Alec Winston sits in his plush New York apartment with writer's
block and is close to breaching his contract with the publisher. Alec
takes his brother Jake up on his offer to visit Covington Cove in
Wilmington Beach to await Jake's upcoming wedding. Perhaps
using the guesthouse for the summer is the way to overcome his
block. Jake's fiancé is Lacey Covington, whom he has loved since
he first laid eyes on her. The Winston boys and father were the
wealthy Covington's gardeners until their father retired and Jake
took over the job.
Faith Armstrong has been hired to privately to tutor Ginny, Mia
Galdon's (now Covington) teenage sister born with Down syndrome.
Faith and Mia previously worked together at St. Ambrose, a private
school. Leaving home was not hard for Faith, as she has always
known her conception was solely as a donor for her sister Hope, ill
with cancer. Finally losing Hope, Faith knows she has never meant
anything to her parents beyond that. To have someone care for her
alone is all she's ever wanted. Always feeling invisible, Faith is
completely astounded when Alec is drawn to her quiet ways and
"mermaid" song-like voice. She soon is his inspiration and muse,
and he finds the words coming to him as he begins to write. Both
realize it has turned to something more, but Faith's inadequate
feelings and Alec's past guilt and secret keep them worlds apart in
creating a life together.
I am a devoted admirer of anything Kelly Moran creates. Her
Covington Series is emotional, soul-searching and filled with
beautiful, caring characters. The insight for the characters this
author is able to portray in her novels is nothing less than brilliant.
ALL OF ME will jerk at your heartstrings and bring tears of sadness
and joy to your eyes. Kelly Moran's ability is unequaled in bringing
a truly remarkable tale to the reader that is guaranteed to stay in
your heart.
For ten months, bestselling novelist Alec Winston hasn’t
been able to type a single word, and he’s coming
dangerously
close to breaching his publishing contract. An invitation
from his brother to spend the summer in Wilmington Beach
might be just the thing to blast through his writer’s
block.
Yet Alec discovers more than a spark of inspiration on
the
sunny sands. He meets an amber-eyed muse who makes him
think
about much more than books . . .
Faith Armstrong has finally gathered the courage to leave
her past behind and accepted a job as a private tutor,
hoping for a fresh start on the North Carolina coast.
This
is the home she’s always longed for—not just a place, but
a
state of mind. She’s felt invisible her whole life, so
the
host of new friends and the attention of a sexy author
have
her head spinning.
But Alec has a secret that could prove this isn’t the
life
Faith dreamed of after all . . .
Excerpt
The moment Faith opened the door and Alec saw her, he knew his
suspicions were right on the mark. He felt differently about her
than he had about anyone in a long time. More so, if he dug deep
enough into his memory. She chased away the dark. And somehow, since
he’d known her, his writing had grown stronger.
Yet she acted like she could take him or leave him. Faith may have
seemed aloof, but he suspected that under the surface there was
strength and heart. Right next to insecurity and uncertainty. In
fact, she seemed like someone hell-bent on taking care of herself,
but failing.
That did funny things to his chest.
She gestured him inside, but he stayed rooted to the spot, taking in
the sight of her. If he’d texted any other woman and said he was
coming over, they’d be wearing ten pounds of makeup, high heels, and
nothing else. That wasn’t arrogance on his part, just stone-cold
truth. Women wanted his money, his fame, or his body. No in-betweens
or exceptions.
And then there was Faith. A haphazard ponytail left wisps of brown
hair around her face. The loose cotton shorts and white tee she wore
shouldn’t be sexy. The lamplight behind her hid most of her
freckles, but he still wanted to kiss each one, strip her to see if
she had more. And where.
“Hi,” he forced out.
“Hello. Are you going to come inside or should we talk through the
doorway?”
The last thing he wanted to do was talk. He crossed the threshold
and fit his lips over hers, reaching out and tugging her flush
against his chest. And damn, the spark wasn’t a fluke. The same heat
and need flared to life. Consumed.
Tightening his hold on her, he lifted her enough to back her away
from the entry and kicked the door shut, all the while keeping his
mouth fused to hers. He spun her around and pressed her back against
the door, planting his palms on either side of her head. If he kept
his hands off her, he could stop this before the house went up in
flames. Probably.
Faith didn’t get the memo. Her fingers drove into his hair and
tugged. Her tongue warred with his for dominance and he was damn
tempted to let her win. Just for the hell of it. To let himself be
conquered for once.
When one of her legs snaked around his hips, drawing his jean-clad
erection snug against the apex of her thighs, he groaned and rested
his forehead against hers. Tried to breathe. “You’re a sleeper,” he
mumbled, head still somewhere in the vicinity of that kiss.
“Sleeper?” she breathed.
God, that voice of hers got to him in ways he couldn’t possibly
explain. “Yeah. A sleeper. You seem all reserved and calm on the
surface, lying in wait until the moment of initiation, and then you
strike.”
Her amber eyes lifted to his, her dilated pupils telling him she was
just as affected. “That was a compliment, right?”
He laughed and dropped a kiss on her shoulder. Smelled so good.
“Yes, that was a compliment.”
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