I started this story before I ever got the prompt for the story, From the Mouths of Babes. There are similarities between them, like, they are neighbors, but this one is much less kid friendly. It was suppose to have been a one shot but I just kept on writing. I just wanted to clear that up so you all wouldn't think that I was on a neighbor fic kick. lol

This story contains a lot of smut. From the first chapter to the last. Just throwing that out there in case that isn't your thing. Hope everyone had a great week and thanks as always for giving this a shot!

Chapter One

Car parts littered the lawn between the cracked sidewalk and the ramshackle house. There was also a colorful array of beer bottles, red solo cups, discarded cigarette butts and hanging high in the lone tree was an impressive collection of panties of various shapes and sizes. The fence leaned a little to the left, just like the house itself, as though a strong gust of wind tore through the neighborhood and only effected the Dixon residence.

Carol had lived next door to them for all of three months and despised them vehemently. They threw parties on weekdays, played loud obnoxious music at all hours of the night and they were always yelling at one another. She was sure that neither had a job. Not that she was aware of anyway.

The older one was the worst as far as she could tell. He was the one that openly leered at her and had, on several occasions, casually asked her if she'd ever had oral from an ex military man. He made her sick. The younger didn't leer. He openly glared at her.

She was happy that it was summer break and that at least Sophia could escape the sad little neighborhood. She was on a camping trip with the Grimes family and she wouldn't be back for another two weeks. It had taken Rick Grimes weeks to talk Carol into letting the girl go but she was happy that she had finally given in. Sophia was able to come out of her shell in ways that amazed Carol since they had left Ed and Carl had been her best friend back home. Or what had been home.

Carol closed the trunk and balanced the grocery bag on her hip, careful not to stare at the Dixon house for fear that one of them would magically appear and possibly ask her for a contribution to their tree of many panties. She scowled at the thought and then hurried to the door, the dry grass of her own lawn crunching under foot. It was going to be a hell of a summer, the heat and humidity already causing her to sweat. She breathed out a sigh of relief when the cool air hit her face. Her house was as small as the Dixon's place but it was much better kept.

She was just about to put her groceries away when a loud knock sounded at the front door, causing her to drop a quart of ice cream. Fear had her throat feeling thick but she swallowed and shook her head. Ed was hundreds of miles away and he had no idea where she had moved. It wasn't him. If it was him he would have kicked the door in and killed her by now. She left the groceries and hurried to the living room, reassuring herself that she was safe here.

She peeked out the small window set high in the door and was startled at the sight of the younger Dixon standing on her porch. She frowned, unsure if it was safe to open the door or not. She watched as he wiped sweat off his brow and then knocked again, his face turned and his eyes narrowed on his own house. She cleared her throat, made sure that all the panic was gone and then she opened the door. Her lips thinned in disapproval.

The man eyed her, ran a hand through his sweaty hair and then huffed out a breath like she was the one that had disturbed him instead of the other way around. "Can I use your phone? My brother locked me out and I don't know when he's suppose to be back."

She stared at him for a few more moments before she spoke and when she did even she could hear the dislike in her voice. "Who in this day and age doesn't have a cell phone?"

His eyes narrowed. He didn't say anything at all, which surprised her because it was clear he had something to say. Instead he shook his head and turned around, stalking down the steps. Despite her better judgment, she found herself feeling a little bad.

"Hey," she called after him.

He stopped, turning around abruptly. "Look, I don't need any shit from you, lady. I've worked a double goddamn shift, It's hot as fuck out here and my idiot brother locked me outta my goddamn house. So if you don't mind, I'm just gonna head back over there and wait. I have to deal with stuck up prudes all the fuckin' time so I ain't gonna wait around for you to get your rocks off by kickin' me while I'm down!" He turned back around and was about to storm away.

She was shocked at his outburst and felt a flash of anger herself, though she really wasn't sure why. usually her first reaction to an angry man was fear, but apparenlty not today. "Excuse me!"

He glanced over his shoulder. "What?"

