Full Potential

by L. J. Kentowski

“You got it, boss.”

  When Tyler looked down again, Riley was trying desperately to hold back a laugh while Jena elbowed her in the side.

  “How much longer are you going to be?” Riley asked once she’d gotten control of herself.

  Dax peeked at his watch. “I didn’t realize how late it was. We’ll finish up for the day. Be down in a few minutes.”

  “Okay, I’ll start getting things ready for dinner. Zane, you want to join us? We certainly have enough.”

  “Actually, I have to get home. I’m taking Hannah to a movie tonight. But thanks for the offer.”

  “Well, raincheck, then. And bring Hannah. I could take her on the horses again.”

  “I’m sure she’d loved that.”

  The women strolled off toward the house, and Tyler watched them go, caught up in the sight of Jena’s hips swaying in the thin pants she was wearing. It was a good thing they were done roofing for the day because he wasn’t sure how focused he would be anymore. For months after she’d left Seeton, Jena had stolen his concentration. It had taken him a long time to go a day without thinking about her. She’d only been back a short time, and already his mind was easily sidetracked. He wondered how long it would take him to forget about her after she left again, not that he ever really did.

  “Red, huh?” Dax said from next to him, breaking his trance.

  Zane snickered. “Let me guess. It’s the hair, right?”

  “Shut up. Both of you.” Tyler returned to his section of the roof as Dax and Zane had their laugh. “You want to finish this up tomorrow?” he asked, hoping the change of subject would shut their traps.

  “It’s supposed to rain, I think.” Dax gathered up the tools and put them in a toolbox. “Or snow. You never know.”

  “I have Hannah all day tomorrow anyway,” Zane added.

  “And I have a thing Monday,” Dax said, rubbing his neck.

  “A thing?” Tyler asked with raised eyebrows.

  “Yeah, a thing, you nosey asshole.”

  “Okay, then, Mr. Sensitive. How about Wednesday? I have to work Tuesday.”

  Zane stood and stretched. “I’m off that day.”

  “Works for me,” Dax said.

  They secured a tarp over the work in progress and cleaned up the mess they’d made around the barn, putting the supplies they’d need to finish up on Wednesday in Dax’s garage. After throwing the tools into his truck, Tyler made his way to the farmhouse with a bag of clothes and shower essentials he’d brought to clean up before dinner. He hadn’t hesitated to accept Dax’s invitation when he’d called earlier that morning, especially when he found out Jena would be joining them. Now that he was on a mission to prove Jena’s attraction to him, he’d snatch any opportunity to spend time with her.

  As Tyler stepped into the house, Zane’s voice echoed from the kitchen, followed by female giggling. The idea of him flirting with Jena had Tyler marching into the room. A beer in hand, Zane was leaning a hip against the counter next to Jena, who was doing something in the sink. They were too close together as far as he was concerned.

  Riley noticed Tyler standing in the doorway and straightened. “Hey, Tyler. Want a beer?” She opened the fridge door. Zane glanced in Tyler’s direction, as did Jena over her shoulder, all apparently waiting for his answer.

  “Sure.” He should have declined and gone straight to the shower, but he didn’t want Zane drinking alone. Guy power, and all that. It had nothing to do with the fact Zane was a single, somewhat good-looking doctor who’d already sized Jena up in a way that made Tyler’s fists clench.

  While Riley got his beer, Tyler motioned to Zane. “Thought you had to get going? You know, to take Hannah to the movies.”

  Zane shot him a knowing smile and stepped over to the kitchen island in the center of the room. “I do. Just having one before I head out. Wanted to say goodbye to Riley and tell Jena it was nice meeting her.”

  The guy was fucking with him. Tyler made a mental note to give him all the grunt work on the rehabs for a while.

  Jena wiped her hand on a towel next to the sink and spun around. Her eyes met Tyler’s for a split second before she approached Zane and aimed a gorgeous smile his way. Tyler found it hard not to wish he was on the receiving end of it. “It was nice meeting you too, Zane,” she said. “Make sure to take pictures of that princess costume Hannah has you wearing for the movies.”

  She and Riley cracked up at the thought.

  “I told you, there’s no way I’m doing it.” Zane’s head shook back and forth vehemently.

