Page 8 of Loving Jared

"You on the assembly line?"

She picked at a loose thread on her lawn chair and didn't look at him as she nodded. Even worse. She had one of the worst jobs at the factory. Monotonous, boring, low-paid with no opportunities for advancement.

As if she could sense Jared's thoughts, she defended herself, "I had to start working straight out of high school. There's not much choice when you’re young and don't have any experience. I was lucky to get a job there. It puts food on the table."

"I'm not judging you, Amy. What you're doing here is admirable. I just don't like the idea of you working at a place like that." He admitted his thoughts out loud. Why not? The more time he spent around Amy, the more his thoughts seem to center around her.

"Then it's a good thing you're not my parents," she replied with a smirk.

"What would your parents have said about you getting a job like this?" As soon as the words were out of Jared's mouth, he regretted them. He’d momentarily forgotten that her mother was dead and her father was in prison. She probably didn't want to speculate on how they'd feel.

Amy surprised him. She raised a brow and continued with their playful banter. "Well, my mom definitely wouldn't have liked it. She would've wanted me to get a more cerebral job. Like in a library, or tutoring. My dad? He probably would've spanked me."

Jared's mouth fell open in shock. Had her father actually spanked her? What the fuck was wrong with this family?

Amy’s shoulders shook, then giggles began to spill from her lips. She laughed heartily at him and the expression on his face. "I don't actually know what my dad would've said. He didn't spend a lot of time with us, preferring to be at work or out with his drinking buddies. Honestly, I don't think he would've cared. I just wanted to see your face when I suggested someone might spank me."

"And that tells me just how badly you really do need to be spanked, baby."

The laughter fled from their faces, and they stared at each other. Attraction sizzled through the air. Her skin, smooth except for a light sheen of sunscreen and sweat, pimpled with goosebumps. Jared was glad he was sitting the way he was; it hid the raging boner that was rapidly tenting his shorts.

"I shouldn't have said that." He didn't regret it though. She might be young, but her body was fully grown, and her circumstances had forced her to mature beyond her years. Now he was discovering she had a sense of humour to go with that wicked little body. Jared was falling hard and fast. It wasn't going to take much to push him over the edge.

"It's okay," she whispered.

"Have dinner with me tonight."

Her eyes widened, but they didn't leave his face. "I can't. I have to feed my sisters and brother."

"See to them then. After, have dinner with me. Are they old enough to be alone for a few hours if you're just next door?" He was being pushy, but he couldn't help himself. He wanted nothing more in the world than to spend more time with Amy.

Amy nodded. "Yeah, they are. As long as I check on them."

"Then you're coming over." He didn't give her an option.

Still, she denied him. "I can't."

Jared frowned. He didn't date often. In fact, he almost never dated. The last time was over a year ago when he'd taken out Vince and Jenna's nanny. Sharon had been a nice enough woman, but they'd had nothing in common. They talked a couple of times and then called it done.

Amy was different. Jared definitely wanted to fuck her, but he also wanted more. He wanted to see into her head, see how she worked. He wanted to take her under his wing, protect her and keep her near. He never had these feelings before, but he wasn't going to question them. He’d lived a satisfying solitary existence up until now. Somehow, though, he sensed that Amy was going to change that.

"Tell me what's stopping you. I'll fix it."

Amy shifted uncomfortably on the lounger, then huffed in annoyance. She clearly didn't want to explain herself. Too fucking bad. He wanted to know why she couldn't hang out with him, and then he wanted to fix it so that she could.

Finally, she admitted her hesitation. "I can't come over because I have to work my other job."

Jared frowned. "What other job? How many jobs do you have?"

He knew he was sounding like a dick, but he couldn't stop himself. She was obviously working herself into exhaustion if she had to take naps and work at 5:00 am.

Amy pushed herself off the lounger, reached for her towel and stood. She wrapped the towel underneath her armpits, covering most of her body.

"The factory doesn't pay enough to cover all of our bills. I work a… telemarketing job in the evenings. That way I can work from home, still take care of the kids and have enough money to cover everything."

Jared pushed off the ground and stood across from Amy, his arms over his chest, his biceps bulging. Her eyes drifted down his body, lingering for a split second on his crotch where his cock was still pressed hard against his gym shorts. He smirked and gave her tiny nod when her gaze met his. She blushed a deep crimson and looked away.

"You're working too hard. I don't like it."

She shrugged. "Again, you aren’t my parents. I have no choice but to work. If that's all, I'm going inside now." She turned her back and headed toward the house.

"For now."

Jared's deep voice stopped her. She glanced over her shoulder. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

"It means, that's all, for now. Later…" His gaze drifted down her body, landing on her red painted toenails and then travelling back that to meet her eyes. "Later, I'll be wanting a whole lot more."

She fled into the house and Jared left the yard, grinning.

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