She gestured towards the door. "You can use my phone if you make it quick."

He blinked, clearly as surprised as she was at the grudgingly delivered invitation. He seemed to consider telling her off and leaving but finally he stomped back up to her door. She moved and let him pass her. She followed him into the living room and shut the door behind her, strangely unafraid about being in the house alone with him.

She pointed him to the house phone that sat next to the kitchen doorway and then breezed past him as he picked it up. She started putting away her groceries, getting more and more irritated the more she thought about his words.

"Prude," she grumbled, shaking her head. "Just because I don't go around leaving underwear in his bed so he can display them to the whole neighborhood doesn't make me a prude."

"What makes you a prude is stickin' your nose in the air every time you look my way and pretendin' like you're any better than I am. Last I checked both our broke asses lived on the same damn street. And for your information, my brother is the one that pulls stunts like that, not me. So you ain't only a prude, you're a judgmental dickhead too."

She felt her face grow hot, knowing he had heard her speaking out loud. She hadn't even realized that she had been. They stared at one another for a long time, a challenge in both of their eyes. "You don't even know me," she growled.

"Likewise!" He yelled, hands on his hips. "My brother throws those loud ass parties all the time. I work third shift! But you still look at me like you're better than I am. Well to hell with you!"

She opened her mouth to yell right back but she really didn't have anything to say. He was right. She had assumed that he was the same as the other man and that hadn't been right or fair. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice much quieter.

This seemed to bring him up short, like he had expected her to to keep fighting with him. Once he collected himself he scowled. "Well, you ought to be," he grumbled. "And I still think you're a prude."

She pursed her lips, hands going to her hips as she glared at him. "I'm trying to be nice. The least you can do is stop being rude."

He crossed his arms over his chest defensively. "You was rude first."

"And then I apologized!"

He shrugged. "I hold grudges."

"You're an asshole."

He tried to hang on to his grim look, his lips twitched and then he looked down, shaking his head as an outright grin spread over his face. When he looked up she found herself blinking in surprise. Now that she knew he wasn't a disgusting alcoholic womanizing pervert, she had to admit that he was striking. "Actually I'm a pretty decent guy when someone ain't throwin' their opinions of me around like they know me."

She chewed her bottom lip, surprised at the abrupt turn around and completely shocked as her body seemed to take on a mind of it's own, warming under his gaze. Despite the chill in the house she felt a rush of heat spread low in her belly.

What the hell was wrong with her?

"Did you get a hold of your brother?" she asked.

There must have been a subtle change in the atmosphere because before he answered her question she watched as his eyes took her in, seemingly for the first time. Finally he shook his head. "His friend said he was laid up with some woman."

"How will you get in?" she asked, her voice lower than she meant it to be.

He shrugged. "Bust a window I guess. And hope that this time that slum lord of ours don't evict us when he has to pay to get it fixed."

Her eyes followed the line of his throat to the open collar of his threadbare sleeveless shirt. "We can call a truce and you can wait him out here. At least it's an escape from the heat," she suggested, her eyes still moving over his frame. His shoulders were wide, likely powerful and his arms were toned. How in the hell had she gone this long being this man's neighbor and not noticed these things?

"Ain't you got a kid runnin' around here somewhere?" he asked.

She finally looked back up, meeting his gaze and realized that those cerulean eyes had darkened to denim. "She's on a camping trip with a friend."

He nodded and then finally tore his gaze away from hers, glancing towards the doorway. "I should probably go." Was that regret in his voice? His actions didn't match his words because he didn't make a move to leave.

She was out of her league here, her body confusing the hell out of her mind. There was no good reason to want this man this badly. She didn't know him, for starters. He was extremely attractive but it wasn't like she hadn't been around attractive men before. Not only that but they had barely been civil to one another.

A few of Ed's insults surfaced to the forefront of her mind, unbidden. For a few fleeting moments she had thought that maybe she had seen a similar attraction in his eyes but surely not...

