Okay what's UST…I only figured out what AU was like a month ago.

Chapter Twelve

Awkward

She was left staring up at the ceiling.

Lying there and wondering how exactly she'd gotten herself into this situation, not to mention why she'd kept on drinking long after Logan stopped. Right now all she could thinking about his warm, hard body, not that her thoughts had strayed further than feeling his chest under her cheek or the feel of her arms around one of his, his spectacular arms…

No no, her thoughts didn't stray further than that, she wouldn't let them. Nope not a single thought of running her hands down his chest, along his sides before finding out if that ass was as great as it looked every time he bent over. No no, absolutely no thoughts going there. Focus Max, sleep! Definitely no thoughts to what lay on the opposite side…Nope none, not a single thought to if Logan's cockiness truly was well earned…Of course, she'd caught him off-guard so many times in the past he no longer even bothered trying to avoid her seeing him stripped down--

Never drinking again. That's the rule. No more booze for this girl. Forgive every ugly chick Original Cindy and Sketchy have made out with or worse and blamed it on the booze. Of course, they're not in bed with Logan. Of course, even if they were they'd be sound asleep…

Just then it hit her, she wasn't the only one lying awake staring up at the ceiling awkwardly. She dropped her eyes to the side to see Logan in the same position as her, but his eyes were closed. He wasn't asleep, she could tell by his breathing. Not to mention in all the times she'd woken up Logan in the middle of the night or the couple hours she'd spent trying not to watch him as he'd slept last night while she poked around his computer to entertain herself, she knew one thing Logan Cale never slept on his back.

Knowing Logan was as uncomfortable as she was, didn't help to make this any easier. Not to mention they were at the cabin. The cabin, the one and only place they'd ever kissed. You'd think with all the times she'd posed as his wife, girlfriend or mistress, a few kisses would have been required, but no, of course not. Then again those times did lead to more touches, how was it possible Logan knew the perfect way to brush his fingers alongside her face?

Practice Max. The boy has had way too much practice and he's still getting practice while you're still thinking about a kiss from over a year ago.

That kiss was shifting part of the blame away from the booze. The kiss when she'd stripped away the hunger, the fear, the need and Logan's brief millisecond delay as he tried to figure out what was going on, it had been a kiss that made her say 'How about I risk it and stay in Seattle?' or worse rip open the door and straddle Logan with her brother watching.

He'd responded. He kissed her back with everything and more. He'd wanted her. She could feel it now, just as well as she could feel her own flushed body tingling with from the memory and Logan's close presence.

Logan Cale without a doubt wanted her.

Red-blooded male Max. She reminded herself. Logan's blood runs red, not blue, he might have class and sophistication, not to mention control, but he was still just a guy. Two women kissing, women in bikinis selling cars, every single time he'd ever agreed with Sketchy on something. Yup, Logan Cale all male. She resisted the urge to groan aloud.

She felt him suddenly shift; it caused the whole bed to shake. She looked over and saw him now on his side facing away from her. His posture stiff and not at all relaxed. She watched the muscles in his upper back roll as he attempted to relax them.

" Logan?" she whispered.

"Sorry," he replied closing his eyes and cursing himself for giving in to the harsh movement, "trying to get comfortable."

She smiled; she couldn't help herself as she too rolled to the side as they now both faced off the bed. Of course, knowing she wasn't alone in the boat or in this case bed didn't help her fall asleep any faster and she lay there listening to the wind and Logan's breathing wondering what exactly would happen if she slid her arms around his back.

ooOoo

Their eyes instantly opened at the loud noise. Their eyes opened to each other, their heads flat against the pillows as they had been focused on each other even in sleep. Hands up around them and they were so close their fingers were touching, her pinky rested over his. They both remembered shifting endlessly trying to get comfortable, neither remembered finally falling asleep although they were both sure it hadn't been like this, lying on their stomachs facing the other person.

They both came instantly awake, their were no lingering vestiges of their dreams to make them think that the person laying just inches away was the person in their dreams, no this was reality. Now the question was, what to do about it.

"Mooom…" Brittany's whine in the living room came through their door almost at full volume.

"Oh Brit, honey, please try to be softer, Mommy's head." Bitsy's desperate plea made them aware she was suffering the aftereffects of their night.

"But Moooommmmeeee"

"Why do people have children?" Logan asked with all seriousness, it couldn't even be seven yet.

Max chuckled softly and was about to answer with 'because there isn't much else to do.' The common answer, one she'd received many times trying to figure out why so many people had kids despite the fact that they couldn't afford them. Luckily though she realized mentioning sex with Logan's lips inches away from hers, not the smartest idea. She wondered if he realized what she was going to say or if the same thought had crossed his mind as he looked decidedly uncomfortable for a moment. "I didn't understand marriage; don't ask me to try to explain kids. At least you can get an extra paycheck from an adult."

He smiled.

"I don't want cereal, I want French toast. Where are Uncle Logan and Max?"

"Honey, keep your voice down they're trying to sleep."

"Ugh," Brit voiced her annoyance with that.

"Just sit down and try to be quiet for five minutes."

Their lips both rose up in a smile to the drama going on outside. More words were exchanged, things were banged into as Logan and Max were lying there, still watching each other's reactions to what as going on beyond their door. Her finger still resting over his, partially because she was unable to figure out how exactly she was supposed to remove it and partially because it was almost as good as Logan reaching out his arm and pulling her in close to him, well at least it was as close as she was going to get to that.

