downstairs."

"It's only 11:30? Come on, we're swimming in time. Just a few more minutes," she pleaded.

"Come on, Ace," he said smiling. "I don't want to leave here any more than you do, but we have to get back downstairs. And you and I both know that with us, it's never just a few more minutes." He tried to get out of bed, but Rory stopped him.

"I'm not ready to leave this bed yet," she declared.

"Ace," he begged. "You're going to get us both in trouble."

For a moment, she just sat there and pouted. Suddenly, she surprised him by popping off the bed. After grabbing something on the floor next to the door, she turned to face Logan.

"What you got there, Ace?" he asked curiously. As Rory neared, he realized what she was carrying. It was the birthday gift he'd given Kevin just a few hours ago. When the guests arrived, Rory offered to bring it upstairs for her brother.

"We're not leaving yet," she declared in a playful tone.

"Ace," he warned as she climbed back up on the bed and leaned back against the headboard.

"Come on, Logan, just give me one more kiss. I'm not leaving this bed until I get one more kiss," she stated. Rory, thanks to the perfect amount of liquid courage she'd enjoyed earlier, boldly cuffed her right wrist and crooked a finger at him, daring him to move.

He knew she was baiting him, but he didn't care. They did still have almost half an hour left. In fact, he'd purposely set the alarm to go off that early in anticipation of Rory's antics. "Fine," he thought. "I'll play along." Logan moved toward her, taking another opportunity to admire how incredible she looked in black lace. "Just one more kiss right?" he asked playfully as he hovered over her once more.

"Just one more," she confirmed.

Smirking, he placed a feather light kiss on her lips before claiming her mouth in a deep, sensual kiss. He could feel her hands moving all over his body and was so lost in the moment that he didn't realize, until after it was too late, that Rory imprisoned his left wrist with the handcuffs. Moreover, she looped the cuff through the headboard making sure that neither one of them would leave that bed until she was good and ready.

"Ace," he warned, "what are you doing?"

"Just having some fun," she replied sweetly.

"Ace, we have to go."

"Oh, come on. Just one more kiss?"

"You've already said that. I complied and now I'm handcuffed to the bed."

"Logan, I can't believe you. Here I am, wearing next to nothing, I handcuffed us to my bed and still, you're talking about going back downstairs. There's definitely something wrong with this picture," she said somewhat exasperated.

Logan couldn't help but laugh at himself. She was right. What the hell was wrong with him? There wasn't a guy in the world that wouldn't kill to be in this situation. "What's a few more minutes?" he thought. "Just one more kiss and you promise to uncuff us and get dressed so we can get back to the party before Kevin catches us, has a coronary and sends Christopher out here to hunt me down and shoot me?"

Rory giggled at his little ramble before nodding in agreement. "I promise," she said solemnly.

Smirking all the while, Logan dipped his down to grant her one more kiss. While the kiss was meant to pacify her, it only served to excite them both. Maybe it was the kinky factor the handcuffs added or the danger factor of getting caught in that situation. Logan wasn't sure, but whatever it was, it was thrilling. It was then and there he made up his mind to invest in another pair of handcuffs. When he pulled back, Rory's face was graced with a very satisfied smile.

"Can you uncuff us know?" he asked.

"Hmmm," she pondered, "I don't know. I kind of like having you all to myself like this."

"Ace, give me the key."

"No," she said smiling playfully.

"Ace, give me the key," he repeated still smiling.

"Come and get it," she challenged.

He could see the key clenched tightly in her little fist. Pouncing on her, he halfheartedly tried to wrestle it way, tickling her sides with his free hand. Rory began laughing uncontrollably, but somehow managed to keep the key out of his grasp. When Logan decided he was done playing around, he grabbed her wrist in an attempt to retrieve the key. However, during the struggle, the key flew out of Rory's hand and landed on the floor a good eight feet away from the bed.

The laughter immediately died on Rory's lips as the tiny piece of metal hit the floor. Her eyes went wide, "Oh my God!"

As if forgetting he himself was handcuffed, Logan lunged to for the key only to have his arm nearly pulled from its socket. "Ow! Damn!" The gravity of the situation hit him. "Shit! HOLY SHIT!" He jerked his wrist a few times hoping it would somehow miraculously be freed. No such luck.

"Logan," said Rory's panicked voice. "Please tell these are trick cuffs or something. There has to be a way to get them off without that key right?"