"I'm Daryl, by the way," he said, glancing from her back to the doorway. It was strange because now that the anger and annoyance were gone, he seemed a little on the shy side.

She smiled. "Carol. And listen, I really am sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have acted that way."

He shrugged. "Trust me, I get shit like that all the time. I'm used to it. I'll see you around, Carol."

He took a step towards the door and she took a step to follow him to show him out but she stepped in something slick and felt herself slipping. She had forgotten all about the damn ice cream she had dropped and now she was about to face plant the floor because she'd been too...

But she didn't hit the floor. She slammed right into Daryl, who instinctively gripped her hips to steady her. He grunted when his back hit the counter, her momentum forcing him to fall backwards slightly. She was gripping his upper arms, the muscles tight under her fingertips. When she met his eyes there was an apology on her lips but it died away before she could make a sound.

She had no idea what came over her in that moment. She wasn't a very bold woman and experience had taught her that sex was something to simply endure, not enjoy. She certainly didn't go around throwing herself at strangers but this stranger had her emotions tail spinning. Her heart was thundering loud and heavy and she breathed in deeply, the scent of sweat, leather, engine grease and something else that she couldn't put her finger on had her almost squirming against him.

He didn't move to push her away and though he was taller than her, the heels she was wearing made up for it so she could meet his eyes easily. It also put them in the position where their bodies were flush against each other and the feel of his pelvis pressed against hers, creating a strange pressure low in her body, had her breath hitching. His fingers flexed into her hips and suddenly the thin material of her dress was a hindrance that had her wanting to growl in frustration. she wanted to feel his hands on her skin, not the stupid dress.

His hands moved over the thin material, closer to her ass and then his mouth came down on hers. Carol Peletier ceased to exist in that moment. She was someone else. She was powerful and she was desirable and she was completely on fire. Her lips parted and then she took control of the kiss, driving him back further into the counter. His tongue fought hers for dominance for a few long moments but then their mouths found a unique rhythm of give and take. Her fingers were working the buttons of his shirt open and the intense unfamiliar need had her trembling.

She finally broke the kiss once his shirt was open. "I don't usually do things like this," she breathed.

He nodded. "I know. Like I said, prude, remember?"

She kissed him again, pushing the shirt away from his shoulders and then went to work on his belt. His mouth moved to her neck and he brazenly ran one hand up, over her ribs and then palmed the weight of one breast before his teeth sank lightly into her skin. She arched into the touch, nearly tearing the button off his jeans, the urge to touch him unlike anything she'd ever experienced. Maybe it was because for so many years she hadn't known a need like this one. Just a mindless, intense and unexplainable need to...

He started backing her away from the counter until she felt the table, but he kept coming, lifting her easily until she was perched on the edge. He ran his calloused hands up her thighs, stepping back just enough so he could hook his fingers through the waistband of her underwear and then started sliding them off. To her surprise he shoved the flimsy garment into his pocket and then smirked. Before he nudged her legs apart, kissing her hungrily. She used her legs to pull him closer, felt his hand fumbling to free himself from his jeans and she made a discouraged sound in the back of her throat that sounded almost like a wild animal.

He pulled away, eyes like dark pools regarding her with mild surprise.

"Hurry up," she breathed. A part of her couldn't believe that she was doing this but it was a small part of her with a very quiet voice. At this point it didn't matter what her mind told her because her body was determined.

"Goddamn, I had you pegged all wrong," he muttered.

She was too far gone to feel embarrassed and when she felt him moving, lining himself up at her entrance, she braced herself for the unknown. Because this wasn't going to be like any other experience she ever had and she knew it. His mouth was back on hers as he moved into her in one swift thrust.

His hand hit the table, bracing himself as her nails dug into his shoulders. His lips on hers was the only thing that muted her strangled cry. He was bigger than she had anticipated, filling her in a way that she had never been filled before. She could feel her muscles gripping him tightly and all she could think about was how good it was going to feel once he actually started moving into her. She tightened her legs around his waist, urging him on and finally he collected himself.

