"You're going to want to drink some water. Otherwise you're going to hate me in the morning."
"Why can't I just hate you right now?"
"Is that how it is?"
"No, you're nice," Callie said, "and you smell good." Logan wondered how much of this she would remember in the morning.
"Well, it's good to know you've still got a sense of humor." Logan poured a glass of water and brought it over to Callie. "Drink."
Callie drank the water as quickly as she had downed the several pints of beer, holding two hands around the glass as she finished it. "So what do we do now?" she asked. Logan knew the look on her face, that half smile.
"Now I get you to bed and head home," Logan said. He walked over to Callie and held out a hand.
"Is that a euphemism, heading home?" Callie asked.
Logan laughed. "Despite what you may think of me, I'm not trying to get you into bed."
"Wait, I thought that was what you were trying to do."
Logan shook his head and smiled. "I mean I'm not getting into bed with you. We'll save that for another night." He led her into the bedroom and sat her down on the edge of the bed.
"Chivalrous and cocky," Callie said. "I didn't know it was possible to be both of those at once." She crawled into the bed and pulled the sheets over herself.
Logan leaned over and whispered, "In my experience, they're the same thing." He opened the window to let the sea breeze in. The gentle lull of the waves crashing on the shore filled the room with a quiet calm.
"I don't get why you want everyone to think you're a jerk. You're really nice. Will you stay?" Callie asked.
He looked down at her. In the half-light, she looked more beautiful than ever. He just wanted her to be sober so he could lean down and press his lips against hers. He wanted to climb into the bed and peel off his clothes, wanted to feel the heat of her body, but he wasn't going to take advantage of her like that. "I really shouldn't. Callie, I like you a lot, and I tend to move too fast with women. Trust me, there's nothing in this world I want more right now than to climb into that bed with you."#p#分页标题#e#
Logan shifted his weight to get up, but Callie reached out and grabbed his arm. "Stay," she said.
"I'll be on the couch," he offered.
"Promise?"
"Yeah. Good night, Callie."
"Just stay with me until I fall asleep," she said.
"Of course," Logan replied. He clicked off the light and sat there in the darkness, listening to Callie's rhythmic breathing.
"Good night, Blondie." she mumbled before finally drifting off.
Logan couldn't help but grin as he shut the door behind him. He was going to go about this the right way. He wasn't going to make the same mistakes he had made in the past. If it had been some other night with some other girl, maybe things would have been different. But there was something about Callie, something that drew him to her. He didn't know what it was exactly. He had always had his choice of women. Beautiful women, smart women, everything he could have asked for, but none quite like her. He grabbed a pillow and lay down on the couch, listening to the waves rock against the shore. Besides, he couldn't wait to see the look on her face in the morning.
Seven
Callie woke with a throbbing headache. What had she done? As she looked at the room around her, she tried to piece together what had happened the night before. She remembered touring Logan's brewery and doing a tasting. She remembered feeling buzzed and then feeling drunk, and she remembered leaving with Logan. She couldn't remember the details of how she got back to the house, but she did remember sitting on the couch while Logan brought her water.
There was something else she was forgetting. Oh God, she wondered, did I try to kiss him last night? She needed some more water and some aspirin before she thought about that one any more.
Callie pulled on a t-shirt and a pair of pajama pants and shuffled out of the bedroom and into the bathroom. She splashed water on her face and brushed her teeth. She wondered if she should shower. It might help her feel less terrible about herself. But she figured several glasses of water and some aspirin would be even better for her. She walked back out into the living room. She made it to the kitchen before she noticed Logan sitting on the couch. "She emerges," he said, grinning. "How do you feel?"
"Like death. I shouldn't have done that last night."
"Shouldn't have done what?" Logan asked.
"Any of it. I shouldn't have gotten drunk, shouldn't have hit on you. I'm sorry. Do you have anything for a hangover? Do you have a cure for idiocy?"