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

he’d seen on her face when Markus had held out his hand as he’d introduced himself. Not to mention his coach’s stern warning to stay away from her.
    So what had made her come back?
    Was it really Markus?
    Frowning, he shook his head. “No, that’s not it,” he finally replied. “But you should’ve seen her eyes last week,” he said more to himself than to Markus.
    “Oh, I saw them just then,” his friend replied with a little chuckle.
    “You’re such an ass, man.”
    “What? You said, I should’ve seen her eyes. I did. They’re beautiful. I mean like…”
    But he never finished his sentence, and as Oliver looked after Tamara, the sudden silence, broken only by the sound of the waves of Port Phillip Bay, gave him a shiver.
    “What did you do to her?” Markus asked suddenly.
    He shrugged, not willing to admit to his friend that she occupied his mind far more that he liked. “She’s screwed, mate. Coach Becker told me she’s off limits, but man, I tell ya, she’s screwed.”
    They started walking back towards the pier. “I ran into her the other day in the parking lot, and she couldn’t find her keys. They were in her pocket. When I pointed at the keys, her whole body jerked.”
    Markus raised an eyebrow. “Apparently you have that effect on women.”
    Oliver choked back a laugh. “I do, but, hey, that wasn’t my touch, that was fear, mate.”
    And again, the moment when Markus held out his hand rushed through his mind. Her eyes wide open for that split second before she’d turned and left.
    His friend nodded towards Tamara in the distance as they watched her trying not to walk too close to other people.
    “I think I can see what you mean.” Patting Oliver’s shoulder, he asked, “How are you going with the girl from the other weekend?”
    He shook his head. “Don’t remind me. I have a feeling she expected baseball to be a lucrative sport. Once she found out it isn’t, she was gone.”
    Markus laughed, but Oliver noticed his friend was still staring at Tamara.
    “You’re quite smitten with her, aren’t you?” he said.
    Markus shook his head. “Nope. Intrigued, but not smitten.”
    Oliver was, though. And it irked him. She wasn’t his type. His type of woman was drawn to him, was attracted to him, and looked sensational. Tamara was different. Yes, she looked good, and as he quickly stole another quick look, he admitted she had a nice behind as well. Yet somehow, there was something about her he could not place. Something about her grabbed him. It confused the hell out of him to find himself drawn to her.
    Shaking his head, he followed Markus to the pub across the road, still wondering whether it was because his coach not only asked him to stay away from her, but also told him she was off limits .
    Off limits?
    They weren’t words he was familiar with. He’d asked why and the simple answer was she had a hell of a year. He didn’t get any more details.
    Off limits his ass.
    “Mate, I need to do something. Ty will be here in a sec. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.”
    Not waiting for a reply, he left Markus standing at the door. There was something he had to do.
     
    ***
     
    Tamara startled when she heard a voice behind her call her name. With the noise of the waves, and the people around her, she didn’t recognise it and instinctively walked faster, her eyes fixed on her path ahead. Focusing on the buildings in front of her, she quickened her steps.
    “Hey!”
    Heaving a big sigh, she stopped. Shoulders sagging, she knew he’d followed her. She let that thought sink in for a moment before she turned around. Had she forgotten something? Or was he following her to apologise? Her heart ached, and she thought of Jason. Although no man would ever be able to take his place, deep inside she was afraid of being alone for the rest of her life.
    Tamara watched Oliver coming closer. Her gaze was drawn to his lean body, his long legs, covered by faded jeans, moving swiftly along the