Twenty-four-year-old Storm Darlington, wealthy mogul of Darlington Securities, decides to remove himself from his heavy workload in New York City and spend a month in Barefoot Beach, Florida. In Barefoot Beach, Trent Long is happy with his lifeguarding duties. He enjoys the sun, taking photos, and saving lives. But his world is turned upside down when Storm enters it. Sparks ignite the moment their two worlds collide. The only fly in the sunscreen ointment is Storm’s best friend, and retired Wall Street stock broker, Barbara Mullen. Storm is forced to rethink his romantic feelings for the sexy lifeguard when Barbara reveals some of Trent’s secrets. But there’s very little time to think because Barefoot Beach is threatened by hurricane Edwin. Threats also come from Barbara, who insists she’ll end her friendship with Storm if he doesn’t dump Trent. During the hurricane’s fury, Storm questions his relationship with Barbara, his busy life of finances in New York City, and the secrets he’s learned about Trent. Can Storm come to terms with all three? Will he be able to navigate the stormy waters of love, loss, and a possible future in Barefoot Beach?

Barefoot Storm

Such a distance doesn’t matter, though, because we bond again, surface from our private lives and seem to come together. His action is the most simple greeting regarding the physical language between men; a cordial wave is acted out by us, or maybe even something more, I’m not sure.


Trent vanishes down the beach. A sliver of his body is last seen approximately one hundred feet to the north. He bolts across the sand in his bare feet. And he glides away from my world once again. The man is out of sight this time, but not far from my mind. I find him reachable still, within range of my longing, attention, hunger, or even something stronger. I know for a fact that he will become mine; intuition tells me this. And this tempestuous and questionable longing for the stranger’s skin will come to an end, finally. 9: Day 8, Private Beach


Chapter 7