Let Me Love You (Australian Sports Star Series Book 2)

by Blobel, Iris

  When he moved his leg into a different position, she asked, “I still think we should’ve sat at the tables over there.”

  Shaking his head, he said, “I’m all right.”

  “Are you taking the painkillers?”

  “Nope. They make me sleepy, and I can’t stand feeling drowsy.”

  “But they—”

  Tamara didn’t have a chance to finish her sentence because he pushed a chip in her mouth. With a full mouth, she mumbled, “They help reduce the swelling.”

  He chuckled.

  Then her glance fell on his neck. He wore a necklace with a small golden cross. Instinctively, he touched his good luck charm.

  “It’s beautiful,” she whispered.

  “My grandma’s. I never go on the field without it.”

  Her mouth curved into a smile. “Superstitious?”

  “Aren’t we all?”

  “I don’t like Friday the thirteenth very much. But I don’t mind a black cat walking in front of me, whether it might be from the right or left.”

  Oliver laughed. “Erik wears the same boxers to each game.”

  Snorting, she said, “Something I didn’t really need to know.”

  From the corner of his eye, he watched her take another chip and dip it into the tomato sauce. It’d been a while since he enjoyed being with someone that much.

  ***

  Lunch with Oliver had turned out longer, and more interesting, than Tamara had anticipated. It was late in the afternoon when they finally made it back to his house. Tamara parked as close as possible to the front of his house. She didn’t see the sense for him to open the driveway gate.

  He grabbed his crutches and led the way inside.

  “Will you be all right for dinner?” she asked.

  Oliver nodded. “Yup. I’ll get a pizza delivered.”

  Tamara placed her bag on the chest of drawers in the hall, but when she saw her reflection in the wall mirror, she had a closer look. It seemed that she hadn’t been careful enough with her skin—the sun had burnt her face a little bit. Annoyed, she let out a long breath. She’d always been so cautious.

  Oliver stepped behind her and placed his hands on her hips.

  “I like the colour of your eyes,” he whispered as their eyes met in the mirror.

  Tamara was touched by the honesty of his words, and a smile tugged at her lips. But a shiver ran through her when he buried his face in the curve of her neck, his lips caressing her nape. She tilted her head back, leaning into him. All the nerve endings in her body were on full alert. She had no idea what it was about him that made her let go of all her fears and worries.

  And yet, everything inside told her to leave.

  Instead, she heard herself say, “I dreamt of you last night.”

  “Tell me about it,” he coaxed as he continued to shower her with kisses along her shoulder.

  She watched his hand run up her arms and down again to take her hands in his.

  “It was nothing,” she whispered.

  He stopped his kisses to meet her gaze. “It was something.”

  Tamara bit her lower lip and looked away, aware of the heat in her cheeks.

  “Tell me you want this as well.”

  His eyes were fixed on hers. She tried to think, but his body was so close it distracted her. Quivering from head to toe, she turned and placed her hands on his chest as Oliver took her into a hug. She noticed how he moved to take some weight off his injured knee.

  “What about your knee?” she asked against his lips.

  “Yes or no, Tamara?”

  Damn, she wanted this so much, but she was also afraid this was just a one night stand for him. To take his mind off his injury. Tamara had enough to cope with without adding a night with Oliver to the mix, and she doubted her heart would survive the pain of this mistake.

  He moved his hand to stroke her hair and leaned in to kiss her. Her heart was pounding in her ears, and a shiver went through her when Oliver traced her spine with his fingertips. Suddenly he stopped to look at her.

  “Yes or no?”

  In her hazy state of mind it took her a few seconds to react, but when she finally understood, she gave him a slow nod. There was no going back now. She wanted this. She needed him.

  Taking her hand, he led her to his bed.

  He met her gaze, and the expression on his face told her how much he wanted her as well. It made her feel both desirable and sexy. Something she hadn’t felt in months.

