Eric:
I’m the Chicago Centaurs’ star left winger in the American Soccer Premier League. I’m used to fans, selfies, thirsty DMs—people wanting things from me, not vanishing after one night of flirting and a fake phone number.
He’s Luke Hawkins—the only guy who’s ever ghosted me. A closeted billionaire’s son, a lead photographer for one of the biggest sportswear brands in the world…and the guy in charge of shooting my new underwear campaign.
So now I’m stuck half-naked in front of him, doing my best to act like I don’t care and not let him see how hard I still want him.
Luke:
I never meant to ghost Eric Tolmachyov.
I just couldn’t risk my father finding out I was gay too—having one gay son is already more than he can handle.
Now I’m working with the Chicago Centaurs, camera in hand, shooting their new underwear campaign, and Eric makes it very hard to pretend I don’t care. The more time we spend snapping at each other and sharing stolen looks—from one reckless night at a bar to shooting him on the pitch with the whole stadium watching—the harder it is to stay away from him.
Hate Me If You Can is a 44k-word MM sports romance about a professional Russian soccer star and a closeted photographer who once ghosted him, as they navigate slow-burn attraction, messy feelings, and the risk of betting your heart on the one person who has every reason to hate you. It can be read as a standalone, but takes place after Kissed by the Bully (Off the Pitch, Book 1) and includes mild spoilers for Mark and Sawyer’s story.
Genre: Gay Romance
I’m the Chicago Centaurs’ star left winger in the American Soccer Premier League. I’m used to fans, selfies, thirsty DMs—people wanting things from me, not vanishing after one night of flirting and a fake phone number.
He’s Luke Hawkins—the only guy who’s ever ghosted me. A closeted billionaire’s son, a lead photographer for one of the biggest sportswear brands in the world…and the guy in charge of shooting my new underwear campaign.
So now I’m stuck half-naked in front of him, doing my best to act like I don’t care and not let him see how hard I still want him.
Luke:
I never meant to ghost Eric Tolmachyov.
I just couldn’t risk my father finding out I was gay too—having one gay son is already more than he can handle.
Now I’m working with the Chicago Centaurs, camera in hand, shooting their new underwear campaign, and Eric makes it very hard to pretend I don’t care. The more time we spend snapping at each other and sharing stolen looks—from one reckless night at a bar to shooting him on the pitch with the whole stadium watching—the harder it is to stay away from him.
Hate Me If You Can is a 44k-word MM sports romance about a professional Russian soccer star and a closeted photographer who once ghosted him, as they navigate slow-burn attraction, messy feelings, and the risk of betting your heart on the one person who has every reason to hate you. It can be read as a standalone, but takes place after Kissed by the Bully (Off the Pitch, Book 1) and includes mild spoilers for Mark and Sawyer’s story.
Genre: Gay Romance
Used availability for Gaia Tate's Hate Me If You Can