"Are we supposed to get up?" she asked still listening to Bitsy plead with Brittany.

"And face that?" Logan looked at her seriously.

Max smiled.

"I say we stay here till lunch or at least until Kyle gets up."

Just then the door flung open, "Uncle Logan, Max…." the little girl said from the doorway. "See I told you they were awake," she said back to her mother before bounding into the room to jump on the two very startled adults.

"No Brittany don't." Bitsy groaned as she saw her daughter land in between the bed's original occupants, "jump on them," she finished with a sigh as the damage had already been done. "I'm sorry guys," she said apologetically to Max and Logan who were now trapped under her daughter.

Both refrained from making faces and forced out a "Morning guys." And "Morning"

"Oooh" Brittany said scrambling over her uncle's back, "Uncle Logan can I play in your chair again?"

"Uh, maybe later Brit," he said pushing himself up and turning around to see the little girl already in his chair, "I need that right now."

"Oh," her face fell and she slid out of the chair.

"I need coffee," Bitsy said from the doorway, turning to leave now that her daughter was occupied.

"How about I give you a ride?" He asked as he transferred into the chair as Max stood as Brittany stood solemnly watching the him.

A bright smile was all he received as an answer as she climbed into his lap.

Max couldn't help but smile as she watched Logan wheel them out of the room and heard Brittany's squeals of delight as she cried to her uncle to go faster.

"Okay end of the line," Logan said once they were in the kitchen.

"But—"

"Coffee Brittany," he said simply, he desperately needed it.

"Fine," she said on a long sigh and slid off his lap and Bitsy held out a cup of coffee to her cousin.

"Thanks," he gratefully accepted the cup.

"How do you take it Max?"

"How much sugar do you have?" Logan answered instead of Max.

She shot him a look as she spoke to Bitsy, "I'll make it myself."

"So you guys stay up much longer than us?" Bitsy casually asked noticing her cousin's weary eyes, trying to figure out if the fact they had both been dressed this morning was only a concession to the fact that all locks had been removed from the doors after a screaming Bennett had locked himself him the bathroom when he was four and her uncle had to climb through a window.

"Not much," Max said trying to push the noises that had come from the woman next to her the night before out of her mind.

Yea right, she gave a disbelieving smirk once more looking at his eyes and then smiled noticing Max's bright eyes, ah youth. She'll either keep him young or wear him out; she chuckled to herself before looking back at her cousin, "Thanks for straightening up."

"Not a problem," Logan replied.

"So what are your plans for today?"

"Nothing so far," Logan once again answered, "anything you want to do Max?"

"Oooh," Max said looking over at the clock, "I should call OC; tell her not to expect me."

"Did you have plans with her?" Logan asked

"Nothing important," she shrugged, "just this club."

"If you want—"

"Nope, I'm good. I'll just go with her tomorrow."

"Who's OC?" Bitsy asked as Max walked towards their room.

"Her roommate, Original Cindy."

"Original Cindy? That's an original name."

He laughed, "If you ever met her, you'd understand it's well deserved. She is truly one of a kind."

ooOoo

Logan was still trying to figure out how they'd ended up with Brittany three hours after they'd left the cabin. They'd eaten, showered, gotten dressed and by the time he'd left their room he was hearing Max tell Bitsy and Kyle they'd take Brit for awhile. Max had said something about the couple needing time alone as Logan tried to figure out what the hell she'd done with the old Max who was so against helping people. He never thought he would have missed her. Yet that thought had run through his mind as Brittany started singing along to the stereo as he drove away from the cabin. The peaceful weekend he'd envisioned with Max completely shattered.

Not that he wasn't having a goodtime against his better judgment.

They'd walked through the town, ended up in a toyshop as he and Max both stared at the dolls and wondered how exactly dolls could be interesting as they both tried to fake interest. Of course Brittany exited the shop with a new doll, one with dark hair and eyes that she said reminded her of Max, which he was pretty sure was the reason he'd caved so quickly.

That was followed by a trip to the small park despite that fact that it was pretty much freezing. Their time alternating between Brittany pushing her doll in the baby swings, to demanding Logan push her in the swing and Max of course being the 'friend' got to just swing alongside her egging her on to go higher. Then every once in awhile she'd just take off, handing the doll to him before running over to the slides, constantly screaming at them to look at her and demanding someone catch her at the end of the slide, which thankfully Max did.

And damn it if he didn't have fun throughout it all even though he was walking into a diner holding a already slightly battered looking doll and three books that she'd managed to lose the bag for within five minutes of leaving the bookstore.

"Well hello sweetheart, aren't you a pretty girl," the waitress said once she approached the table.

"Thank you," Brittany replied, full dimples and all.

"Are these your parents?" The kindly waitress asked, assuming the woman seated next to the child, trying t pick a leaf out of the doll's hair and the man across from the rambunctious little girl trying to contain their coats piled high next to him were indeed her parents.

"Nope, this is my Uncle Logan and this is Max, she's not my aunt because she and Uncle Logan only sleep together, they don't live together."

And just like that Logan went from having fun to wishing the earth would swallow him whole and judging from Max's blush the same thought was running through her mind.

"Uh…" Logan opened his mouth to contradict his young cousin and explain themselves.

"As long as they're happy dear, that's all that matters. I'll give you folks a few minutes to look over the menus," she said and departed leaving Max and Logan awkwardly chuckling.

"What's so funny?" Brittany asked looking up at the adults.