My first stop in the entryway was always the mailbox. I pulled a few envelopes out and headed for the elevator. There was a smile on my face when I thought about how well I was doing at work. I could hold my head up high and when I ran into Josh, which was often, I found it easy to act as if I bore no grudge at all. Maybe I didn’t. My heart was never in it and I was actually relieved to know the truth.

Tracee was so right. I could do much better than him. I still wasn’t sure what I was thinking when I decided to sleep with him. Now when I looked at him, all I saw was a frat boy who’d never grown up. He worked out, but the drinking he did with his buddies kept him slightly soft and a little pudgy. His idea of reading was a Maxim magazine. I had nothing against action movies, but that was all he was willing to watch. Now he was going to be a father. I wasn’t sure who I felt worse for, Lillian, the kid, or him.

I hit the elevator button and looked down at my mail. The sight of a handwritten envelope in the middle of bills and junk mail made me forget all about Josh. I opened it as I stepped onto the elevator. There was a ticket inside, along with a note.

I took a closer look at the ticket and gasped. Adele? He had an extra ticket to see Adele? Whoever has an extra ticket to see Adele? And from the looks of it, the seat was only four rows back from the stage. My hands trembled with excitement as I struggled to figure out if it was all a big joke. A little revenge for the laxative trick I played on him.

I hoped he didn’t think that what happened at his apartment would happen again. I was so, so drunk when we made out. I wouldn’t let myself lose control again. I was soooo off men. I wanted nothing to do with men for years. I had absolutely no intention of hooking up with him. Just imagine having to listen to all his women night after night for the rest of my life. I shivered. No thanks.

I thought of that soul-searing kiss. With him, I could lose my heart, and that would be a very stupid thing to do. Far stupider than going out with Josh.

But…Adele.

I had tried and tried to get tickets, but no go. I couldn’t even score seats in the nosebleed section. Nada. And here was Max, handing one over like it was nothing.

If he’d left it in my mailbox, it meant he was probably at home. I screwed up my courage and went up to his door. I had to stay strong. I couldn’t fall prey to his cool gray eyes or that magnetic pull that seemed to pulse out of him. Or that sensuous mouth.

When he answered the door, it was with a smile on his face and a cocktail in one hand. “Hey, there.” He couldn’t have been smoother if he tried. I told myself to keep my eyes off his body. He was wearing sweats, and I could see the outline of his sizeable crown jewels.

“Hey.” I held up the ticket. “Are you serious about this?”

He shrugged, a sexy smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. “Does it look like a real ticket?”

“Yes.”

“So, I guess I’m serious.”

I looked at it again, then at him. “Who’s going? I mean, how many tickets are there?”

“Two.”

“You and me?”

“That’s about it, yeah.”

I couldn’t help but tilt my head to the side, eyes narrowed in disbelief. “You’re an Adele fan?”

He shrugged. “Who doesn’t like Adele?”

“I just can’t see you sitting at one of her concerts, is all.”

“You will if you come with me tonight.” He sipped his amber liquor, unable to keep the smile from his lips. Damn, he was smooth. I had walked right into that one.

“Can I ask a serious question and can you answer honestly?”

He nodded.

“Do I owe you anything for this?”

His eyes narrowed. “Do I come off like the sort of guy who expects something from a woman when he’s just trying to do something nice?”

“No.”

“Why do I feel like you’re lying?”

He shook his head with disgust and actually started closing his door.

I threw myself against the wood to keep him from shutting it. “All right, all right. Maybe I’m jaded,” I admitted, wanting to go slice my throat.

“Jaded. Yes, I know how that feels,” he said, but his eyes had lost their twinkle. He was happy when he opened the door and I went and spoiled it.

“I’m just a blundering fool. Don’t take it personally, please,” I said.

Just to rake me over the coals he took his time while he appeared to think it over. Then he opened the door wider and I almost fell through it. “I guess I can be a nice guy and, you know, put myself in your shoes.”

I straightened. “Thanks so much. You’re a real sweetheart.”

“What can I say?”

I grinned up at him. I was already in a different place. I was thinking of watching Adele sing live. “What time should I be ready?”