His mouth left hers, drifting down her throat as he started an almost brutal pace, jarring the table. The only thing she could do was cling to his shoulders. With one hand he slipped the slender strap of her dress down her shoulder as his other arm wrapped around her, somehow dragging her even closer to him. Her hands went to his hair when he finally freed one breast, his lips closing around her nipple and causing a jolt like lightning to travel down her spine.

He was moving deep, every thrust was calculated, like he knew exactly what she needed and how much to give her. When her orgasm hit her it came on so fast that it shocked her, the pleasure almost unendurable. His head came up, eyes wide but his rhythm didn't waver. She pulled his face down to hers and he kissed her greedily. The pleasure tapered off slowly and her mind was like a haze, like she had transported to some sort of dream scape. Her hands moved over the taught muscles of his arms and she reveled in the powerful feel of them, caging her in. His shoulders were smooth, broad, damp with sweat. She wasn't sure how long she rode out that sweet high but he finally tore his mouth away from hers, his head dropping to her shoulder as he groaned out a curse.

He was close, she could tell by the new tension in his body and when he spoke again his voice was a smooth growl in her ear. "Come on, woman... one more time."

His voice rolled over her like a physical touch, the most erotic sound she had ever heard and she found herself falling over the edge of that cliff again. He slid his hand between their bodies, his fingers playing her like an instrument just as her orgasm peaked. When his mouth found hers again she realized that the kiss cut off a loud cry that she hadn't been aware of until it had stopped. She was beyond embarrassment at this point. Hell, her mind was beyond registering much of anything at all. The kiss grew frantic and then she felt the heat of his release, the steady rhythm finally breaking, replaced by deep hot throb of his orgasm.

She wasn't sure how many minutes passed before she became completely, and self consciously, aware of their situation. Her body was aching, telling her two things. One: that the moment had lasted much longer than she was used to when it came to sex, causing her muscles to scream at her because of the odd position. And two: she had just had the most mind blowing sex she had ever had, but had had it with a stranger that she didn't even particularly like.

He raised his forehead off her shoulder and then moved so he could right his pants. She sat up, straightening her dress and sliding off the table. Her knees nearly gave out on her and, again, he was there to steady her. She felt awkward and ashamed of herself for letting that happen but when she met his eyes and saw that he seemed to feel the same way she couldn't help but offer him a small smile.

She cleared her throat, taking note that his hands were lingering at her waist. "Well, even though that was a little delayed, it was still a nice welcome to the neighborhood," she said.

He snorted at that but then he grinned, the tension still thick but at least now it was bearable. He took a step away and grabbed his shirt from the floor, shrugging it on and then reached down again, coming up with a soggy quart of ice cream. He barked out a laugh at that and she found herself frowning.

"What's so funny?"

He shook his head and tossed it in the trash. "You slipped in ice cream."

She shrugged. "Yeah."

He ran a hand through his hair. "I thought you just threw yourself at me. Hell, if I'd known it was an accident I sure as hell wouldn't have... you know. Done all that."

Her face flushed and she was about to respond when a loud knock rattled the front door. She heard the distinct sound of Daryl's brother's voice, asking for Daryl.

"Fuck," he growled, buttoning his shirt quickly.

"How on earth did he guess you were here?" she asked, glancing past him towards the living room.

He shook his head. "No idea. It's like the bastard has a radar tellin' him where I am." He looked at her then and gestured towards the front door. "I better go."

She nodded, unsure what to do now. He surprised her when he kissed her quickly.

"Thanks for the... uh..." he gestured towards the kitchen table, that was now nearly pushed against the far wall.

She flushed even redder at that. "Don't thank me for it for God's sake!"

He laughed. "I'll see you around, Carol."

She nodded and watched him walk away. She was too stunned at herself to do much of anything other than stand there.

Expect daily updates because this one is complete but it's only 11 chapters long. 10 more chapters than I meant to write for it. lol