Page 7 of Loving Jared

Five

Jared checked his watch. 2:15 pm. He looked around the job site, hands on his hips. Everything was running smooth. He checked in with security earlier and they were in good shape too. Jared decided to knock off early, go home, sit on his deck, and have a beer.

He told himself that his decision to leave early had absolutely nothing to do with his hot next-door neighbour. He worked long hours and never took time off for himself. Now, he was going to take a much-needed break.

He pulled his bike over at the liquor store on his way home and grabbed a six pack. He’d barbecue himself a burger and have a couple of beers. It would be just like relaxing, something he didn't do often.

He forced himself not to look at the house next door as he climbed off his bike and made his way up the driveway and into his house. He shoved the six pack in the fridge, taking one out and putting it in the freezer. Then he ran up the stairs to the second floor, stripped off his clothes and took a hot shower.

Grinning he shook his head, sending water droplets flying everywhere. It felt good playing hooky for a few hours.

He pulled on a pair of loose gym shorts and then went back downstairs, taking the steps two at a time. It was a gorgeous day out, warm and sunny with a slight breeze to stop it from being too hot. The perfect day for some alone time in his yard.

Jared grabbed the beer from his freezer, now ice cold. He popped the top, grabbed his phone and headed out to the deck. The beer made it about halfway to his lips when his gaze strayed over to the neighbouring backyard.

He froze.

Sprawled out on her stomach on a lawn chair was Amy Funk. The perfectly rounded globes of her ass visible in the teeny tiny rainbow-coloured bikini bottoms she was wearing. The smooth skin of her back was glistening with lotion, the ties to her bikini top were undone and trailing down the sides of the lawn chair. Her dark hair was piled on top of her head. Even from the distance he was standing, he could tell that her eyes were closed and her breathing was slow and even. She appeared to be asleep. He frowned. She could get sunburnt.

It wasn't his job to make sure she didn't get a sunburn. He paced his deck, watching her, waiting for any signs of life. Should he go over and insist she cover up and get inside? How long had she been out there roasting in the sun? Didn’t she know that skin cancer was one of the most prevalent silent killers? Okay, Jared didn’t actually know if that was true, but he wasn’t willing for Amy to risk it.

After ten more minutes of no movement, Jared decided he better investigate. He downed half of his beer in one long gulp, set it on the table, wiped his mouth with his hand and strode down the steps to his lawn. The grass was spongy and soft beneath his feet. It felt good stepping on the cool blades. Another thing he hadn't done in a long time.

He made his way to the fence, pulled himself up and launched himself over, landing on the other side as quietly as if he were jungle cat. His grin grew wide and predatory as he approached the sleeping woman sprawled out on her lawn chair.

He kneeled down next to her, looking into her face. She looked like an angel when she slept. Her slack lips were turned downward ever so slightly and her cheek was buried in the crook of her arm. Wisps from the messy bun on top of her head were floating lazily in the breeze, drifting across her cheek and shoulder.

Jared could do one of two things here. Wake her up and check on her or let her keep sleeping and hope to god that she rolled over so he could see her glorious breasts spill out of the untied bikini. Before Jared could choose, Amy chose for him. Her black eyelashes fluttered and then lifted slowly revealing deep bottomless hazel eyes. Not green, not blue, not brown, but somewhere in between, they were the kind of eyes a man could climb inside and stay forever.

Damn, that was almost romantic. Not something Jared was known for.

Amy blinked sleepily up at him, her gaze still foggy and far away. Reality came to her slowly, but when it did, she gasped and jerked back on her lounger. Jared was disappointed when her hand dropped to her chest to clutch at her bikini top. A top that barely contained the full glory of her chest.

"J-Jared?" she stuttered, smothering a yawn. "What are you doing here?"

She looked around as though her backyard might provide some answers.

"Checking on you." Jared pushed himself back onto his ass and brought his knees up, slinging his arms across his upraised legs. “Saw you were asleep out here. I was worried you were gonna get burned."

Amy reached behind herself and retied her bikini top. Though it was a shame that she wouldn't be showing him those glorious breasts, he was impressed at the deftness of her fingers. He guessed that she did this often.

"I’m wearing SPF 60 and I don't really burn very easily, but thanks for your concern." The tiny frown between her brows told him that she didn't really appreciate his concern.

"You do this often?” he asked. “Sunbathe?”

How the fuck had he not noticed her prancing around her yard in a bikini before? He really needed to spend more time at home looking out his windows. Or he needed to buy glasses.

She shrugged. "As often as I can. I love the sun and when I come home from work, I'm usually pretty sleepy. I like to take a nap before the kids get home from school."

"You worked today?" He was surprised. It was only mid-afternoon.

"Yeah, I start work at 5. My shift ends at 1:30 and I usually get home around 2. I try to sleep for about an hour so that I'm fresh to make supper and help with homework."

"Jesus, that's early," Jared said. "I work a lot of hours, and I don't even get up that early. Where do you work?"

"The factory." She shifted as she spoke and dropped her eyes.

He knew right away what she was talking about, where she worked and why she might be embarrassed to admit it. A popular TV dinner company ran a factory outside of their town. Many of the lower income, less skilled workers got jobs there. Jared didn't like the idea that Amy was getting up so early in the morning to go to work.

---