Veronica turned off the desolate dirt road, steering her work truck up the long gravel driveway leading to the old farmhouse. She found a suitable spot close to the house and brought the truck to a halt before grabbing her clipboard to confirm the address. The sky was a bleak gray, heavy with the promise of rain, a stark contrast to the woman’s sunshiney outlook. She hummed to herself as she rummaged through her toolbox, making sure everything was in its place. Today was a great day—an entire day's worth of work had already been paid for. No haggling, no worries about collecting at the end. Just a full day of honest work ahead of her, and she was eager to get started.

She hopped out of the truck, her boots landing with a soft crunch on the gravel. The house in front of her was massive, its dark exterior blending almost seamlessly with the overcast sky. A chill ran through the air, but Veronica barely noticed as she approached the front door.

Reaching out to press the doorbell, she quickly realized it was broken, the button long since gone, and two wires dangling loosely from a hole in the siding. She chuckled to herself—her first task of the day, already lined up. Raising her hand, she knocked firmly on the door.

A moment later, it swung open, revealing a man who filled the doorway. He was tall, easily a foot taller than Veronica, with broad shoulders and muscular arms that stretched the fabric of his shirt. There was something in his eyes—something about the way he looked her up and down—that made Veronica hesitate for a split second. A flicker of unease sparked within her, but she quickly brushed it aside, reminding herself that she was here to work, not to jump to conclusions.

“Morning,” she said, flashing a bright smile. “I’m Veronica, the handywoman. I think I’m at the right place. Is Alex around?”

The man’s expression softened, and he nodded. “That’s me. I’m thankful you could come out. None of the other services I contacted were willing to travel this far out of town to do the repairs on my list.

“Well, I’m always happy to go the extra mile for my clients,” the woman smiled, trying not to stare at the rippling muscles beneath his tight t-shirt.

“Perfect. Come on in, and I’ll show you my list.”

He led her inside, and the two of them exchanged small talk as they walked through the living room and into a dimly lit hallway. Despite the home's older, almost dilapidated look on the outside, it appeared to be fairly modern and well-maintained inside. Alex led her into the kitchen and handed her a list that had been sitting on the counter. Veronica scanned it quickly. The doorbell was at the top, followed by a leaky kitchen faucet, a loose cabinet door, and a few other minor repairs.

“This shouldn’t be a problem,” she said, nodding as she folded the list and slipped it into her pocket, “but is there anything else? There’s not a lot on your list, and you paid me for a whole day.”

“Oh, I’m fairly certain that it will be the end of the day before you’re done here,” Alex replied, his expression unreadable. “I’ll be in the living room if you need anything.”

Veronica watched as he walked away, the faint feeling of unease creeping back for just a moment. Usually, she could get a pretty decent feel for a client early on, but Alex’s personality was difficult to decipher. What did he mean by that comment? Did he think he'd be able to find more work for her? Did he assume she’d work slowly? Those options both seemed plausible.

The only other option she could come up with was that he was into her, and he was hoping she’d want to stick around after her work was done. If that was his idea, she’d put those hopes and dreams to bed fast. Veronica learned early on that being an attractive woman in a male-dominated industry meant that she had to bust some balls. Some men didn’t care that she had more certifications than some handymen twice her age, or even that she was happily married. They saw a cute girl with nice curves and a dash of purple in her blonde hair and assumed she’d be down for whatever was floating in their sick minds. When guys like that came up, she showed no mercy.

Veronica shook her head, clearing her thoughts. Once again, she was making hasty assumptions. Perhaps Alex doesn't know how long these tasks take. The answer doesn’t have to be that he’s looking down on her or objectifying her. Resolving to do better, she put a smile back on her face and got to work.

The doorbell was a fairly simple fix—just a matter of installing a new button and screwing everything down. As she finished securing the new doorbell to the siding, she found her rhythm, her earlier concerns fading with each turn of the screwdriver. She gave the button a push, and a loud chime echoed through the house. Smiling at the small accomplishment, Veronica checked the doorbell off the list and picked up her toolbox.

With her first task complete, the woman headed inside to start on the leaky faucet. As she passed through the living room on her way to the kitchen, she spotted Alex. He was sitting in a well-worn easychair at the far side of the room, his attention drawn to the cellphone he held in his lap. She was just about to let him know where she would be next when she noticed the television.

On the screen, beautiful waves and swirls of bright, vivid colors danced, while a gentle, murmuring white noise played through the speakers. Veronica had never seen anything like it. Her eyes began to follow the colorful swirls, getting lost in the waves of sound and color that surrounded her. Time itself seemed to slow to a crawl, and the more Veronica followed the patterns on the screen, the less anything else mattered. All that mattered now was giving in to the thoughts that began swirling in her mind.

