On the surface, Taryn Pearson’s life seems perfect. No one sees how her past casts shadows over her present or senses the rage she fights every day to conceal. Total self-control has kept her safe, but it’s also left her isolated. Before transitioning from graduate school to her career as a lab assistant, her aunt urges her to be bold, expand her boundaries, and try something new. Photographer Rafael de le Sente escaped the barrio and demons of his youth, but he can’t outrun the consequences of his adult actions. Rarely able to separate work from pleasure, his licentious leanings finally cost him his biggest client. Rafael deigns to take on Taryn as a student for a price, proving his professionalism in the process. Almost immediately, he knows he’s doomed. Here is a woman who keeps his interest and tempts his libido. Every lesson further challenges her discipline and his control. Taryn may be just what he’s always longed for – an equal – but letting someone in so closely challenges his nature. Rafael never wanted love, Taryn never desired a lover, but they’ll need each other to finally bring their lives in to focus. Frame by frame, they move closer to accepting the pull between them. Every camera flash drags more of their pasts into the light, bringing them closer to a photo finish with fate.
As Dallas and Drayton navigate life in the spotlight, Spencer is navigating intense feelings for Nathan - her best friend's brother.
*****
Dallas and Drayton are planning their wedding, talking babies and learning how to navigate life in LA now that Drayton is a hotshot football player in the big leagues. Meanwhile, Spencer and Nathan are back at home in Colorado, coming to terms with their feelings for one another and learning how to co-parent with Grayson, the father of Spencer's daughter. Will the realities of adult life strengthen them - or will their relationships break?
[Sequel to The QB Bad Boy and Me]
[[word count: 150,000-200,000 words]]