Sea Flower is a work of sensual romance fiction. Set in the 1700s, it's the story of Adrianne Winchester, a beautiful Englishwoman who is travelling by ship when they are attacked by pirates. Facing rape and possibly worse, she and her maid are rescued by the rough and rowdy crew of the Emerald Maid and her captain, Devin Tremayne. Almost instantly, there is electricity between Adrianne and Devin, but they are both fiercely proud, jealous, and single-minded, which both deepens their attraction and causes numerous rifts between them.

They ultimately marry (under questionable circumstances) and he takes her to colonial Virginia, where he lives. There she learns new ways and ideas about society and herself. She struggles with the idea of being Devin's wife; her English upbringing and her fear of her father distort her idea of what it means to be a wife and a woman in love.

They eventually leave Virginia for a Caribbean island where Devin's family is visiting and Adrianne's uncle resides and where it turns out her parents are also. She and Devin keep their marriage secret while they try to clear his name of wrongful charges, which leads to further dangers and jealousies.