Veronica almost jumped when she felt the hand on her shoulder. She snapped back to reality, turning away from the now-off TV and gazing up into Alex's face as he stood over her.

“Is everything okay?” Alex inquired, his expression difficult to read.

“Oh, um, I mean, yeah,” she replied, shaking the cobwebs out of her mind. “I guess I must have zoned out there for a second. I just finished your doorbell, and I’m moving on to the kitchen next.” As she spoke, Veronica tried to recall why she’d stopped, but she kept drawing blank.

“Very good,” Alex said, lifting his hand off her shoulder while his eyes scanned the handywoman’s body. “You know, you’re a very attractive woman,” he added in a tone as gentle as he was muscular.

“Oh, um, thanks so much,” Veronica said, blushing slightly. At first, a part of her wanted to stop Alex and put him in his place. She dismissed those thoughts very quickly. Why would she do that? The reality was that she always enjoyed it when her male clients noticed her. Nothing made her day more than knowing that she could turn heads. She was an attractive woman, after all. It would almost be weird if guys didn’t notice her.

“Let me know when you move on to the next thing,” Alex said. “I look forward to seeing you again.”

“Will do!” She nodded and turned toward the kitchen.

Veronica could feel his eyes on her as she began walking toward her destination. For the briefest of moments, part of her felt that sense of foreboding return. She was in the middle of nowhere, alone in this massive house with a human tank. He thought she was pretty. He said so. That in itself was perfectly fine to her, but if Alex wanted to try forcing himself on her, there was no way she could stop him.

As quickly as the thought popped in her head, Veronica shoved it aside. Alex was clearly a sweet guy. A big, stacked, sexy, sweet guy. So what if he was checking her out? She liked getting men’s attention. Besides, it wasn’t like he was trying to make out with her or anything. He was clearly minding his manners. With her concerns set at ease, she smiled, stepping into the kitchen and moving toward the sink.

It only took Veronica a couple minutes to disassemble the faucet and find the worn o-ring causing the leak. That was an easy fix—no trouble at all. This was a common issue with older sinks. Because of that, she kept a variety of o-rings on hand in her truck. As she marched back through the house, she spotted Alex once more, back in his chair, playing on his phone. He briefly looked up at her, a faint smile creeping onto his face. She gave him a quick smile back and continued toward the door.

As she walked, the TV sprung to life, grabbing her attention. She couldn’t help but watch as swirls of bright colors danced across the screen. They seemed both familiar and new at the same time. As the woman's walking slowed to a stop, Veronica found herself following the patterns on the screen with her eyes, soothed by the gentle whispers emanating from the speakers. The sights and sounds were enthralling, leading her eyes deeper and deeper into the screen as new thoughts and ideas popped into her mind.

After what could have been seconds as easily as it could have been hours, Veronica blinked a few times, snapping out of her daze. She looked toward the chair where she’d last noticed Alex, but he was no longer there. Scanning the room, she tried to remember why she’d stopped but couldn’t come up with a reason. Shrugging it off, she proceeded to head out to her truck.

Veronica kept her truck well organized, and it only took her a minute to find the correct o-ring for the faucet. Closing her parts bin, she turned to head back to the house. A moment later she stopped in her tracks, her breath taken away.

Standing several yards from Veronica, toward the back of the house, a shirtless Alex was busy chopping firewood. The woman stood mesmerized as she watched him grab a giant log as if it were nothing, drop it in front of him, and proceed to use his ax to split it into several smaller pieces. His rippling muscles were fully on display as he worked, much to Veronica’s delight. Veronica found herself incredibly aroused by the vision before her. Alex was powerful and sexy. She couldn’t help but wonder: if he could toss around those giant logs so easily, what could he do with a girl like her?

Just then, Alex looked up from his work and spotted Veronica. He gave the woman a smile, then grabbed another log and continued on with his work. Veronica's face reddened as she realized he had spotted her staring at him, and she quickly turned to run back into the house.

“Get yourself together,” Veronica scolded herself as she stepped back into the kitchen. Sure, she liked to have a little fun with her sexier male clients. It never hurts to flirt, after all. Or sometimes, go a little further. She’d never go too far—a little touch here or a little kiss there, just to keep her clients coming back. At the same time, she was still a professional handywoman with a job to do, and she was determined to finish her work before she let herself get distracted by Alex. Even if he was sexier than any man she could think of, her husband included.

Resolving to get back on task, Veronica jumped into her work. She began working on the faucet, thinking about Alex all the while. He just looked so sexy, shirtless, and chopping wood out there. As she replaced the parts, she began imagining what it would be like to be with Alex. Was he a strong, overpowering lover, or was he a gentle giant? Would he fuck her senseless, or would he make tender love to her? What did his cock look like? What would it feel like? What would it taste like?

