The Carpenter

Max grinned broadly, accepting the praise gratefully.

"Honestly," Diana continued, "it's like you work even harder when I'm not here. Do I distract you or something?" She smiled and winked.

"Maybe a little," Max admitted bravely, referring of course strictly to the long lunches.

Diana laughed heartily. "I do apologise! Pardon me for enjoying your company and wanting to spoil you a little. But I'll get out of your hair. As you were..."

Max snickered as she turned back to her work. Diana disappeared into the house and came back out a little while later in one of those wrap-around shawls women wore on the beach; Max had no idea what they were called but she did know they hid all the good bits. She sucked in her breath imagining what bits Diana's shawl was hiding.

She didn't need to wait long to see: Diana pulled one of sun beds into the shade and, with a flourish, dropped the shawl to reveal a simple yellow bikini that made her looked incredibly tanned.

Max's breath stopped as she watched Diana lie down on the sun bed, stretching out her endless legs and giving a small sigh of satisfaction. It seemed to Max that the woman had a carefully planned scale of increasing distraction and temptation in store for her.

If she wanted Max's attention, she'd have it. How could she not stop and stare? Max let her eyes roam over the perfect body: the long and shapely legs, the flat belly, the ample breasts. Diana was wearing her sunglasses so Max couldn't see her eyes, but she seemed to be completely ignoring Max. She picked up her book and started reading, seemingly obvious to the effect her scarcely clad beauty was having on the world around her.

Max looked at her a moment longer, before regretfully tearing her eyes away and turning back to the lattice she'd thought to be pretty until a moment ago. It paled in comparison to Diana's body; everything did. Stealing a glance every now and then, Max tried to focus. What was this woman doing to her?

To make matters worse, Diana decided to take a dip in the pool; a fact to which Max was alerted by the sound of a subtle splash. She looked over to see Diana surfacing, stroking back her long dark hair in true beach babe style. Max whimpered. Too much.

Diana spent some time swimming back and forth in the pool and Max longed more than anything to join her. She was hot and uncomfortable, squirming slightly to avoid the touch of her now wet boxers.

Diana elegantly lifted herself out of the pool and walked up to where Max was working. Max held her breath and pretended not to notice. Diana disappeared into the kitchen, swaying her hips when she walked past. Max forced herself to look at her hands and not at Diana's backside. It took all her effort to keep pretending she was working.

Her pretence was blown when Diana re-emerged from the kitchen. She stopped right in front of Max. Her wet body dripped on the planks around Max; on her jeans; on the bare skin of her hands.

Max looked up to see Diana grinning down at her wickedly. She knew exactly the effect she was having on Max; of this Max had no doubt. Small goose bumps covered her skin from the change in temperature and her hardened nipples strained against the yellow fabric that covered them. Max imagined sliding her thumbs over them; taking them between her fingers, rolling them, pinching them.

"Are you going to take this from me, or not?" Diana asked her, snapping her back to reality. She hadn't even noticed the cold beer Diana was holding. She hesitated and Diana filled in: "I know, I know, you don't drink on the job, but it's already open..."

She was truly evil, in the most infuriatingly enticing way. Max rolled her eyes at her and accepted the beer.

"Join me," Diana said, as she sway-walked back to the pool.

This time Max couldn't avoid staring at the gorgeous round backside. The bikini bottoms left it partly exposed, like two perfect half-moons. Max again marvelled at the effects of the yoga and whatever else Diana did to her body.

She knew being in close proximity to Diana now would be dangerously tempting. She wasn't sure she could handle it. "I can't," she called to Diana. "Still on the clock."

"Yes, my clock. I'm the one paying you, remember? I'll still pay you. Come have a beer with me."

Max was running out of excuses. "You'll pay me for my company?" She tried jokingly. "There are other businesses that specialise in that."

Diana laughed loudly. "Ah come on, Max. Don't be a spoil sport. I'll let you go back to work soon, I promise."

Grumbling in pretend reluctance, Max got up and walked to where Diana had settled down again on her sun bed. She pulled up a chair and touched her beer bottle to Diana's before taking a sip. The beer actually tasted really good after a hard day of work in the sunshine.

"Good, right?" Diana read her facial expression.

