The painting that has kept Dorian Gray flawless for over a century is beginning to fall apart, saturated and rotted by his life of reckless decadence. Desperate, he seeks out the only person who might be able to save Baz Allard. She's a talented young painter who just inherited her aunt's house and studio in Charleston—and she happens to be a direct descendant of Basil Hallward, Dorian's first love, and the man who created the magical portrait. Baz has the same gift as her ancestor, but for deeply personal reasons, she has vowed never to paint anyone's likeness, and she refuses Dorian's commission. As Dorian tries to persuade Baz that the money and prestige he offers are worth breaking her vow, he and Baz become aware of something else awakening in the coastal city. Dangerous forces, long dormant, have been stirred up by Baz herself…and perhaps by some mutual enemy hiding in the shadows. As tensions rise and desire flares ever-hotter, Baz and Dorian become enmeshed in a complex net of conflicting motives, messy mistakes, and a growing, desperate passion, with only one question burning between Does anyone, even the love seared deep into your very soul, deserve the burden of eternal life?