I BET HE WAS JUST CLUTCHIN' HIS PEARLS.

"OH, YOU'RE JUST THE CUTEST THING IN THE WHOLE WORLD!" Carolina cooed as she scratched behind the small dog's ear. They were making their way toward the little girl that was missing him.

"I don't know. I think you've got little Brisket here beat," Boone said, grinning with his hands in his pockets.

"You're gonna hurt his feelings, Boone," she said, shaking her head in disapproval while continuing to comfort the terrified dog.

Soon, they found the girl, who was in near tears when Carolina handed her dog over. She ran off to find her parents and share the good news, leaving the three alone.

"Makes me miss my dog," Carolina murmured, a smile on her face. "I can only see him when I go home."

"What's his name?" Tyler asked her, throwing his arm around the shoulder while leading her to his truck. He figured it was time to take her back.

"You're gone laugh," she sighed.

"I'd never laugh at you, Darlin'," Boone promised.

She kept her eyes down while speaking. "His name is Frodo. From Lord of the Rings."

To Boone's credit, he didn't laugh. He thought it was terribly cute. But Tyler did laugh, and so she shoved his arm off her shoulder and scoffed while walking ahead of them.

He quickly chased after her, holding her from behind while grinning. "Come on, baby. Don't be like that."

She let out a 'humf' and kept going, slipping out of his hold again, them following behind her pathetically toward the truck. Only to be intercepted by Scott, who kept his eyes only on Carolina.

"Hey, Care," he greeted, him stepping closer than the two others would've liked. "Javi says you need a ride back to the motel. I'm heading out if you wanna come with."

Carolina smiled sweetly at him, him matching the smile, thinking she was gonna agree. "That's nice of—"

Tyler didn't even give her the chance to turn him down as he spoke up. "We're already taking her over there. You don't gotta worry about it."

Carolina looked at Scott's disappointed face and nodded. "Thank you for offering, though. It was sweet of you."

"Right," he said stiffly. "Stay safe."

"Oh, we'll take good care of her," Boone said with a smug smirk.

Scott rolled his eyes and turned around, heading off toward his car and leaving them alone. Carolina raised an eyebrow and faced the other two.

"I can speak for myself," she informed them.

"Well, I don't like him and his stupid face," Tyler said childishly. "Now come on. Get in the truck."

Carolina rolled her eyes but did as told. Besides, it wasn't as if they were rude to Scott, which would've actually gotten on her nerves.

Given that the truck was so tall, Boone helped her jump up into the passenger seat, his hands on her waist. Then he went around to the back seat while Tyler got behind the wheel.

Carolina took a moment to look around the truck in awe. There was all kinds of gadgets hooked up to it and buttons that did things she had no clue about.

She turned to lean her back against the door so that she could see both Tyler and Boone who was in the seat behind him. "What the hell'd you do to this truck? This is insane."

"Can't chase tornados without the appropriate equipment," Tyler said with a smirk while turning the radio on softly. 

"Like launching fireworks?" she asked with a smile. "Whose idea was that, huh?"

"It was mine," Boone said, looking down shyly. "I know it was kinda dumb."

"No, it wasn't," she insisted, getting him to look back up at her. "Boone, from way back, it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. Was the first time I wasn't scared of being so close to a tornado. You're amazing for coming up with that."

"You think so?" he asked, his cheeks burning.

"I wouldn't lie to you," she assured him.

Except she was, no matter how inadvertently. They thought she was older — it didn't matter if it was just by two or three years. Maybe now would've been a good time to tell them.

But instead, she asked if they minded picking up a pizza, as she was starving. And both agreed, wanting some dinner of their own. But guilt was still rotting away in the back of her mind as she ate her cheese pizza that she split with the two men.

"Why you so quiet over there?" Tyler asked her after he finished his third slice.

Carolina smiled uneasily. "Nothing," she mumbled. "Well, I mean, I told Javi. About... what we did."

"Oh, I bet he was just clutchin' his pearls," Boone said with a chuckle.

"Basically," she said, giggling a bit. "He ain't happy with me, but it'll be okay between us."

"Well, I'm glad you told him," Tyler said. "Means I'm one step closer to getting to show you off to the whole world as ours."

Carolina again flushed, liking the sound of being theirs. But then she frowned, her usual doubt and anxiety creeping up on her as she bit the inside of her cheek.