Max nodded. She wished she was wearing sunglasses too. Then she could hide what she didn't want Diana to see, like the fact that she was secretly enjoying this little break, and the fact that her eyes kept roaming over Diana's chest.

"You must be so hot in those jeans."

Max was roasting but there was no way she was taking off any item of clothing in Diana's presence.

As if reading her mind, Diana added: "You're welcome to have a quick dip in the pool, if you like." Max couldn't see her eyes behind her sunglasses as she said this, but Max imagined they were sparkling maliciously.

"I'm okay. I don't get hot that easily," Max lied, hoping the sweat she could feel on her forehead wouldn't choose that moment to drip down her face.

"Suit yourself. The offer is there. It's lovely and cool," Diana said. "In fact, I think I'll go back in. I'm really hot."

That she was, Max thought secretly. Diana lowered herself in, sighing: "Ah, yes, that's much better."

She then put her hands on the edge where Max was sitting and lifted herself partly out of the water, pushing her breasts together with her arms; deliberately, certainly.

Max allowed herself one glance at the appearing cleavage. Diana was asking for it, after all. She was practically begging Max to ravish her with her eyes. Max felt another rush of excitement in her lower body and shifted in her seat.

"Are you sure you don't want to come in?" Diana was asking, pushing off and floating away on her back, her beautiful belly now the eye catcher.

"Positive. I better get back to work," Max said resolutely, feeling her resolve crumble. If Diana asked one more time, she'd jump in, clothes and all. And if that happened, she'd give no guarantees on what else would happen.

So despite Diana's protests, Max continued working for a little while longer, before leaving slightly earlier than she'd planned. She'd had enough temptation for one day. It was time to go home and finally relieve some of the tension that had been building all day. Max was ashamed to admit that she barely made it to her bedroom.

* * * * *

The next day Max felt calmer, as if the overnight break from Diana - and probably the incisive masturbation - had recharged her for a new day of resisting Diana's advances.

When Diana told her she'd taken the day off and was going shopping for a few hours, Max made great progress with her remaining fencing panels without letting her mind wander too much towards her sexy client. However, she was well aware that Diana would come back eventually and that would be a whole other kettle of fish.

It was early afternoon when Diana returned. Max had only just gone back to work after a quick snack from the well-stocked fridge. Diana had both hands full of shopping bags and looked quite satisfied with her haul.

"Did you buy up the whole mall?" Max teased.

"I needed a few things," Diana retorted. "I hadn't gone shopping in ages. I don't usually have the time."

"Find anything nice then?" Max couldn't imagine what a woman like Diana would need. It seemed she had everything already.

"Oh yes. My best find was a gorgeous lingerie set," Diana replied with her characteristic naughty grin.

Max mouth went dry. Why did she have to ask? Her reprieve hadn't lasted long. She tried desperately hard not to picture Diana in sexy lingerie but did not succeed.

"That will be a nice surprise for your husband when he comes home," she said, full of hope that that was its intended purpose.

Diana scoffed. "He wouldn't even notice." Fortunately she didn't elaborate on if she'd had others in mind that would notice.

"And I also got this..." She pulled an item out of a bag and held it behind her back. Max looked on nervously. What was she up to now?

What she produced was a dark grey baseball cap with a white logo; Vans, one of Max's favourite brands.

"It's for you," Diana clarified.

Max was lost for words. Diana had bought something for her? Why? "I can't accept that," she stammered.

"Why not? Don't you like it? I was worried about getting the wrong baseball team so I thought something more neutral. They had a gorgeous Gucci one that would look great on you, but I figured this was more your style."

She had put so much thought into this. Max pictured her in the store, umming and ahing over which cap to get, for her. It was incredibly sweet, but also kind of strange and inappropriate. What if she expected something in return?

"It's just that... I can't accept gifts from my clients. It's... company policy," Max improvised.

"Company policy? You and your brother have a company policy?" Diana chuckled in disbelief. Max nodded vigorously.

"Nonsense. Think of it as part of your tip."

She took a step closer to Max. Max got a waft of her perfume and barely dared to breathe. Diana was so close. Max was worried the woman would hear her racing heartbeat.

Diana slowly lifted the Nailed It cap off her head. Max was acutely aware of how flat and sweaty her short hair must look.

