For the Love of a Lush Teaser by Selena Lawrence

Tammy and Walsh met at fourteen, and she was with him on every step to fame and fortune—until one fateful night when she betrayed him. Now she’s back, begging for forgiveness and ready to fight for her man. But some betrayals are too painful to forget, some mistakes can’t be repaired, and Walsh is certain that he and Tammy can’t ever be together again.

But DiLorenzo women don’t back down, and Tammy always gets what she wants. In the wake of the lies and losses, she’s prepared to do whatever it takes for a second chance. She’ll give it all—for the love of a lush.

I walk toward my desk. He’s leaning with one hand on the back of my chair, talking to a dark-haired guy who’s sitting in the next row.

“Dude, I’m telling you, Joss can get us tickets, we just need your mom to drive and we’re set.” 

“Excuse me?” I say, trying really hard not to sound like I give a shit if he notices me or not. “I think I’m supposed to sit here.”

He turns, and I find myself staring into the softest, sweetest brown eyes I’ve ever seen. Looking into them is like being cocooned in something warm and plush. I suddenly feel safe, and peaceful and happy, things that I don’t very often feel. He must see something interesting in me too, because we both just stand, looking at one another for what feels like hours. His soft lips turn up on the ends and his smile is as gentle as his big brown eyes. He’s not looking at my chest, he’s not looking up at me, he’s looking at me. The real me, like I matter, and I think maybe I could have him look at me that way forever. Then I hear the other boy’s voice, “Dude, she needs to sit down, move your ass.”

“I’m Walsh,” he says, cutting to the heart of it all.

“Tammy,” I reply.

He steps back as the teacher walks in and asks everyone to sit down. Walsh is assigned to the seat behind me, and for the entire class I can physically feel him behind me, like a tantalizing brush of fingertips across my back. A buzzing, warm sensation that makes it nearly impossible to concentrate on quadratic equations, which, let’s get serious, I’m never going to need to know anyway.

By the end of class I’ve decided—I have to have him. There is no doubt, no indecision or need to consider it. Walsh Clark—I learn his full name when roll is called—is the one. The problem being, I don’t know exactly how to make him mine. Since I’ve hated boys for the last three years I haven’t had much practice at getting them to like me. But, I’ve always been a “woman of action” as my dad calls it, so I figure I’ll approach it like I do anything else—make a plan, and follow it through until I get what I want.

I’m contemplating all of this as the bell rings and the teacher dismisses us. I pack up my stuff, disappointed when Walsh and his friend hightail it out of class before I can catch up. But when I reach the door to the hall, there he stands, leaning up against some lockers, a smile on his face as I walk toward him.

“Where’s you next class?” he asks, moving his books to the hand furthest from me.
“Art. Annex B. You going to walk me?”

“Yeah,” he answers as he reaches over and gently lifts my backpack from my hand.


Selena Laurence lives in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and spends a lot of time at soccer games, on her laptop, and reading. She is a full-time romance author who loves nothing more than a good love story, whether it be about rock stars or college kids. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the Colorado Romance Writers. Her books have been on Amazon Topselling lists in Military Romance, Contemporary Romance, Hispanic fiction and Multicultural Romance. She requires a Mocha Latte every day to function, keeps a goldendoodle at her feet most of the time, and has more kids than she knows what to do with.