"Are you sure about that?" she asked, looking down and fiddling with her fingers. "I mean, y'all are famous — all jokes aside. People ain't really gonna think much of y'all, you know, well, both of you and me together."

"Hey," Tyler said softly, reaching for her hands to keep her from picking at her fingers. "I don't give a damn what anyone says about it. It ain't their business."

"Yeah," Boone spoke up. "Yeah, if anything, they should all be jealous of me for having the two sexiest pieces of ass on my arm."

Carolina giggled, which was just what he wanted.

"Seriously, though," Tyler told her. "If anyone says somethin' to you, even Javi, I'll handle it. They won't be sayin' anything anymore."

She knew him threatening to harm anyone that hurt her feelings probably shouldn't have been so attractive to her, but something about him ready to defend her honor just made her like him even more.

"Tyler," she said, earning a hum from him. "Pull over."

Though he was confused and a bit worried about her, he did as told, pulling far enough off the road that no one would see them and stop to check on them. Only to be shocked as she unbuckled and climbed over the center console onto his lap. She cupped his cheeks and kissed him deeply, him instantly cupping the back of her head with one hand and holding the back of her thigh with the other, slowly sliding it up her skirt like he'd been dreaming of all day.

When they pulled away for air, Carolina began kissing along his neck as his head fell back, a groan escaping his lips as she nipped his skin lightly.

"Fuck, baby," he swore. "Let's at least make it back to the motel."

"Can't," she said after sucking a mark on his neck, not caring that it might be visible on camera. "Sharing a room with Kate."

Tyler groaned and shut his eyes, contemplating his choices. But then she dragged her core along his jeans and let out a breathy moan. So, he moved his hands up her skirt and pulled her bike shorts down, only to find the clasp of her bodysuit.

"How many goddamn layers are you wearing?" he asked in frustration.

She grinned and leaned down to kiss him. "That's the last one," she said before brushing against his thigh, whining a bit.

"Do that again," he requested.

She nodded almost pathetically and began grinding against his thigh. It felt so good, the rough material of his jeans twisting against her exposed core. And Tyler didn't seem to care that as she grew more drenched, so did the leg of his jeans. He just kept his hands on her hips, guiding her movements.

Just as Carolina was getting lost, Boone brought her back down to earth as he leaned between the seats and drew her into a kiss. She moaned into his mouth, one hand tangled in his longer hair and the other in Tyler's, who's leaned up to kiss the underside of her jaw.

Her head was spinning the longer she rode Tyler's thigh, who began whispering encouraging words in her ear when she began whimpering and whining, struggling to keep a steady pace.

"Just like that, baby," he murmured. "I've got you."

"That feel good, Darlin'?" Boone asked her, nose skimming her cheek.

"So good," she mumbled, her forehead falling on Boone's shoulder. "'S not enough. Please."

"That's all you're gettin' right now, baby, so make it enough," Tyler told her in a hard tone. Even if he wants to give in, he couldn't exactly fuck her just off the road where anyone could see.

But he was thinking real hard about it.

Her eyes watered as she looked at him, a pout on her pretty lips that he wanted to kiss away. "Please. Please, Ty," she begged, leaning down to kiss him sweetly.

Only for the seat to jerk back suddenly, her having to catch herself with her hands on either side of his head as he lowered his seat all the way back. Then he looked up at her with dark eyes.

"Get up here." The confusion on her face was evident, so he cupped her cheek and reiterated. "You're gone sit on my face or you're not finishing tonight."

Her cheeks burned horribly, unable to imagine what something like that would feel like. She shyly glanced at Boone for reassurance, who just gently kissed her clothed shoulder.

Boone held her scoot up Tyler's body, her hovering just above his face as she put her hands flat against the ceiling to stay upright.

"I said sit," Tyler muttered before pulling her down.

Carolina gasped, feeling his lips attack her core, tongue lapping at her cunt while his nose was buried against her clit.

"Oh, god," she moaned, her head falling back. "Tyler. Tyler, please."

He hummed against her, the vibrations causing her eyes to roll back for a moment. And then they snapped open as she felt Boone's hands on her chest. She mewled as he pinched her nipples through the fabric of her shirt, him wishing more than anything that they were in a better position so that he could fully strip her.

It was all so overwhelming as she practically rode Tyler's face, her stomach in knots as the waves of pleasure crashed into her. She choked on Tyler's name as that coil inside of her grew tighter and tighter.

