Let Me Love You (Australian Sports Star Series Book 2) (8 page)

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 another 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.”

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Markus rocked back on his heels. Avoiding her gaze, he said, “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry.” With a shrug, he added, “It seems to me a bit like a meat market. I’m not into the one-night stands.”

She stared at the closed door and took in the noise that came through the door and the windows. A thousand questions ran through her head, like why had she been invited? Or was Markus right? Her heart ached at the thought that Oliver might go home with someone else.

As quickly as that thought had come to her mind, she discarded it. After all, she didn’t care about him. Or Cindy for that matter.

“Well, I’m certainly glad that I left when I did,” she finally said with as much of a smile as she was able to muster.

“I didn’t mean to offend you,” he said.

She laughed. “Not at all. I’m actually grateful you’ve told me.” Looking at her watch, she hoped to give him the hint that she really had to go.

“Where’s your car?”

“I appreciate your kindness, but my car is really only a block away.”

She was about to turn and leave, when Markus leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “Nice meeting you again. And honestly, Oliver is a great guy. A bit out of sorts at the moment because of his knee, but basically he’s a good guy.”

She nodded, still flustered by the small kiss. “Thanks.”

But all of Markus’ words had confused her even more, and by the time she got to her car, she wasn’t able to hold back her tears any longer.

Confused and tired, she drove home in silence, not wanting to listen to any music. The image of Cindy cuddling up to Oliver, Markus’ words about the office girls hanging out with the players, his kiss on her cheek, and his assurance that Oliver was a great guy. If it hadn’t been so ridiculous, she would’ve thought he’d been flirting with her. Yet, none of it made sense to her.

Tamara parked the car and sat there for a while. She decided to ignore Markus and Oliver and considered the night a success in getting to know a few of the office staff and players.

***

Oliver leaned onto his crutches and stepped away from Cindy. “Not tonight, sweetcakes.”

A smug smile appeared on her face. “I miss you, Olly.”

Simply the name made him want to puke. A few months earlier, he’d spent a night with Cindy. The team had lost an important game, and everyone drowned their misery in alcohol. Oliver had woken up next to Cindy in the morning. One of his biggest mistakes, if not the biggest when it came to one-night stands. She’d been telling everyone about the night and claimed him as
hers.
The flirting had been nice, as well as her attention, but already the next day he’d made it clear that it’d been a one off. Obviously, he hadn’t been clear enough.

“Sweetcakes, you see me almost every day.”

Cindy stepped closer and placed her hand on his chest. “I want more than seeing you at the club.” She came even closer and with her mouth next to his ear, she whispered, “I want you inside of me.”

He nearly spilled his beer.

Placing his finger under her chin and lifting her head up to meet her gaze, he declared, “Not going to happen. Get over it.”

“It’s because of the new one, right? Coach Becker’s niece,” she said with venom behind each word.

Ignoring her, Oliver leaned onto his crutches and searched for Markus in the crowd.

Her hand on his arm stopped him. “I’m sorry, Olly. I thought we had something really good together.”

“Sweetcakes, I can’t even remember the night.”

Her eyes were wild with anger, and her lips thinned as she took in his words, but he didn’t wait for a reply. Tired of trying to get through the crowd, he reached for his phone and sent Markus a text.

Where r u?

The reply came almost instantly.

Right behind u.

“Where the fuck have you been?”

Markus laughed. “Bad night with Cindy?”

He shot his friend a glare, but Markus had obviously become immune against his bad anger.

“I made sure your girl didn’t leave with the wrong impression.”

Oliver frowned. “My girl?”

“The beach girl.”

“What the hell are you talking about, man?”

“Beach girl saw you with Cindy in your arms.”

Oliver didn’t need this crap. There was nothing going on between him and Cindy. Why had she been here, anyway? This wasn’t her scene. The boys needed a good night, and usually the girls were happy to share a fun night.

“What did you tell her?”

Markus shrugged. “Exactly what it was—not what it seemed.”

Relief rushed through Oliver. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. It wasn’t like him to care what a woman thought about him. He shared a great afternoon with Tamara, was all. The last thing he needed was for her to be like Cindy and interpret it as more.

But he did care.

“Was she all right when she left?” he asked.

Markus shrugged. “Beats me.”

Oliver took his phone and flicked through several pages before he pushed a button. Anxiously, he listened to the ringing tone when the answering service finally kicked in. “It’s me. Please call.”