"Sorry, no. They're the real thing."

"But the key," she cried, "is all the way over there."

"I can see it, Ace," he said his mind racing.

"Oh my God!"

He could tell she was starting to panic and frankly, that was the last thing he needed right now. "It's ok, Ace. Just relax. Maybe we can move the bed and get close enough to reach it."

Rory looked around, taking stock of her surroundings. "Logan this headboard is an antique. It must weigh two hundred pounds and it's bolted onto the frame. There's no way we're going to be able to move this all the way over there."

She was right. "Ok," he said trying to stay calm himself. "We'll figure something else out."

"Well, whatever it is, we better figure it out soon."

Logan checked his watch. It was 11:42. If the two of them weren't down there by midnight, Kevin would definitely notice and send a search party after them. "Holy shit!" They could not be discovered in their current state because there was no way he could talk himself out this one. Kevin would kill him.

"Your phone," said Rory. "Give me your phone."

He reached over and grabbed it off the nightstand. "Who are you calling?"

"Joanna."

Logan thought about that for a moment and decided it was definitely the least of all evils. He quickly handed Rory the phone.

"Pick up. Pick up. Pick up," she begged. "Damn! It went to voicemail."

Logan laid back in defeat. "I am so dead."

"Logan."

"No seriously, I am so dead. If Kevin catches us like this. He's going to kill me…literally. Because let's be honest, I'm hardly in the position to defend myself, physically or otherwise," ranted Logan. "And although he may take a moment to appreciate the irony of the whole handcuffs thing…"

"Karma's a bitch," interjected Rory.

"You got that right. He is going to kill me. You know he is."

Rory didn't even want to think about how Kevin would react to seeing them like this. "Don't give up on me yet, Huntzberger." She hit the send button again. This time Joanna answered.

"Hello?"

"Jo, I need your help."

"Rory? Where are you?"

"I don't have time to explain, but I need your help. I need it fast. And I need you to be as discreet as humanly possible."

"Oh, intrigue."

"Come up to my room right now."

"Ok."

"And remember, discretion."

"I'll be right there."

"Great. Don't hang up." Rory heard the noises from the party as Joanna made her way through the crowd. "She's coming," she told Logan. In less than a minute, there was a light knock on the door. "Is that you?" she asked into the phone.

"No, it's the Queen," she said dryly. "Who else would it be?"

"Sorry," said Rory stupidly. "Are you alone?"

"Yes, of course. What's going on?"

"Just come in here."

"I can't. The door's locked. Open it," said Joanna.

Rory slumped down in defeat. "The door's locked," she said to Logan. "I locked the door."

"Shit!" he almost yelled. "Can't she pick the lock?"

"Can't you pick the lock?" she yelled into the phone.

"Rory, where in the world would I learn how to pick a lock? What the hell is going on?"

"She doesn't know how to pick a lock," said Rory to Logan.

"Oh my God!" said Logan, desperately struggling against the handcuffs. He closed his eyes and weighed his options for a moment before saying, "Tell her to go get Colin."

"What!" screamed Rory. "Are you crazy? No!"

"Ace, we need to get out of here. And in order for that to happen, someone has to unlock that door. Now there are a few guys I know that could easily pick that lock: Kevin, Finn, or Colin. Which one of those three would you rather ask?"

Rory ran every possible scenario through her head. Although it would be mortifying either way, Colin was definitely the safest way to go. "Oh my God," she muttered to herself. "Jo, are you still there?"

"Yeah, what's going on?"

"I need you to go downstairs, find Colin, bring him up here and get him to pick the lock. And I need you to do it without anyone noticing."

"What the hell is going on, Rory? What are you doing in there?"

"Joanna, please, just do it."

Upon hearing the desperation in Rory's voice, Joanna complied. Two minutes later, she returned with an intoxicated and very confused Colin in tow. Joanna called Logan's phone, and said, "Ok, we're here and Colin's picking the lock as we speak."

"Ok," said Rory. "Colin's picking the lock," she said to Logan. Rory wasn't sure if she should be relieved. On the one hand, they would be no longer be handcuffed to the bed. On the other hand, Joanna and Colin would see her and Logan handcuffed to the bed. She wrapped herself in a blanket as if it would somehow protect her against the embarrassment of the situation.