"Besides, we're slowly becoming friends, wouldn't you say?" Diana continued as she put the new cap on Max's head. It was a perfect fit and felt comfortable.

Max didn't reply. 'Friendship' was not how she would describe what was slowly developing between the two of them.

"There. That's much better," Diana concluded with a satisfied smile, looking at Max as if she was child she'd just dressed, or an artwork she'd created.

"You didn't like this one?" Max asked jokingly, holding up her company cap.

"The nail seems a bit manic, if you ask me." Max laughed. Diana had hit the nail on the head there.

"You should wear it. It looks good on you."

"I will," Max promised. "Thank you."

There was an awkward silence, which had never happened before. Then Diana said: "Right. Well, I'm roasting. I'm going to have a dip."

Another afternoon of Diana in bikini then. Max tried to brace herself while Diana was changing into her bathing suit inside. This time she didn't even bother with the shawl and strolled straight past Max in nothing but the yellow bikini.

The effect was less of a shock than the day before, as Max now knew what to expect. Yes, she was certain she'd never get bored of that view. Her husband must be mental if he didn't even notice her anymore.

Diana spent some time cooling off in the pool, before emerging and dragging her sun bed out of the shade this time. Clearly, she planned to do some sunbathing. Max really should have expected what happened next. Yet, she wasn't prepared in the slightest.

"Max," Diana called in a sing-songy voice.

Max looked up to see her rubbing sunscreen onto her long legs. It was one thing to see all the naked skin, but to see her hands rubbing it so deliberately made Max's head spin.

"Come over here for a moment," Diana was saying.

Max's heart dropped as realisation hit her. "Erm, I'm kind of in the middle of something," she called back, trying to buy some precious time.

"I need you to put some sunscreen on my back. I can't reach it." Diana said it so matter-of-factly, as if it was the most normal request to her builder.

She couldn't reach? She must have managed on other days when she had no builder around.

"My hands are dirty."

"Just come here for a moment, Max. I don't like yelling."

It wasn't a request. This was a woman who was used to getting what she wanted, and Max wasn't giving it to her. Max sensed it wouldn't end well for her if she kept refusing. She got up reluctantly and walked over, making a point of wiping her hands on her jeans, even though they weren't really dirty.

Diana handed her the bottle of sunscreen and lay down flat on her stomach. There was no doubt in her mind Max was going to comply.

"I'd really rather not...," Max stammered, clean out of excuses.

Diana propped herself up on her elbows. "Come on, Max. Don't be a baby. You don't want me to burn, do you?"

The corners of her mouth curved up slightly as if she was trying to keep her victory grin at bay. She knew she had won. Max was already here, holding the sunscreen.

Max sighed and squirted some of the cream into her hand, before taking a big breath and laying her hand on Diana's upper back. Her skin felt warm from the sun and was soft and smooth. Max tried to clear her mind; forget whose back it was she was rubbing. She spread the sunscreen evenly over the areas she could reach above and below the bikini strap, being careful not to venture anywhere near the sides or too far down.

"Make sure you get the edges. They burn the quickest." Diana was on to her.

Max did another pass at the edge of her bikini bottoms, this time pulling the fabric back ever so slightly so she could make sure she'd gone far enough.

Her eyes wandered to the evenly formed domes that were right next to her hands, within her grasp. She wondered if Diana had managed to get the cream onto the exposed parts of her buttocks. They would certainly burn fast. Should she ask? Should she just lather some on, just in case?

Max suddenly snapped out of her thoughts. She was actually considering touching her client's ass, or asking her if she could touch it. Inappropriate didn't even begin to describe it.

She instead focussed her attentions higher: she wasn't sure if she'd reached everywhere around the bikini strap. She put some more sunscreen on her hand and slipped it underneath the strap, making sure it got everywhere. In their diligence, her hands moved dangerously close to side boob area, as if they had a life of their own. Max rushed them back to safer grounds.

"Just untie it...," Diana's muffled voice said. She was lying on her arms, clearly utterly relaxed.

"What?" Max asked, slightly shocked.

"The strap. Untie it. I don't want a line there."

"Right..."

Max knew deep within that she shouldn't; that she should stop and walk away. But who was she to deny Diana an even and lineless tan? The request wasn't that strange, when she looked at it that way.