  Tyler chuckled and took a swig from his beer. “Sounds like a good excuse to wear those pink high heels of yours.”

  Both women gaped, which was exactly the reaction he was hoping for. Zane flipped him off.

  Stretching his arms out, Tyler feigned innocence with a gleam in his eyes. “Sorry, man. Thought everyone knew.”

  “You know you stink, right? No, seriously, I can smell you from here.”

  “Weren’t you leaving?” he countered. “Or were you in need of more makeup tips?”

  “Okay, boys, that’s enough.” Riley walked up to Tyler and sniffed. “Zane’s right, Tyler. You do stink. Get your ass in the shower. You’re not coming near dinner smelling like that. Dax already showered, so the bathroom’s open.”

  “How the hell did he shower so fast?”

  Riley winked. “He had help.”

  “Now, I’m even more disappointed in how fast he showered. You know there are pills to help him prolong stuff like that, right? You can slip them in his beer if he’s too embarrassed about it.”

  “Shut up, Tyler, and get in the shower,” Riley said with a laugh.

  Then, without thinking, he reached across the island counter and grabbed Jena’s hand, a devious grin taking hold of his lips. “Hey, Red, how about some help? We could show them how it’s really done.”

  Jena gasped, her face turning a dark shade of the pet name he’d assigned her. But she didn’t pull from his grasp, so he teased the top of her hand with a thumb and winked. She stared back at him, and for a moment his heart skipped, thinking she just might take him up on it, but then she snatched her hand away and glared. When she opened her mouth, about to unleash verbal hell on him, he shot his hands in the air and backed away.

  “Okay, I’m out,” he said.

  Jena growled as he turned to leave the room.

  “Good call, G.Q. Smooth,” Riley said as she helped him out of the kitchen with a gentle shove.

  He was headed toward the stairs near the living room, laughing, when Zane called out to stop him.

  “Hey, man, I forgot to tell you. Melissa was asking me about you. Said she’s been trying to get a hold of you, but you haven’t called her back.”

  Tyler glanced toward the kitchen. Jena was close enough to hear every word, and as much as she wanted to appear as if she weren’t listening, he knew her curiosity was getting the better of her. Good to know.

  “So, what, you’re her messenger service?”

  “Hell, no. I want her to stop asking. I don’t want to be in the middle of your shit with her.”

  Tyler raised his eyes to the ceiling. Melissa was a nurse at the clinic. They’d hooked up a couple of times, but he’d made it clear there couldn’t be anything more between them. And there hadn’t been for months. She’d seemed fine with the arrangement, but obviously, he was going to need to make it clearer. “There is no shit with her.” He put a hand through his hair. “Fine. I’ll call her, okay?”

  “Do that,” Zane said as he left.

  Tyler was halfway up the stairs when he noticed a flash of movement behind him. He peeked over his shoulder and saw Jena marching fast toward the living room. Jumping from the steps, he grabbed her wrist and whirled her around until she had no choice but to latch onto his shirt to stay upright. Not that he’d let her fall, which was why he had his hands on her hips, holding her tight against him. Okay, maybe there was more motive behind that move, but he was a guy, and it came na
turally.

  “Tyler, what the hell are you doing?” she whispered, in a yelling kind of way.

  He laughed, knowing she was trying to be quiet so as not to be caught in such a position.

  Tightening his hold on her, he joined their bodies, chest to thigh, emphasis on the good parts, while he took a nibble of her neck. The moan she emitted told him how he affected her. While his was an assumption, she would have no problem knowing how he was impacted with the big guy boasting loud and proud between them.

  “Hmmm…looks like I might have gotten some of my stink on you,” he said. “You should probably shower with me now.”

  Jena pushed at his chest. He let her go with a chuckle.

  “Do you have no shame?” She wiped herself down, though there was no visible dirt on her.

  He watched, thoroughly enjoying the show. “None whatsoever.” His voice was low and seductive while his eyes zoned in on her hands as they rubbed.

  She glanced up—realized he was getting off watching her—and straightened. “Well, maybe you should. You know, for Melissa’s sake,” she said with an accusing glare.

  Before he could utter a word, she turned on her heel and left the room. The back door slammed a minute later.

