ALL OF ME, the sixth and final novel in the INSIDE OUT series is
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Passion. Mystery. It all collides in the breathtaking conclusion to the New York Times bestselling INSIDE OUT series, ALL OF ME.
He’s rich and famous, his past dark, but so is hers. Can they save each other? Or will the darkness tear them apart?
EXCERPT #1
Excerpt from All of Me (Inside Out #6) by Lisa Renee Jones. Copyright 2014
We say a quick goodbye, and to my shock, the instant I push the “end” button, Chris pulls the 911 to the shoulder of the road, puts it in park and turns to me. “Talk to me. What just happened?”
“You stopped to ask me what happened?”
“Yes. I stopped to ask what happened. Now, tell me.”
My lashes lower a moment as I savor just how good this man is to me. I curl my fingers on my cheek. “Thank you for stopping, but really, there was nothing worthy of concern. Let’s go to the chateau.”
“After you tell me what happened,” he orders, but the tenderness lacing the stubborn determination of his tone wins me over, as does his sincerity. He really cares and I am truly not alone anymore.
“When Katie wanted to know if there was anyone on my side of the family to coordinate with, it hit a nerve. I started worrying about Ella, and thinking about my father, who I don’t want to come to our wedding. I truly don’t, yet somehow, the very fact that I don’t gives him the power to twist me in knots.”
Chris nods. “As did my father to me, no matter how much of a bastard he became. Sometimes I think the worse he treated me, the more I wanted to win back his affection.”
I’d seen glimpses of these feelings before now, but this is the first time he’s spoken them aloud. “Maybe it’s some inborn need to feel close to a parent?”
“That’s the only conclusion I could come to when I couldn’t let him go. I still can’t. He’s always with me, making sure I stay just a little more fucked up.”
“If you’re fucked up, it’s all kinds of right, Chris Merit. That charity work Tristan talked about? You don’t just throw money at it. You give pieces of your soul to those kids and their families. You make a difference and I’ll be honored to help you do it.”
He pulls my hand to his mouth and kisses my fingers. “Let’s elope. Anyplace you want to go. Say the word and as far as I’m concerned we’ll go tomorrow.”
“What? No. We decided on Katie and Mike’s place together. And my ring isn’t even done.”
“This isn’t about a ring. Or Katie and Mike, or anyone else. It’s about us and I don’t want you worried about your father or the guest list. You know I’m not big on attention anyway.”
I lace my fingers with his. “You’re trying to protect me and I appreciate that, but I want to get married under those hanging rose your mother inspired Katie to plant.”
“Don’t do this for me, baby. I just want to spend the rest of my life with you. That’s all I need.”
“It’s for us. You know my father is just a hot button for me. I’ll get by it. And truth be told, I’m a little raw over Amber, too. That night here in Paris when I went to the club I had this sense I needed to save her. I shouldn’t have listened to that feeling.”
“Don’t do that to yourself. You barely knew her.”
“Yet, on some level I felt her screaming for help. But I second-guessed myself and thought it was Rebecca and Ella influencing my feelings.”
“You were a lot of the reason I pushed to get Amber help, Sara. It was just too little too late. That’s on me, not you.”
“No-”
“Yes,” he says, stroking the hair out of my eyes, his hand staying at the back of my head.
“Now here’s what’s going to happen. We’re going to leave this all right here and I’m going to drive us the fifteen minutes we have left to get to the chateau, where we’re going to fuck like rabbits. Then, we’re going to eat and fuck some more. After we sleep, we’ll set some rules with Katie about the wedding so you won’t worry about it and then we’ll fuck some more. And since I had the caretaker that lives in the house behind the chateau stock enough food to last us a week, we can stay in bed for days on end. Any objections so far?”
I smile and not just at his words, but at his rapid shift from dark Chris, to playful, sexy Chris. “And if I do?”
He, leans closer to me, his breath on my ear. “I’ll just tie you to the bed.”
Yes. Please. My list of objections begins to form.
Excerpt #2
Entering the kitchen, I find Chris leaning on the marble countertop by the coffeepot, shirtless and in his pajama bottoms, the long strands of his blond hair a wild, sexy mess I’m pretty sure I created last night.
He glances up from the paper he’s reading, then picks up his coffee cup. “Morning, Ms. McMillan.”
“Morning, Mr. Merit,” I reply, grinning as I join him.
He offers me his coffee cup and I happily accept it, taking a drink of the perfectly flavored coffee and creamer. Sharing a cup with Chris has this sexy, intimate feel to it that always does funny things to my belly.
“Your last day as a free woman,” he comments.
“Why? Are you planning to tie me up sometime soon?”
He covers my hands on his cup. “Is that an objection, or wishful thinking?” He tilts the cup and drinks, his eyes never leaving mine.
“I plead the Fifth. It’s more fun that way.”
“That it is,” he agrees, but a sigh follows. “I wish I could do the same, but you’d better look at the newspaper.” He sets the cup on the counter, then hands me the Arts section of the local paper.
Dread fills me as I read the headline: “Acclaimed Artist and Philanthropist Chris Merit to wed Sara McMillan on Valentine’s Day in Star-studded Event in Sonoma.” I set it down. “We went to so much trouble to get the press off our backs before the wedding, and now they’ve found us! I knew when all these famous people showed up on the guest list, it was going to turn into a zoo.”
“Walker Security anticipated the press, and they’re staffed and ready for it. It’ll be fine. We’ll be shielded.”
Nerves the size of birds, not butterflies, attack my stomach.
“We should have eloped.”
“We still can. Let’s do it. Now. Today.”
“We can’t elope,” I say, sounding appalled, as if he’d suggested it, not me. “People who respect you are coming a long way to see us. And Katie has planned this for months.”
“Baby, we can do whatever we want. This is our day.”
