Let Me Love You (Australian Sports Star Series Book 2) Read Free Page A

face.
    Markus held out his hand. “Nice meeting you.”
    She never replied, though, simply turned, and walked away. She didn’t owe them anything, especially not her time. Challenge? She wasn’t cut out for chit chat, and she certainly wasn’t his challenge.
    Looking ahead, she stared into the distance, watching people moving along, laughing and enjoying their evening. The sudden guilty conscience that rose within her didn’t surprise her, but what did was the pang of regret. She stopped and replayed the moment in her head. The panic combined with her frustration and messy feelings for Oliver had been at such a high level, it’d been an instinctive reaction to walk away. She sighed as she stared at her feet. No, she didn’t owe them anything, but she did owe her parents to apply the good manners she’d been taught. Closing her eyes, she let the breeze caress her face before turning around. Some things had nothing to do with whether she liked it or not, but with the fact that they are right or wrong. And she’d been wrong.
     
    ***
     
    Oliver’s jaw grew tight as he stared after her.
    Markus chuckled. “Your charm doesn’t seem to work on her. What’s her problem?”
    Oliver looked at his friend and shrugged, when out of the corner of his eye he noticed Tamara stopped. Head nearly on her chest and raking her hands through her long hair, she seemed to contemplate something. He hadn’t lied when he’d told her he was trying to figure her out, but he admitted the word challenge had been the wrong choice. The challenge wasn’t her per se, but figuring out what made her so jumpy. Still watching her, he hoped to get another chance to explain his unfortunate choice of words.
    “I have no idea why she’s so fucked up, but we might find out,” he said quietly as he nodded towards her.
    Tamara had turned around and come back. She held out her hand towards Markus and said, “I do apologise, Markus.” Then she took a deep breath before she continued. “The last year has been a bit rough, to say the least, but I suppose it’s no excuse for my bad behaviour. My name is Tamara. I work at the A-Stadium, where—” She pointed towards Oliver. “Where your friend does his training every week.”
    Markus’ lips tugged into a grin as he followed her finger to Oliver. Then he met her eyes. “Nice meeting you, Tamara. Wanna join us for a drink?”
    “Hell no, she doesn’t,” Oliver interrupted before he could actually think about it.
    He had no idea what was happening right there in front of him. Not believing what he was seeing or even hearing, he shot his friend a glare that said back off.
    Tamara and Markus both stared at him, and he shrugged his shoulder. “What?”
    Markus lifted an eyebrow. “I seem to be missing something here.”
    Tamara placed a hand on his arm. “It’s okay. I’ve been…let’s say…” She hesitated.
    “A bitch?” Oliver helped, but he regretted it straight away.
    “I certainly have not!” she retorted before he could retract his words. Markus had offered him the perfect chance to spend more time with her, and here he was behaving like an idiot. He tried to shake off this odd reaction inside him.
    “Challenge might have been the wrong word,” he finally said.
    She smiled at him and removed her hand from Markus’ arm. “Perhaps another time, but thanks for the invite. Do you play baseball?”
    Markus shook his head. “Nope. Soccer.”
    Then she turned and walked off.
    Again.
    Hands on hips, Oliver watched her making her way to the pier. “Can you believe this woman?” When he didn’t get a reply, he looked at his friend. Markus was watching her as well, but with a love-struck smile on his face.
    “Back off, mate. She’s trouble!”
    Markus snorted. “You’re an ass. Just because she doesn’t fall for your charm, she’s trouble?”
    That was one reason, all right, but the other reason was her behaviour the other day. The panic in her eyes, the same panic he thought