Cassie Clarke thought her life was perfect. She had a successful career in her family's San Francisco art gallery, and a boyfriend that any girl would swoon over. But with one tantalizing smile, Chavela Castillo throws Cassie's life into complete chaos.

It's more than the fact that Chavela is sexy, poised and confident, or that her smile sets Cassie's blood on fire from across the room. She has a depth of being that Cassie has never encountered before; a depth that invites Cassie to look at everything in her life, including herself, with new eyes.

Cassie begins to see how paper-thin her life actually is, and she discovers that she doesn't just want more of Chavela; she wants more of herself. Soon, Cassie finds herself swept up in a whirlwind of passion, leading her down dark corridors and moonlit streets, and into the sacred depths of her own soul.

Cassie senses the danger, lurking just out of sight, threatening to swallow her whole if she veers too far from the light. But she doesn't care. As the darkness looms ever larger, she plunges ahead, unwilling to let go of the burning passion that threatens to consume her. Unwilling to turn away from her heart, even if it means embracing the terrifying truth of who, or rather what, Chavela really is.