[ this is NOT a smut chapter. I know it kinda follows the formula of some of my other smut chapters, but don't get your hopes up. it'll still be a few more chapters from now before they smash ]

☆︎

COULDA SHOWN OFF BY BAITING YOUR HOOK FOR YOU.

WHEN RIO WOKE, it was wrapped in Boone's strong arms, her head on his chest. And he was already up based on the way his thumb was drawing nonsense shapes on her bare hip where the shirt she was in rode up in the night.

"Good morning," she said sleepily, turning in his arms to face him.

Boone hummed contently and couldn't help himself from leaning in, kissing her quickly, which made her smile. "Mornin'."

"Know where we're chasing today yet?" she asked.

"Nah, I think it's gone be a clear weather day," he said, sitting up and pulling her with him. "Yesterday was the big one."

Kate and Tyler had missed a large storm, one that the Wranglers didn't drive into. Lily settled for getting footage on her drone to show the fans as they drove behind the storm. Rio was thankful, as she wasn't near brave enough to go into a storm after what happened at the rodeo arena. She didn't want to get anywhere near a tornado for a while, and Boone understood that.

"Well, what are we supposed to do all day?"

"Well, Lily and Dex usually do educational videos on days like this. Maybe you could chime in with how tornados affect the environment. Viewers might eat that up," he said. "And then I figured I might drive around and take some pictures. Like to have some from every town we visit even if they aren't great."

"Stop that," she scoffed. "Your pictures are great, Boone. Mind if I come with you and watch?"

"I'd like that," he smiled before leaning down, kissing her again. She smiled into it, tangling her fingers in his long hair. "Maybe I can take some more of you."

"Hmm, only if I can take some of you," she said teasingly. "You're too handsome to stay behind the camera."

Boone's cheeks grew warm, not used to sweet compliments like that, especially when girls were always clamoring after Tyler.

"I'll think about it," he murmured. "But I figure we better get up for the day."

"Speaking of," she said, sounding a bit nervous all of the sudden. "Would you, um, mind if I borrowed a shirt or somethin'? I've still got Dani's jeans, but I really need to find a thrift store or something today."

A sort of pride warmed his heart, already picturing her in one of his shirts, it hanging off her shoulder. Preferably with nothing else on, but he'd settle for what he got.

"Baby, I don't think you'd ever look hotter than in my clothes," he said, unabashedly. Then he smirked, nose brushing her jaw. "Except for maybe out of 'em."

Rio's cheeks burned, a flash of just that running through her mind. A flash of Boone loosing the sweatpants that were still low on his waist. A flash of him rolling his strong hips against hers.

Then she was focused once more, shaking the needy thought from her mind.

God, she hadn't had sex in five years, and it was starting show.

So, Rio just smacked his chest, hiding how much she liked the thought of Boone getting her out of her clothes. Then she quickly kissed the underside of his jaw.

"Come on. Big day of no storms to get to."

☆︎

Rio loved doing a YouTube live, getting to explain how tornados affected the environment. And when she was finished, several commenters began asking more about her since she was new to the team — or just visiting the team, as she specified.

Behind the camera, Boone watched as she lit up when several people asked about her current grad school research. He listened just as intently as those watching at home, still in awe of how much she just knew and the passion she had for the environment.

Even though Boone and Rio hadn't kissed once while the camera was rolling, already, viewers were suspecting something was going on between them. After all, when he'd been filming Dexter's educational video about the data they'd collected the day before, the camera kept veering off, focusing on Rio wherever she was. When Lily was teaching her and the subscribers about Cairo in a video, the camera was hardly on Lily even though she was speaking almost consistently.

And Rio was no better, always smiling at Boone over she shoulder and asking him questions even though Dani or Dexter might be more knowledgeable. And it didn't help that she was wearing a shirt that the viewers had seen him wear twenty other times.

Then, shortly after the day was done and they'd all had dinner, Boone decided he wanted to go off to search for places to take pictures, Rio accompanying them. Unlike the camper and Tyler's truck, Dani's truck stayed out of the action, and she let Boone borrow it for driving around.

Since he'd been in and out of Oklahoma for a few months, he had more of an idea of where they were going than Rio, who hadn't been back since her freshman year of college before transferring.

The sun was just going down as Boone pulled into a little clearing just off the road. There was a small lake that was clearly meant for fishing if the dock with abandoned lawn chairs was anything to go by.

And Rio nearly groaned as she stepped out of the truck and its air conditioning, thinking it was impossibly hot and humid outside. But she figured she could brave the heat for Boone.

"Shoulda brought fishin' poles," Boone said with a grin, nodding to the lake. "Coulda shown off by baiting your hook for you."

Rio rolled her eyes playfully while grabbing a picnic blanket out of the bed of the truck to sit on. "I'm an ecologist who loved the dirt more than playgrounds growing up. I can bait my own hook just fine." As Boone pouted, she smiled and came around to his side of the truck. "But I guess you're cute enough that I'd pretend to be disgusted."

