An American fashion designer with a fatal disease falls for an Italian engineer.

Julia, an American divorcée and fashion designer, moves into a sumptuously furnished villa near Venice lent her by a friend. She turns on the television set and watches an interview with an Italian engineer. Recognizing the man as Valerio, a stranger who once stopped her at an airport, gently declared his infatuation, and then gave her his calling card, Julia impulsively telephones him and asks him to visit her at the villa. Elated by the invitation, Valerio drives all night, and before the morning is over he and Julia have become lovers. Other guests arrive at the villa that night and join in such hedonistic pleasures as a slide show of erotic art and an orgy. Valerio becomes disgusted at Julia's compliance and drives off. The next day Julia goes to an autodrome where Valerio is testing a new racing car accident-prevention device and persuades him to take her to the Italian Alps. Resuming their affair in the intimacy of an Alpine chalet, the couple are idyllically happy, although Julia reveals little about herself and shows little interest in Valerio's future plans. Eventually, Julia is traced to the chalet by Maggie, her friend and business associate, who informs Valerio that Julia is terminally ill and should be hospitalized so that morphine can ease the pain that will come with the final throes of her illness. Julia runs away, intent on suicide, but Valerio follows her to the heights of a nearby mountain and commits an act of faith by asking her to drive their jeep back to the chalet. Though she speeds off at a furious pace that could kill them both, she steers to avoid an impending crash and then asks Valerio to take the wheel. The split-second decision brings Julia the strength to finally accept her illness as well as the love offered to her by Valerio.