Jeremy Walker is a fortyish children's book artist and he is enchanted with sixteen-year-old Belinda, who he meets at one of his book signings. Belinda seduces him and then leaves, leaving Jeremy obsessed with her and with capturing her image in his paintings. Belinda reappears and wants Jeremy to fall in love with her, she longs for the grounding she thinks that will provide. Jeremy captures her image in a photograph and sleeps with her. She disappears again. Jeremy finds her and shows her two of his nude paintings of her, but promises he will never show them. This upsets Belinda and she runs off, but later calls in panic.

Jeremy bails her out of a police investigation and is recognized. He realizes his career has become stale and longs for something else where he feels he is not being evasive. Jeremy continues to paint Belinda and tries to find out more about her, though she will tell very little beyond she wants to be allowed to be herself. But then, the pieces begin to fall together and he finds that Belinda is historied and complicated, even at the age of 16. Belinda discovers his probings and leaves him. Then Jeremy discovers that she too has betrayed him and in a startling twist he learns more than he ever thought he would about Belinda. The twist prompts Jeremy to free himself and Belinda, even though it will destroy his career.