Max's fingers trembled as she untied the knot. It was difficult: the fabric was wet and the knot had tightened itself.

"Ha, got ya," she said triumphantly when the two strings finally fell on either side of Diana's body.

When the fabric that had covered the sides of Diana's breasts slid down with them, Max realised what she'd done. If Diana were to turn over now... Max wouldn't put it past her.

As if to prevent her from doing just that, Max brought her hands back to Diana's back and rubbed it powerfully, pushing down on her. She wasn't going anywhere.

"Almost done...," she said, justifying her actions.

"Hmmmm, that's nice...," Diana moaned in return.

Max's mind went blank. Her hands made their way to Diana's shoulders and started massaging them; her fingers digging deep into the muscle. She wasn't sure what she was doing. There certainly wasn't a whole lot of technique to it but judging by the noises Diana was making, she was enjoying it.

Max thought she could actually feel her loosening up slowly. Was this what they meant when they talked about knots in muscles? Max had no idea, but she knew that it felt great to make Diana feel good. She would happily be here all afternoon, if she had the choice.

But, she remembered, she still had work to finish. She slowly retreated. Diana didn't even look up or protest; she seemed to be putty in the sunshine. Perhaps she'd even gone to sleep.

Max focussed on doing the bits of work that didn't make too much noise, reluctant to wake Diana, if indeed she had gone to sleep. Appraising her work, she realised she had too much work left for the remainder of the day.

She'd let herself be taken from her work too much this week. As a result, she wouldn't be able to finish early after all and would have to finish the job on Saturday. It was alright, though. She was still well within her original time estimate. Half a day tomorrow and the job would be done. Whistling softly to herself, she laboured on.

"Max?" Diana's voice sounded a bit groggy. It appeared she really had drifted off. "Are you going to be finishing that today?"

Diana was sitting upright on her sun bed and had, thankfully, retied her bikini top. She was looking over at her new sundeck, which had its deck in place and was surrounded by the remaining pieces: the pillars and fence panels, which were all finished. It was just a matter of installing those, but to do this carefully would take some time.

"No, I'm afraid not. I'll have a bit more to do tomorrow, if you're still happy for me to come back on a Saturday?"

"In that case, you're done for the day," Diana stated resolutely. "Grab us a beer from the fridge, will you?"

Max chuckled. Clearly she wasn't even the boss over her own work schedule anymore. But the client's wish was her command. She was pleased with the day's progress anyway, and she was tired.

"Thank you for the massage, by the way," Diana said a little while later, as they sat next to each other on the sun bed.

"God, you are talented with your hands," she sighed. "I mean obviously, but multi-talented. What else can you do with those hands?" She smiled and took a sip of her beer.

Max studied her. Somehow, the sight of a woman drinking beer from a bottle had always been enticing to her. There was something so no-nonsense about it; so 'cool chick'. It was such a stark contrast with the prim and proper business-Diana that Max wondered if she was finally seeing the real Diana. If so, she liked the real Diana.

Diana's long, slender fingers were suddenly on her arm, tracing the well-defined outline of her bicep. It sent a shiver down Max's spine.

"You're so strong," Diana said reflectively, as if as much to herself as to Max. "Do you work out?"

Her fingers still trailed up and down over Max bicep, barely touching. It was giving Max goose bumps and she involuntarily flexed her muscle, making Diana utter a small sound of impressed surprise.

Stand down, show-off. "No. The job is my workout. I'm carrying and lifting things and working with tools all day. I guess that's enough to keep in shape."

Max took another sip of her beer, trying to come across casual, and realised it was the last sip. That beer had gone down way too quickly and Max felt a bit light-headed. She hadn't eaten a lot and probably hadn't had enough water either.

"I'll say," Diana said with a big grin as she walked off without explanation. Max was too distracted by the view to ask where she was going.

A moment later, she came back with two more beers and handed Max hers, before setting her own on the edge of the pool and lowering herself in.

"Are you going to make me redo that sunscreen?" Max joked, watching her immerse her body into the cool water.

"You wish!" Diana called back. "But I will make you get in this pool."

Max shook her head, more out of habit than that she really stood by the answer. The day was a scorcher; there wasn't any wind or cloud and the sun was beating down relentlessly on the thick fabric of her jeans.