Logan grabbed her hand to comfort her. "It'll be ok, Ace." The look in his eyes was a mixture of panic and amusement. Oddly enough, his words and gentle touch did help ease the knot in her stomach a bit…a very, very tiny bit. She snuggled into his side for protection. Somehow, his presence alone made her feel better. "It'll be ok, Ace," he repeated as he kissed to top of her head.

Seconds later, the door opened and in walked Colin and Joanna. They took one look at the handcuffed pair and were stunned into silence. The long metal device that Colin had used to pick the lock fell from his hand without him even noticing.

"This isn't what it looks like!" declared Logan.

"Oh. My. God," said Joanna.

"This isn't what it looks like!" repeated Logan.

"Oh my God!" said Joanna and Colin in unison, both sets of eyes wide with shock.

"This isn't what it looks like!" said Logan again. Rory, way too humiliated to speak, remained silent.

Colin glared incredulously at him and asked "Ok, um…so you and Rory aren't half naked and handcuffed to her bed?"

"Only in the literal sense," said Logan trying to ease the tension in the room.

"Oh my God!" said Joanna, continuing to stare.

"Could you please just hand me the key so we can get out of here?" asked Logan. "It's over there," he said pointing.

Colin finally tore his eyes off the couple and walked over to retrieve the key. "I can't believe you, Logan. And, Rory! What has gotten into you? Oh God, forget I asked!" he yelled realizing the double meaning in that question. Colin shook his head hoping that thought would somehow be erased from his memory. "You realize this image is going to be permanently burned into my brain. You're paying for the therapy I'll undoubtedly need because of this, Logan."

"Just send me the bill," he said dryly.

"You owe me so big."

"Trust me, Colin, I know.

"And I'm talking 'donate a kidney' big." He was about to toss the key to Logan, because Lord knows he wasn't going to get close enough to hand it to him, when Joanna stopped him.

"Wait," she ordered. Regaining her senses, she fumbled for her phone and snapped a picture.

"Joanna!" yelled Rory finally coming out of her stupor. "What are you doing?"

"Documenting a momentous, once in a lifetime event," she said laughing.

"Joanna!"

"I'm sorry, Rory. I love you, but this is just way too good." At this point, she was laughing uncontrollably.

"Good idea," said Colin as he took a few photos of his own.

"I don't know how, but I have a feeling this picture will come in very handy one day," said Joanna.

"Jo!"

"Rory, come on. It's hilarious, admit it. Colin and I had to sneak out of your brother's birthday party and pick the lock to your bedroom door because you and Logan somehow handcuffed yourselves to your bed. You, sweet, innocent Rory, are handcuffed to your bed!" She laughed for a few seconds before continuing, "And Logan, kept insisting that it wasn't what it looked like." She grabbed her sides and doubled over with laughter. "I mean seriously, what else could this possibly be?"

Logan and Colin both began to snicker despite themselves. The situation was pretty ridiculous. Even Rory, while blushing furiously, was trying to hold back a smile. "Oh my God!" she muttered.

Once the group was laughed out, Colin finally tossed Logan the key. "I'll let you two get dressed," he told them. "And I suggest you do it fast." He left the room followed closely by Joanna.

"You're telling me everything later," she demanded before closing the door behind her.

Logan still chuckling freed them from the cuffs. By then it was five minutes to midnight and the two rushed to put their clothes back on. "Well I'll say this for you, Ace. Being with you is never boring."

Rory straightened her clothes and did a quick mirror check. Despite her supreme humiliation at being discovered in a state on undress while handcuffed to a bed, she could not help but laugh. "You like adventure though don't you?"

Her response surprised him a bit. "I love it," he answered with a smile. Logan kissed her one more time before grabbing her hand and pulling her back down to the party.

It was ten seconds to midnight when they finally made their way to Kevin, champagne glasses in hand. "Happy birthday, Kevin!" they both yelled.

A laughing, and obviously drunk Kevin, threw an arm around each of them and said, "I'm having so much fun. Damn, can we throw a party or what?" He didn't even notice they had left. At the stroke of midnight, everyone toasted Kevin and girls lined up to offer him birthday kisses.

With her brother's attention far away from her, Rory turned to Logan and said, "So, do you think I could get just one more kiss?"

Logan laughed but didn't hesitate to pull her flush against him and kiss her senseless. "No, there is no way I'll ever get enough of this girl."