  Yeah, she’d definitely heard his conversation with Zane. Tyler wondered if she knew her green eyes got even brighter when she was jealous. Another tell he could use against her.

  With each step Tyler took, he replayed her moan in his head. His smile grew wider. Other parts grew harder.

  Cold shower it is then.

  CHAPTER TEN

  The man was infuriating. Tyler really had no shame. Not only had he mauled her in the middle of the living room where anyone could see, but he’d done it right after talking with Zane about another woman. Jena hadn’t heard the entire conversation, but she was comfortable assuming the woman wasn’t a Bible study partner. He was avoiding this Melissa chick. Why? Was it because Jena was in Seeton again, and he thought he could get another piece of ass while she was in town? Did it make him feel like more of a man to have a gaggle of women pining for him? And why was she so mad about it anyway? Had she let herself believe Tyler was one of the good ones, and maybe, maybe, wanted something more than another lay from the city girl?

  No. The reason she was furious with herself was because she was weak. At the staircase, he’d played her like a fiddle, strumming her strings until she was singing vibrato, sending tremors all the way down to her toes. How weak was she? So weak she’d considered showering with him, visualizing him wet and naked under the spray…

  “Hey, you okay?” Riley asked, breaking through Jena’s mental beat down.

  “Yep. Totally clean…I mean, fine. Great.”

  Riley stared back at her, eyebrows in her hairline. “Okay,” she said, drawing the word out.

  “Food almost ready?” Jena moved near Dax by the grill before Riley had a chance to dig further. Once her friend sported a shovel, there would be no escaping until Jena found herself in a big ass hole.

  “About ten more minutes,” he told her. “Tyler still showering?”

  Christ, did every conversation with these people have to involve Tyler and a shower? “How would I know?”

  Dax eyed her in much the same way Riley had. “Um…okay. I just thought you were in the house and might have seen him around?”

  He was still looking at her as if she’d escaped a padded room, so Jena took a breath and pasted a smile on her face, one she hoped didn’t make her appear even more deranged. “No, sorry. Last I saw, he was headed upstairs.”

  “Okay, then.” When she continued to linger, Dax took a step closer to the grill. “Hey, Riles, why don’t you set the table. We’re getting close.”

  An inaudible message passed between the two, and then her friend moved into action, grabbing Jena’s arm and pulling her toward the picnic table. “Give me a hand?”

  Jena swiveled her gaze back toward Dax, but he’d opened the grill cover and was manning the steaks, doing his best to appear thoroughly engrossed in the task.

  Working in silence, Jena and Riley opened bowls of fruits, vegetables, and pasta salads, and then arranged them along the table. Once done, Jena relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings. The air was warm with a slight breeze, making the sun amidst the cloudless sky inviting. Open space as far as the eye could see created a peacefulness that settled on her skin and slowly melted away the tension she’d felt moments ago. Closing her eyes, she inhaled a deep breath of country air.

  A door slammed.

  “I’m clean,” Tyler bellowed as he sauntered across the grass, looking way too sexy in loose faded jeans and a black t-shirt. He invaded Jena’s peaceful, quiet space, and whispered in her ear. “Wanna smell me?”

  As much as she hated feeding his ego, she couldn’t resist taking in his freshly cleansed scent. The combination of fresh air and masculinity gave her the incredible urge to lick him for a sample taste. Instead, she pushed him away. “Good boy, Tyler. Want a sticker?”

  “Jesus, Tyler, what’s with you today?” Riley asked. “You’re being obnoxious.”

  “You mean that’s not normal for a boy his age?” Jena added.

  “I’ll show you—”

  “Tyler,” Dax yelled. “Stop assaulting our guest and bring me a plate for the steaks.”

  With a wicked smile, Tyler reached around Jena, purposely brushing his chest against her arm, and picked up a plate from the table. Making his way to the grill, he said, “It’s not considered assault if she likes it.”

  Jena grabbed a strawberry out of a bowl and launched it at him, smacking him in the back of the head.

  He spun and gaped at the berry. Actually, all three of them did.

  “He seemed confused about what assault was,” Jena said with a shrug. She had no idea what had come over her, possibly sexual frustration brought about by his mere presence, but she’d never admit it.

  “You shot a strawberry at me,” Tyler said, dumbfounded.

