As war wages in the Caribbean and preparations are made for a British invasion of French-held Martinique, Rhys McNaught is sent to the island to gather pre-invasion intelligence by The Lion Watch, a covert spy agency. Even though he is aware of the danger if caught, Rhys also enjoys living on a tropical island far removed from a gloomy and cold England, and the peace of being alone.

After spending the Christmas holiday with family, Miss Tempest Driscoll and her five younger sisters set sail from Barbados to their home in Dominica on a British cutter owned by her uncle. When their ship is attacked by a French brig and seriously damaged, the captain has Tempest and her sisters delivered to a Martinique beach for safety, where she is forced to find shelter for her siblings.

When Rhys returns to his home with gathered intelligence, he is stunned to find that six females have taken up residence in his home, a once-abandoned ramshackle hut beneath the shelter of the trees. He wants them gone but also knows that he must protect Tempest and her sisters until he can get them off the island before they are discovered by the French or the British invade and they are caught in the battle.

When danger finds them, Rhys is willing to sacrifice himself while Tempest must choose between escaping with her sisters or following her heart to save her spy.