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 Claire aims to leave her oppressive stepfamily behind, she befriends Zion. Will he be her ticket to freedom or a distraction in achieving her dreams?
*****
Claire Olsen has had a crush on Zion Petrakis since the first time she laid eyes on him, but he never noticed, instead only having eyes on the school's it girl, Maddie Jennings. Knowing she couldn't compete with Maddie, Claire hid her feelings for Zion, satisfied with admiring him from afar. However, when a series of events led Claire closer to Zion, her feelings for him grew from infatuation to love. And despite fighting hard to keep her feelings contained by distancing herself from Zion, he was determined to show her that he's earned a spot in her life.
[[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]