  “Wow, boy genius, two stickers in one day for you. That’s gotta be a record, right?”

  “Enough, you two,” Riley said shifting to stand between them as they glared at one another. “Can we call a truce here? Or should we let you two wrestle it out? I don’t care, as long as no more food suffers. I like my food, and I’m damned well not going to eat it off the ground.”

  “I vote for wrestling,” Dax said, raising a set of tongs in the air. “Fifty on Jena for the win.”

  Jena giggled. It was enough to break the tension in the air…at least, for her.

  Tyler, on the other hand, didn’t appear as entertained, shoving the plate he held into Dax’s stomach.

  “Come on, Jena. Let’s sit.” Riley steered her around to the other side of the table and slid the bowl of fruit away when they sat. Dax and Tyler soon joined them, bringing the steaks.

  As they ate, Riley and Dax steered the conversation toward the upcoming wedding, Beckett’s, and plans for the future. They spoke with love in their eyes and smiles on their faces. Jena stole a few glances at Tyler. Throughout the meal, he appeared lost in his own thoughts, but there were times his gaze caught hers, and she’d quickly looked away. It would be too easy to get lost in Tylerland and let everything else—Riley and Dax, the food, her plans for the future—fade away. She was determined to stick to her guns, however, and not fall into bed with him. With Tyler seemingly as determined to pull her into bed, it would be difficult. At least hearing about another woman in the picture helped the cause.

  “So, in addition to having our closest friends here for a great meal together,” Riley said as she stood, “Dax and I wanted to thank you both for being a part of our big day.” She reached underneath the picnic table, pulled out a wrapped, rectangular box, and placed it in front of Jena. They exchanged a sentimental smile. Riley glanced across the table and shot an irritated frown at Dax. “Get yours,” she said, motioning a hand at him.

  “I’m waiting for my closest friend to show up.”


  Riley grabbed a grape from the fruit bowl and chucked it at him. With a laugh, he caught it and plopped it in his mouth. Then he retrieved a box from under the table and handed it to Tyler. “Okay, you’ll do,” he said, a wide grin still in place.

  Tyler chuckled. “Just wait until your bachelor party, man.”

  “About that—” Dax started.

  “We’ll talk about it later,” Riley interrupted. “Open your gifts, guys.”

  Jena slowly peeled a piece of tape off the box.

  “Oh, my God,” Riley shouted. “Just rip it already before I do it for you.”

  “So bossy now,” she mumbled as she unwrapped and opened the box. Inside was a smoked glass frame holding a picture of her and Riley taken years ago at one of the first birthday parties they’d planned together for Events Horizon. Riley had recently closed the event-planning business. On the left-hand side of the frame was an etched inscription that read, “My Maid of Honor. Life is made up of special moments shared with someone you love. You’ve been that someone for me, and I couldn’t think of sharing this special moment with anyone else. Thank you, Jena. Love, Riley.”

  A tear slipped down Jena’s cheek as she stood and pulled Riley into a hug. “You’re that someone for me too, Riles,” she said into her hair. “Thank you.”

  “Hell, yeah,” Tyler said. “Thanks, man.”

  The women broke apart, and Jena peered over to see him holding a humidor full of cigars. He took one out and inhaled as he ran the length of it under his nose.

  “I didn’t know you smoked cigars, Tyler,” Jena said.

  “There’s a lot about me you don’t know.” He landed a steady gaze on her.

  “True.”

  Tyler stared at her for a moment longer before he put the cigar back in the humidor. “I do on special occasions.”

  An awkward silence ensued until Dax slapped Tyler on the shoulder. “Yeah, well, my wedding is one of those, and I expect you to share.”

  “You got it, man.” They did some funky handshake and ended it with a shoulder bump.

  After clearing the table and cleaning up, Jena and Riley stayed inside to work on seating arrangements and table decorations for the wedding. Dax and Tyler disappeared to do whatever it was men do together. About an hour later, Riley got a phone call from her mom, so Jena took her beer and went out on the porch. With the setting sun, the air had cooled to a perfect temperature. Resting her elbows on the thick porch rail, she leaned over and peered out into the night. The stars were dim in the sky, but there were so many more visible than at home in the city. She stared up at them, a sense of peace enveloping her.