All throughout the day, my thoughts have wandered to Avery and that’s not a good thing when you’re up one hundred fifty feet in the air in a bucket with a chainsaw in your hands. Thankfully, the team of guys who work for me were there to pull me back to the present.

Good Wood is growing at a fast pace - faster than I can handle. I’m gonna have to find someone to take over the managerial aspects as soon as possible. I can’t be everywhere at once and Maria, the part time secretary I hired to answer the phone and set up appointments, is moving

and wants time to pack and visit with family prior to leaving. I need to get my ass in gear and find a full time replacement.

By the time five o’clock rolls around and I pull into my driveway, I’m starving and covered from head to toe in a combination of wood shavings and dirt. Pulling into my garage, I groan, already anticipating the hot shower I’ll be taking shortly. Climbing out of my truck, I brush away the shavings leftover on the seat. This truck is my baby and I do my best to keep her looking sharp.

Stepping inside the mudroom I built to connect the garage and the house, I immediately kick my boots off. Stripping down to my boxers, I grab my phone out of my jeans pocket and throw the dirty clothes in the laundry basket in the corner. The main function of this small space is to keep me from tracking all the debris of my work into my own home. I built a storage closet that runs down one whole side and this is where I keep my work gear. Multiple pairs of work boots line the bottom and everything from hats and gloves to extra safety goggles are inside.

The mudroom is right off my large kitchen, more than convenient when you’re dying for a cold brew after work. Setting my keys and phone down, I grab a Heineken from the fridge. I pop off the cap with the bottle opener that permanently resides on my butcher block counter. The icy cold liquid hits the spot as I gulp down half the bottle. Picking up my phone, I order enough pizza to feed a small army and add a salad for Avery because she seems too uptight to eat pizza. She probably only eats ‘healthy foods.’

After I’ve showered and dressed in some black basketball shorts, a gray t-shirt and slides, I head across the street. I try the doorknob on the front door and find it unlocked as usual. I shake my head as I step inside. There’s no sign of anyone. “Luce,” I call out, but there’s no answer. I wander from room to room and still no indication anyone’s home. If it wasn’t for her car being in the driveway and the door being unlocked I’d think nothing of it. But she never goes out without locking up. “Luce,” I call out a little louder, but all is silent. Climbing the stairs, I wander down the hallway glancing in each open doorway as I pass. I’m about halfway down when the closed door next to me flies open and a wet object plows into me.

“Eek,” a high pitched shriek leaves Avery as my arms wrap around her waist, catching her. I tug her closer to me, taking advantage of her off balance state. My eyes take her in from her dripping wet slicked back hair to her black bikini clad body and my dick reacts. Damn, she’s got a gorgeous rack and it’s pressed against my chest right now. I can feel her nipples through the damp material of my t-shirt. My hands move from the small of her back, down lower to grip her hips. I want to pull her into the raging hard on she’s given me.

A drop of water falls from the ends of her hair to trail down her chest and I catch it with my fingertip just as it’s about to disappear in the valley between her tits. She gasps at my touch. I suck the moisture from my finger. “Wet - just how I like my women,” I say with a wink.

She trembles for a moment and then narrows her eyes. “Let go,” she orders, using the heels of her hands to shove against my chest.

I let my hands fall away and she takes two steps back. Her mouth drops open and her green eyes open wide as she stares at my chest. Lowering my chin, I glance down to see what has her so horrified. I bark out a laugh when I see two wet circles on my shirt from where her tits were pressed into me.

She whirls around, running into the bedroom behind her and slams the door. I remain there, hands on my hips and grin. I got to see Avery wet and in a bikini. This day is quickly improving.

As I make my way down the stairs, I hear the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. Grabbing the money from my pocket, I open the front door to find the pizza delivery guy walking up the brick path with his hands full. I relieve him of his burden, handing off the money before I nudge the door closed with my shoulder. I carry it all out to Lucy’s back deck and place it on the round table. The sound of splashing and giggling hits my ears and I smile. Jeremiah loves to swim. I swear the kid is part fish.

“Hey, dinner’s here,” I shout in their direction.

“Wes,” Jeremiah shouts, excitedly. “Wes is here, mom.” He runs up the steps to exit the inground pool.

Lucy follows behind him at a more reasonable pace. “Wes, you didn’t have to do this,” she says, her voice holds more than a hint of scolding in it. She doesn’t like me doing things for her, but that never stops me. I feel sorry for what she’s been through and maybe there’s also a sense of obligation there because my best friend was the one who ran out on her. If he’s not man enough to look out for them, then someone has to and right now I’m her only option. Not that spending time with them is a hardship. I love her kid and Lucy’s become a good friend to me.

I set plates, forks and knives out on the table. “Jer, what do you want, buddy?”

“I want threeee pieces of bacon pizza,” he sings. I chuckle and mess up his hair with my hand. “Gotcha.”

“How about you start with one slice and if you want a second you can have it?” Lucy questions, before she steps inside the house.

Shaking my head, I place a slice on his plate and mumble “women,” before handing him a napkin. Avery comes outside, moving around the table to the opposite side from where I stand. I know she’s trying to keep distance between us, but she just made it even easier for me to look at her. “Would you like some pizza?” I ask, gesturing at the numerous boxes. “I also got salad in case you prefer that.”

Her eyes flicker with surprise and she chews on her bottom lip. Her cheeks are pink and it makes me wonder if she’s embarrassed about what happened. Glancing down at my shirt, I notice it’s still slightly wet. When my gaze moves back up it catches hers and I flash her a smirk. She appears annoyed as she flops down into a chair. Continuing to ignore me, she begins opening the boxes and checking out the different kinds of pizza I ordered. She chooses two slices of sausage and then adds some salad to her plate.

“So, you like sausage?” I ask, a smile teasing the corners of my mouth. I really like pushing her buttons. It might quickly become one of my favorite things to do.

“I love it,” she says, winking at me. Her eyes fall closed when she takes the first bite. A sexy as hell moan falls out of her mouth as she chews and it gives me a semi. Or maybe it’s the fact that she gave back as good as she got that’s turning me on. There’s no better aphrodisiac to me than verbal sparring and I’d have to give the point to Avery on this round.