Realizing she was starting to soak her panties, Veronica shook her head. She reminded herself that Alex was a client, first and foremost. He paid her to make repairs, not to be a plaything. Even if she fully intended to try and have a little fun with him later, she had a job to get done. Fighting against the urge to keep dreaming about Alex using her for his pleasure, Veronica managed to finally get the faucet back together and confirm that the leak was stopped.

She checked the faucet off the list and was just about to start working on the loose cabinet door when a loud crash of thunder shook the house. Veronica watched out the window as the clouds finally let loose, releasing a torrential downpour over the old farmhouse. Moments later, she heard footsteps on the back porch, followed by the kitchen door swinging open as a drenched Alex entered the room.

Without thinking, Veronica found her eyes roaming up and down the shirtless, soaking-wet man. His arm and chest muscles gleamed in the kitchen light. His soaked shorts clung to his body, showing off a very impressive bulge. Almost instinctively, she found herself licking her lips as her eyes traveled back up his form and finally met his.

“Well, look at you,” she commented in her flirtiest voice. “You’re almost as wet as I am.”

“Eh, it happens out here,” Alex replied, grinning slightly. “How’s your progress on the sink?”

“I just finished,” Veronica smiled. “I was just about to move down the list to the next thing.

“Very good,” he said, closing the distance between them and looking down into her eyes. “You’re as handy as you are sexy.”

“Thanks,” Veronica whispered as she melted under his gaze. “You’re not so bad yourself.” He really was so sexy, and here he was, hovering an inch away. She wanted this man, and it was obvious he wanted her. Her eyes flicked down to his lips. They were so close. They were so kissable. She was so transfixed on the man’s lips that she hardly registered when his hands gripped her upper arms.

Before she knew what she was doing, Veronica found her eyes closing as she leaned forward into the man and pressed her lips against his. As their lips met, Veronica whimpered and wrapped her arms around Alex. That first soft kiss led to another, which in turn led to another. With each successive kiss, the intensity and passion only grew stronger. In no time at all, soft, delicate kisses gave way to hard, deep kisses. As the handywoman moaned into her client's mouth, lips parted and tongues dueled. The two pressed into each other, and Veronica only moaned louder, feeling her client’s bulge pushing against her.

Veronica loved everything about kissing Alex, but as the two made out, she couldn’t shake a dark feeling that something wasn’t right. Just as Alex began squeezing her ass, she realized what was bothering her. Her eyes shot open, and she brought their current kiss to a halt. Pulling away from Alex's embrace, she raised a hand to the man's chest as she gave him a serious look.

“Hang on,” she said to the man, who was looking at her with a furrowed brow. “We’ve got to stop right now.”

“What?” Alex asked. “Why?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Veronica asked in reply. “Alex, you paid me to make repairs to your house. I’m a professional handywoman. Those repairs aren’t even done yet, and look at what we’re doing. I’m really sorry, but I got caught up in how sexy you are, and I let myself get carried away. We shouldn’t have been making out right now. I should be fixing your cabinet door.”

“So you’re saying you don’t want to make out with me?”

“Oh, I do. I really do. But work comes before play. I’m not saying we can’t pick this up where we left off, but I need to get these repairs done first. I hope you understand.”

Alex found himself smirking at Veronica. “So you're telling me we can still make out or fuck, but you need to finish your repair work first?”

“Kind of. Yes, absolutely to the making out after I finish my work. That part was correct. Believe me when I say I can’t wait to get my work done so we can have a little fun before I go home. But because you brought it up, I should be clear: I don't have sex with my clients. It’s nothing personal, but I’m married, and that’s just a line I don’t cross.”

Alex let out a laugh. “I see,” he chuckled as he took Veronica by the hand. “Come with me. I must show you something.”

Before Veronica could respond, Alex turned and led the woman out of the kitchen. He marched her down the hall, straight into the living room, and in front of the television.

“Stand here,” he said, letting go of her hand and walking over to his easy chair.

Veronica looked at the man quizzically as he leaned down to pick up his smartphone from the seat. He tapped the screen a few times, and suddenly the TV sprung to life. The woman’s eyes shot from where Alex was standing to the screen just as it began playing another round of vivid, colorful swirling patterns. The TV’s speakers came to life, too, releasing a soft, comforting white noise.

Veronica found herself becoming more and more spellbound as her eyes followed the swirls on the screen. The colors and sounds were captivating, holding her attention so deeply that she couldn’t have looked away if she’d wanted to. Of course, she didn’t want to look away. All she wanted was to keep watching the swirls and listening to the noise. That was...