  With as much ease as he was able to with his injured knee, Oliver laid her onto the bed. When his hands touched her skin, she realised she’d tensed. For an instant, Jason’s image descended on her. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes to focus on Oliver. Slowly, he nudged the shirt off her shoulders, and she let out a breath as she met his gaze. His eyes were dark with heat.

  “I love pink,” he murmured, skimming his thumb over her lacy bra.

  Ripples of pleasure began to radiate from her inside.

  “I love touching you.”

  He traced his fingers up and down her stomach, patiently exploring every inch of her body. It was obvious he was in no hurry, but lingered, and with each touch, Tamara was increasingly aroused. When he finally had his hand on her jeans, he flipped open the button, eased down the zipper, and tugged them off as well. Leaving a trail of kisses on her stomach, he moved his hands behind her back to unhook her bra. Everything inside her tightened as he gently explored her soft skin with his lips, each of his touches sending currents of desire through her. As he continued to tease her with his kisses, he slipped one hand between her thighs. Instinctively, she arched her back to give him full access. The slight pressure of his finger teased her until her muscles clenched.

  In one quick motion, Oliver tugged off his shirt and his pants. She noticed his swollen knee and was about to say something when he claimed her mouth again and settled between her thighs.

  “Oliver.”

  “Right here, cupcake,” he said as he slid into her. “Feel me?”

  Tamara’s whole body felt him. Her every nerve tingled with exhilaration. As soon as Oliver had entered her, her eyes drifted shut in sheer bliss with endless shudders of pleasure rushing through her. Each thrust brought him closer to his own release, until he came as well.

  They both fell asleep after Oliver spent most of the afternoon tasting her and bringing her over the edge again and again.

  When Tamara woke, she looked around and took in the room. Quietly, she slipped out of his arms and moved from underneath the duvet. She grabbed her clothes and dressed in silence before stealing another look at him. Her whole body still tingled with the aftershocks of his magical hands. She left the room and let out the deep breath she’d been holding before heading to her car.

  A quick look into the rear-view mirror reflected a big smile on her face. She simply wasn’t able to wipe it off. Of course, she wouldn’t admit it, but she’d enjoyed the time she’d spent with Oliver. He’d been caring and gentle, which she hadn’t expected at all.

  She’d always thought of Jason as a great lover, but Oliver was in a league of his own.

  A stab of guilt hit her then as she realised that the last kiss on her lips wasn’t Jason’s anymore.

  ***

  Oliver woke with a stabbing pain in his leg. He cursed and grabbed for the bottle of pain relievers on his bedside table. After swallowing the tablets, he stretched out on the bed, and the touch of the still warm sheets next to him reminded him of the very reason he was in bed.

  Tamara.

  Letting out a litany of curses, he lifted his head and looked around. There was no sign of her, but her scent still lingered in the room. Her clothes were gone and there wasn’t a noise in the house. He assumed she had left. Oliver threw his head back into the pillow and rubbed his hands over his face.

  Why had he done it?

  He cursed at the feeling inside that told him it’d been different. Tamara was different. He liked her laugh and her sense of humour
. There was also the way she smiled with her eyes and her generous heart when she’d decided to help him after all.

  Yet, all he could think about was his career. It would definitely be over if his coach found out.

  Closing his eyes, he remembered the touch of her skin, the sound she’d made as he kissed her. A smile tugged at his lips as he recalled her saying his name, begging for more. Those beautiful blue eyes gazing at him as she’d come for him. Sleeping with Tamara hadn’t been just sex, as much as he wanted to deny it, but whatever it had been, she wasn’t out of his system. One look into those eyes and he’d been a goner. It was as simple as that.

  Oliver grabbed the phone and called Tyson.

  “Buddy, what’s up?”

  “I need a lift to Mum and Dad’s,” Oliver replied.

  He heard Tyson sigh, but ignored it. “Today?”

  The tone in his friend’s voice told him it was inconvenient, but he knew his friend wouldn’t say no. But when Oliver heard Katie, Ty’s fiancée, giggling in the background, frustration rose within him.

