A hand inside my shirt groped my breast.

My legs pushed apart.

A hand over my mouth.

Shouting.

Someone's arms around me.

A strange rocking movement.

Darkness.

It was still dark when I opened my eyes later. I wasn't sure how much time had passed or where I was. All I could tell was that I was in a bed I didn't know and someone was sitting next to me.

“Hello?” The word sounded fuzzy, blunted, and my tongue felt too thick.

“Shh. It's okay.”

Reed.

His hands covered mine. “You drank too much and passed out. Go back to sleep. You'll feel better in the morning.”

I wanted to tell him I hadn't drank anything but water, but the darkness was calling again and I couldn't refuse it. As I slipped under, I thought I felt arms wrapping around me, holding me, but I knew that was just a dream because the sensation of being held melted into a half-memory, half-dream of a childhood trip to the zoo.

When I woke up, this time I knew I'd been asleep for hours. The sun was peeking in through the gap in the curtains and it was morning. My head hurt and when I tried to remember why I was in a strange bed wearing only a half-buttoned shirt, I drew a blank. I looked around, trying to find some clue as to what had happened.

A soft knock at the door made me grab the blankets and pull them over me. I almost laughed, considering whoever's room this was had already seen me naked, but I still kept the blankets where they were.

“Breakfast's here.” Reed stuck his head into the room.

I stared at him, wracking my brain and trying to figure out why I was in his room. We hadn't... again, had we?

“Piper?” He sounded concerned.

“What?” I snapped more sharply than I'd intended.

“I ordered room service.”

He didn't seem perturbed by how I'd spoken to him, but I could see a hint of something in his eyes, something I might've thought was sadness. The idea that he might be sad about me being rude to him annoyed me enough that I no longer cared that I wasn't wearing much. He had no right to act as if I'd hurt him, not after what he'd used me to do.

Without being invited, he stepped further into the room, carrying a tray loaded with breakfast. Toast, butter, strawberries, syrup, pancakes and whipped cream. That was a lot of food. Far more than I'd ever eat, even if I'd had an appetite.

“I have to go,” I said, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. “My roommate will be worried about me.”

“If your roommate is the girl you were dancing with last night, she isn't looking for you.” Reed sat on the edge of the bed. “She's in Danny's room.”

Oh. I sat back and eyed the food, feeling foolish. My stomach growled, betraying me. Okay, maybe I was hungry. I took a piece of toast, avoiding his gaze as I took a bite. I didn't just want to look at him. I wanted to demand an explanation, demand he tell me why he'd done that to me. If he'd just wanted to get laid, he could've fucked anyone else at that reunion. Why did it have to be me?

I could feel his eyes on me as I ate, but I refused to raise my head. I didn't want him to see how bothered I really was by what had happened. But then he spoke and I had to look up.

“Let me take you to dinner tonight.”

My eyes narrowed as I looked at him. What was he playing at? “No thank you.” I kept my voice cold and even.

“Look, it's my way for apologizing for what happened last night.”

Now I was just confused. “What are you talking about?”

He rubbed the back of his neck, an embarrassed expression on his face. “You don't remember?”

I shook my head.

“I came out on the balcony to make sure you were okay and found my future brother-in-law pawing at you.” He shook his head. “You were passed out and Brock was drunk – not that it excuses him. I told him to go sleep it off and then brought you back here.”

I frowned. “The last thing I remember is going out for some air.” I was also pretty sure I hadn't had anything to drink, but that route had implications I didn't want to deal with, especially since nothing had really happened.

“Well, I feel bad about what happened, even if you don't remember it,” Reed said. “Let me at least take you to dinner and make it up to you.”

I was torn. On one hand, I wanted to tell him to fuck off. I wanted to believe he’d lied to me, he’d used me and that he’d walked away as if it was no big deal.

Then there was the logical part of me that reminded me of the practically empty cupboards back at the apartment and the ten packets of ramen noodles Rosa and I had eaten as our main meal this past week. If I went with him, I could get a real meal, the biggest they offered, and the leftovers would keep us for a day or two. Rosa wouldn't have even hesitated.

Still, there was a part of me that knew the truth. I wasn't thinking about agreeing for those reasons. I wanted to go to dinner with him because I enjoyed his company. That night back home hadn't just been about sex. I'd felt comfortable with him in a way I'd never felt with a guy before. The talking had come easy and even the silence had been comfortable. It was nearly impossible to find someone to talk to, to be quiet with and who could do such amazing things in bed. Women would kill for a guy like Reed, even if for only one night. Was I really willing to give up at least a couple hours of someone to talk to just because I was pissed at him?

“All right,” I agreed.

He smiled. “Great! What time should I pick you up and where?”

I held up a hand, silencing him. That was sounding way too much like a date, and I needed to nip that in the bud. “How about we meet for dinner?”

“Oh. Okay.”

I wasn't sure if it was my imagination or if he really sounded disappointed, but I wasn't going to think about it. Instead, I asked, “Where are we meeting?”

“Alizé.”

I blinked. Alizé was one of Chef André Rochat's restaurants. It served the best French food in the city, had a huge wine selection and offered the most spectacular view from atop the Palms Casino Resort. Or so I'd heard.

“You already have reservations?”

Reed gave me a sheepish grin as he shook his head. “I know people.”

Of course he did. Well, I definitely wasn't going to turn down that. I was just glad I still had my dress from the reunion. I didn't have anything else that would even come close to being appropriate for a place like that. I tried not to let myself be disappointed at not having one Reed hadn't seen before. That wasn't the point.

“So I'll see you there at eight?”

I nodded as I shoved the last bite of toast into my mouth and climbed out of the bed. I needed to find my clothes, get Rosa and get us home. Being around Reed was more confusing than I liked. I needed some distance if I was going to be able to go through with dinner.