Her whole body convulsed as she came on his tongue, her breath being ripped from her lungs, unable to even let out a moan in that moment.

But she did manage to slide back down Tyler's body, leaning against his chest as he held her. And she watched through bleary vision as Tyler reached for Boone, pulling him into a forceful kiss, letting Boone lick his lips and chin clean. She whined at the sight, both loving the sight of them together and also jealous that she wasn't one of them — which one didn't matter, as she wanted them both equally.

Once they were done, Tyler looked between the two, his chest heaving. "Somethin' tells me we outta get a room for our self. Give Kate a night alone—"

Tyler was interrupted by a knocking on the window, and a second later, all of them were blinded by a flashlight coming through the window.

☁︎

Carolina was mortified as she walked to her motel room while Tyler and Boone still had smirks on their faces. A police officer had stumbled upon the car, thinking they had engine trouble only to discover them in such a compromising position.

Carolina was just glad that she had her clothes on.

"It's not funny," she muttered, making the boys snicker proudly.

"It's a little funny," Boone said.

"Yeah, well I'm not gettin' a room with y'all anymore. Think it's so funny now?" she shot, making both of them stop laughing. "That's what I thought."

"Come on, Darlin'," Boone whined, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind as they reached the door. "Don't be like that."

"I ain't sleeping with either of you tonight," she promised.

"Well, we don't need that. But don't call it a night," Tyler said, shaking his head. He didn't want to tell her goodbye yet. "Let's go to the rodeo. It'll be fun."

Carolina bit her lip and looked across the street at the lively scene. She did love a good rodeo, and she loved the thought of going on what could be a real date with Boone and Tyler.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt nothin'," she said quietly, making them both beam.

Then they reached the door of the room, which Carolina knocked on. Tyler had the pizza in hand for Kate as well, as Carolina wouldn't have forgotten about her.

"Thought you might be hungry," Tyler said when she opened the door. "And figured we'd return Carolina."

"Though we're not actually returning her quite yet," Boone said with a silly smile.

Raising an eyebrow as if to say 'I don't think so,' Kate grabbed the pizza and Carolina, pulling her from Boone's grasp and into the room.

"Kate," Carolina sighed as her sister sat down and opened up the pizza box. "Give 'em a chance. We're going to the rodeo, and I'm gonna change. Come with us."

"And forth wheel y'all?" she asked with a laugh. "No way."

"Come on," she pleaded while grabbing the clothes.

Kate stared at her for a moment before sighing, giving in. As Carolina headed to the bathroom to change, Kate moved to open the door where Tyler and Boone were still awkwardly waiting.

"You find the dog?" she asked.

"Course, I found the dog," Tyler said, smirking.

"Well, Care did," Boone corrected him, making Tyler huff.

Kate rolled her eyes and opened the door wider, letting them in. "She's changing. She'll be out in a minute."

"So, how you doing after all that?" Tyler asked. He was worried about Kate, hoping she wasn't phased by the tornado that tore up that town.

Kate just shrugged. "It doesn't matter. It's those people, they..." She couldn't even finish it.

"Yeah, well, you've seen the worst of this place," he said, still thinking she was from New York because Carolina hadn't told her. "Probably nice for you to see something good."

She raised an eyebrow. "Is the rodeo something good?"

"Oh, it's the best place on earth, City Girl," Boone said with a grin. "Did Carolina convince you to come with?"

"She did," she sighed. "Care had an annoying habit of getting what she wants."

"Don't we know it," Tyler said, leaning against the wall. But then he smiled. "Wouldn't have her any other way."

Kate tilted her head, thinking it sounded out of characterly sweet of him, but then again, she didn't know him like Carolina was beginning to know him and Boone. Kate just hoped they had good intentions with her.

It was then that Carolina came out of the bathroom, drawing the two men's attention. And their moods improved when they saw that she'd swapped the turtle neck for loose t-shirt with her college's logo splashed on it. The baggy cropped top hung off her shoulder, showing off the bruises on her neck unapologetically.

And she still wore that short denim skirt that Tyler loved so much.

"Jesus, Care Bear," Kate said, rolling her eyes. "Cover those marks up."

Tyler scoffed and shook his head. "That would be a crime, City Girl. Now, come on. Kate has a date to fourth wheel."