  “Damn, Ty. Why did you answer the fucking phone when you’re doing Katie?”

  Ty coughed. “Doing her?”

  “Never mind. Look, do your thing and call back.”

  Oliver was about to hang up, when Tyson said, “Hey buddy. You’re an ass here, okay. Of course, I answer the phone when I see your name. After all, you’re stuck with a fucked up knee at home.”

  Oliver heard Katie in the background telling his friend off for using the F-word and chuckled. Tyson and Katie had something good together. An odd feeling hit him and he rubbed his chest. He didn’t want emotional involvement. Emotions were dangerous and he refused to acknowledge that he might have been just a bit jealous.

  He sighed. “Sorry. I’ve had a couple of shitty days.”

  That was a bold lie. He’d had a great afternoon with Tamara. Too good.

  “I’ll be there tomorrow morning.” There was a moment of silence, but he heard the whispers on the other end of the line before Ty said, “Katie will come over in an hour or so. She’s got a few dinners for you from Grandma.”

  “Thanks, mate. I appreciate it.”

  He hung up and was about to have a shower when the doorbell rang. Considering not opening it, he finally grabbed his crutches and made it to the front of the house.

  His parents had beaten him to it.

  Chapter Five

  A few days later, Tamara made her way back to her office after spending her lunch time strolling through the city of Melbourne. She loved the flair and the buzz of the Victorian capital and was becoming increasingly accustomed to the local shops and eateries. The streets were busy with the commotion of people hurrying from one place to another. She was still afraid to look up and meet people’s eyes, but she was in the midst of everything, and for her that was another big step forward.

  There was a knock at the door, and she saw Cindy standing there.

  “Come in,” she said hesitantly.

  Cindy was the receptionist and although always well-mannered towards her, Tamara couldn’t shake the feeling that Cindy wasn’t very fond of her. She knew there were a few in the building that believed Tamara got the position because of her relation to Coach Erik Becker. It was probably true, but deep inside she knew damn well how good she was at her job and everyone else would figure it out soon, too.

  “Sorry to disturb you,” Cindy said. “We were wondering whether you’d like to join us tonight at Murphy’s bar. We try and meet every Friday night.”

  “We?” Tamara asked.

  “The girls in the office and some of the players.”

  Tamara hadn’t expected an invitation, but her heart did little jumps of joy. Finally, she’d make some friends and would be seen as more than just the coach’s niece.

  “I’d like to,” she replied.

  Cindy beamed. “Great. Eight o’clock.”

  Tamara nodded.

  Cindy left, and Tamara couldn’t help but smile. She was already looking forward to spending the evening with some of the girls. Leaning back in her seat, she wondered whether Oliver would come as well. Should she call and ask? Offer a lift? In the end, she decided not to. He hadn’t contacted her since their afternoon together, and she didn’t want to pity herself for adding her name to his list of trophies.

  She already felt sorry for herself every night, so she tried not to do it at work as well.

  The afternoon flew by with the anticipation of an evening out. She was able to work through a big pile of work and reconcile all the numbers. Sighing with happiness, she closed the office door behind her late that afternoon and left. At home, she took off her work clothes and changed into a pair of jeans and a long sleeved T-shirt. It was nothing overly sexy, but more for comfort. She needed to feel comfortable to be able to deal with a crowd of people around her. Every nerve in her body was tense and as much as she was looking forward to an evening out, at the same time it scared the hell out of her. She added a little bit of mascara and lipstick before she headed downstairs into the kitchen for a quick bite to eat.

  An hour later, she stood in front of Murphy’s bar, her legs almost giving way beneath her. She turned her head to take in the busy streets around her. A thousand doubts tore through her.

  “Hi there.”

  Tamara nearly jumped out of her skin at the low voice behind her.

  He laughed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Then he held out his hand. “I’m Markus. We met at Oliver’s the other day.”