"I'll take it," he chuckled, grabbing his camera equipment. "But this place is perfect. Sunset'll look real good on that lake."

Rio settled onto the blanket as Boone got to work, and if she thought she'd get bored, she was wrong. She just marveled at him as he traveled to different spots around the clearing, kneeling down and taking pictures of different things. He looked so content and focused as he did so, and she adored the way his tongue stuck out the slightest bit when he was really concentrating.

She slyly used her phone to take a picture of him as he took one of the lake, thinking he looked incredibly handsome in the dim evening light with a bandana around his neck. Then she went back to just watching him, every now and then wiping the sweat off her forehead from the heat.

Then, when Boone was pleased enough with the pictures he got of the lake, he turned his camera toward Rio, who just smiled and shook her head.

"You didn't get enough yesterday?"

"Ain't no such thing as too many pictures of you," he said while coming closer.

"But I'm all sweaty," she complained while pulling her long hair up into a ponytail. "I'm like one degree away from jumpin' in that lake."

"Wanna head back?" Boone offered even though he'd rather be out there with her all night.

She just hummed and shook her head, not wanting to leave either. Then she smirked, getting an idea as she sat up better.

"No, but I wouldn't mind that lake like I said," she told him while getting up on her feet.

Boone froze as she smoothly pulled his t-shirt off her head, revealing a plain black bra that hugged her chest perfectly. He swallowed thickly, slowly looking down her body as she worked the jeans off her legs too, leaving her in just her underwear.

"Baby, you're gone kill me if you keep going," he mumbled weakly, looking back up at her smirking.

Rio just laughed while backing toward the lake. "Take a picture. It'll last longer."

And Boone boldly did just that, snapping several photos of her body before she jumped off the dock and into the lake. When she resurfaced, she was soaked and grinning at him as she waded in the water.

"Come on in, Boone," she said. "Or are you afraid of a lake but not a tornado?"

He scoffed and sat his camera down safely on the blanket. "I ain't afraid of nothing."

Her eyes stayed glued to him, watching how he pulled off the t-shirt that he'd been wearing all day, the sleeves cut off of them. The bandana followed. Then he worked his cargo shorts down his legs too before kicking his socks and shoes off. And Rio had to bite her lip, seeing him in just a tight pair of gray boxer briefs that left little to imagine.

Maybe swimming in the lake was a mistake, she thought, as he came closer. Because fuck, if Boone's body wasn't perfect in her eyes.

He hopped in the lake, splashing her and making her laugh as he did so. Then he swam right up to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Feel better?" he asked as she pushed his soaked hair out of his face.

"Much better," she giggled. "Thanks for joining me."

"Well, I'm a simple man. A gorgeous, half-dressed girl asks me into a lake, I follow," he joked while sliding his hands up her sides, a shiver running down her spine when his thumbs traced the band of her bra.

"You say that like you ain't gorgeous too."

"Me? Naw," he said, shaking his head. "I like I said, I ain't mu—"

Rio cut him off with a kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck as she did so. Though he wasn't expecting it, Boone kissed her back hard, pulling her flush against him.

When she pulled away, she cupped his face as he kept them floating. "Stop saying that about yourself," she told him firmly. "Boone, you're perfect. So perfect."

"You ain't just saying that?" he asked, pressing his forehead to hers, staring into her eyes.

"No, I ain't," she promised. "I wouldn't waste time with you if I didn't think you weren't worth the whole world."

"Wow. The whole world is mighty big," he said with a low whistle. "You must like me a lot."

Even though he was teasing her, she just nodded. She liked him so much that it scared her a little bit. And Boone could see it in her eyes, making his smile fall.

"Well, I'm honored," he told her.

Then Boone kissed her softly again, and she hummed happily against him. It felt so perfect to them both — so right as they kissed slowly.

Boone's legs drifted apart, her thigh slotting between them naturally. And she sucked in a deep breath when she felt the growing bulge that was pressed up against her. She couldn't help but move against it, squirming nervously.

Boone groaned into her mouth, and god, she loved the sound of it. But she didn't know if she was ready to hear more, and so she pulled back, biting her lip shyly as she looked at Boone.

"I, uh, it's been a while," she said softly. "Like, five years."

"And you know I ain't got no problem with that," he said softly, brushing his thumb across her cheek.

"And I've never..." Her cheeks burned in embarrassment. "Not with a man at least. Only Addy."

His eyes softened as Boone shook his head. "Baby, I don't expect anything from you. Not tonight or ever. We can get out and head right back to the motel to sleep."

"You're sweet," she said, her chest feeling lighter at his comforting words. "And maybe we can do a little more of this for a while."

Then she leaned in, kissing him deeply. For just a moment, his tongue explored her mouth slowly before he pulled away, a smile on his face.

"Yeah, I won't complain about more of that."