“No. We can’t. Not this far into this. Which reminds me— you can’t stay here tonight. It’s bad luck to see the bride the night before the wedding.”
“I told you how I feel about that. We make our own luck.”
“Chris—”
He kisses me. “I’m staying here tonight, and I’m fucking you like I won’t see you ever again, just to be sure you walk down that aisle.”
“If you’re waiting for me at the end of that aisle, I’ll be there. And if you’re staying here tonight, we can use separate bedrooms.”
“Does today count as part of that eve-of-the-wedding rule?”
“Yes.”
He scoops me up and I yelp. “What are you doing?”
“I’m a renegade, baby. Let’s go break the rules.”
The following excerpts are glimpses of when a lot of the secondary characters come back to visit in the INSIDE OUT finale, ALL OF ME
Excerpt #3
“What are you doing here?” I finally ask.
“I know I haven’t been the best…” he begins.
“Are you kidding me? Are you really going to have this conversation with me today?”
“I’ve put it off for too long.”
“And you choose the day before I get married?” I cross my arms in front of me, shutting him out, wishing this didn’t cut so deeply. “Please leave.”
“Sara—” I lean forward and point at him. “Your timing is so poorly thought out that even if I wanted to hear what you had to say, which I don’t, I wouldn’t listen.”
“I’m sorry. For now. For the past. For everything.”
“You think sorry makes it all go away?”
Excerpt #4
I step into the hallway and Mike is waiting, looking sharp in a tuxedo. “I have the rings.” He takes my arm. “And now I have the beautiful bride.”
I cling to his arm. “Thank you. I feel unsteady.”
“I won’t let you fall. And I promise you, neither will Chris.”
There’s a tiny pinch in my chest at his sincerity, and a wish that my father could say such things and mean them, but I quickly shove it aside. “I know,” I say, eager to get to Chris.
Jacob and Blake are at the exit when I arrive, and Jacob hands me my bouquet, giving me a grand bow before he opens the door for me. I pause and kiss him on the cheek. “Thanks for taking good care of us.”
“What about me?” Blake demands.
“You stole Jacob from us. You get no kiss.” I walk out of the chateau with Mike, and freeze with the realization that hundreds of eyes are upon me.
Excerpt #5
Please note the X referenced below is a third party male whose name is exempt to avoid spoilers
There is movement by the door again, and my gaze jerks in that direction, where Rey now stands, looking big, broad, and intimidating. His hard stare is fixed on Chantal’s hand on X’s chest.. His anger is downright palpable. “Come with me, Chantal,” he orders, his tone as tight as a rubber band stretched to the limit. She doesn’t move, and he tilts his head slightly, his eyes sharpening with a challenge. “I said, come with me.”
She half turns toward X, who cuts off any intent she might have with a command of his own. “Go, Chantal. You don’t belong in the middle of this.”
Her eyes flicker in my direction and then dart away as she takes a step toward Rey, who steps aside and follows her out the door. Watching them disappear, I feel the sting of Chantal’s rejection. Chris was right.
If I warn her off of X, I will lose her completely.
Excerpt #6
“Hello, Sara.”
I blink up at Mark, who’s as tall, blond, and good-looking as usual but unfamiliar nevertheless. “I must be in a Bizarro World where you call people by their first names.”
He smoothes the sleeve of his perfectly fitted grey suit. “What is Bizarro World?”
“You haven’t seen that episode of Seinfeld? It’s an alternate universe.”
“No, I have not seen that episode of Seinfeld, but I agree. Perhaps we are in Bizarro World, since the Sara I know likes to be called by her first name.”
“Isn’t that exactly why you always call me Ms. McMillan?”
“Perhaps I can’t stomach the idea of calling you Mrs. Merit.”
I grin. “Why don’t you wait until Chris walks in to give him a hard time?”
His lips curve into what is almost a smile, and I know I’ve busted him. “Because he doesn’t take my bait the way you do.”
“You’re maddening, Mark Compton.”
“So you tell me.”
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BLP REVIEW ~ Rebecca
Note to Self:
When starting a new book do not be a dozy tart and start with the last one! Which is what I did.
However, on the plus side it was a fabulous little novella and having now stalked Ms Jones website I discovered the series has a number of novellas and a couple full lengths and is possibly being made into a TV series! I will be starting at the beginning and working my way through because even though I now know that one couple has a HEA I was lost in places with reference to previous characters and events and totally intrigued by twists, turns, lies and deceit missed.
I adored both lead characters, Chris is just divine, tortured bad boy who loves his girl and Sara who supports and loves him faults, foibles, warts and all. Sometimes with this type of dynamic in a couple I tend to not like the female as I prefer strong, sassy in your face heroines but Sara is written with such a tangible love for Chris, such sympathy for the man and the events that have previously unfolded and damaged him that you can see that inner strength shining through and I could not help but be drawn to her.
I would recommend starting at the beginning with this series (Duh!). Lisa Renee Jones is a talented lady and this series is so obviously a good one judging from this little piece.
** Slinks off to read If I Were You **
That’s Book 1 by the way!!! 😉
About the Author:
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT SERIES, and is now in development by Suzanne Todd (Alice in Wonderland) for cable TV. In addition, her Tall, Dark and Deadly series and The Secret Life of Amy Bensen series, both spent several months on a combination of the NY Times and USA Today lists.
Watch the video on casting for the INSIDE TV Show HERE
Since beginning her publishing career in 2007, Lisa has published more than 40 books translated around the world. Booklist says that Jones suspense truly sizzles with an energy similar to FBI tales with a paranormal twist by Julie Garwood or Suzanne Brockmann.
Prior to publishing, Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by Dallas Women Magazine. In 1998 LRJ was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.
Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at on her website and she is active on twitter and facebook daily.
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