  Of course, she remembered him. How could she forget a face as sexy as his?

  She shook his hand and said, “Nice seeing you again. And what a coincidence.”

  Markus laughed. “Not really. The baseball people meet here more or less every Friday. I’m Oliver’s designated driver tonight,” he said with a wink.

  “Oliver’s here?” she asked with a big lump in her throat.

  “He’s not one to miss out on a good time.” He nodded towards the front door, and placing his hand on her back, he said, “Let’s go inside.”

  Anxious, scared, and a little sick, she stepped into the bar. A wave of different smells hit her, and it took her a moment to adjust. Grateful for Markus now holding her by the arm, she followed him through the crowds until she recognised the people from her office. A little tug at her heart told her she was pleased she’d overcome her doubts and came here.

  Soon, she was involved in a conversation with the girls as well as some of the baseball players. A few of them turned to the person behind her, but Tamara didn’t have to look to know Oliver was standing behind her. Every cell in her body sensed him.

  His mouth lingered near her ear when he said, “G’day, cupcake.”

  She finally turned, only to see a big grin on his face.

  She smiled at him but knew her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Hello, Oliver.”

  He said his hellos to everyone, bringing all of them up to speed with his injury. As she gathered from the conversation, he was still in pain, but on track to have the operation as scheduled.

  Then he turned back to her. “Can I get you a drink?”

  She shook her head.

  “If I had known you were ready for a crowd, I would’ve invited you here.”

  With a quick shrug of her right shoulder, she said, “I’ve gotta face the demons sooner or later.”

  He nodded, but before he was able to reply, he was drawn into a conversation with some of the players again. Tamara checked her watch. It was shortly after eleven o’clock. Walking towards the ladies’ room, she saw Cindy in the mirror behind the bar. Tamara was about to turn around to thank her for the invitation when she saw Cindy tucking her arm into Oliver’s and hugging into him.

  She moved a little bit further behind another bunch of people before turning around. Needing to be certain, she stared at them. Tears welled in her eyes, and anger crept up in her. It was more than obvious to her now that Oliver had played with her, and she’d only been anoth
er bunny in his bed.

  She’d been his challenge and he’d won.

  Ignoring her need to go to the toilet, she hurried through the crowds towards the door.

  Tamara stopped when she felt a hand on her arm.

  “Leaving already?” The hand belonged to Markus.

  “It’s late,” she said through the noise of the patrons.

  He came closer, and without breaking their eye contact, he said, “Don’t believe what you see.”

  Embarrassment shot through her as she realised how obvious her anger and pain must have been. Closing her eyes momentarily, she took a deep breath, which only made her cough.

  “I don’t care,” she finally replied, but she wasn’t sure whether she’d tried to convince him or herself.

  Markus chuckled. “Okay, let me rephrase that. There’s nothing going on.”

  Arching a brow, she replied. “Again, not that I really care, but it seems something’s going on.”

  Shaking his head, he said, “Nope. It’s all in her head. Oliver can’t stand her.”

  A bitter laugh escaped her. “Oh, yes, that’s obvious. And again, not that I care.”

  “Want a lift?”

  She looked up and met his gaze. Even the day she’d met him at the beach for the first time she had been charmed by his blue eyes and his mega smile. Suddenly, she regretted the afternoon she’d spent with Oliver, but even more so that she’d come with her own car.

  With a smile she said, “No, thank you. I’ve parked my car just around the corner.”

  “I’ll walk you to your car,” he said as he placed his hand on her back and again guided her through the crowds.

  The cold night air outside hit her in the face and stopped her in her tracks.

  “Cold?”

  She shook her head. “I’ll be all right.” Then she turned and looked at him. “Honestly, I’ll be fine. You’d better get back in there before you’re missed.”

  He laughed. “Can’t stand the bunch of office girls in there hitting on the guys.”

  That stunned her. The choice of words and the connotation behind it. “I’m one of those office girls.”