Four

Her hands shook against the cold, porcelain edge of the bathroom sink. She felt a little dizzy, a little flushed with heat. She looked up, staring into the reflection of her own eyes. Who was this woman? She used to be shy. Not painfully shy, but shy enough. She used to be so many things with Ed. He'd been the leader, she the follower. He'd been the dominant one, and she'd always done what he'd wanted, what he'd asked. And to think back on it, she almost didn't recognize that woman either.

She let out a few deep breaths and dabbed at her forehead with a paper towel. They hadn't even started drinking yet. The bikers had left, and there was just one older couple in the place having drinks at the bar. Daryl had gone to get a pool table, and Carol had excused herself, because the second they'd walked in the place and out of the darkness of the night, she felt all of the tension and anxiety beginning to bubble up inside of her, and her stomach had begun to twist into knots.

The woman she'd become today, the woman making advances at a man who might as well have been a stranger was a stranger herself. Sometimes the words that fell from her tongue felt foreign and misshapen. It was as if a stranger had taken over, as if the woman she'd imagined herself to be had broke forth and taken root and taken charge. And more than that, it hadn't scared him off. Honestly, she wouldn't have blamed him for leaving her on the roadside, but something told her that Daryl Dixon wasn't that kind of man. Something also told her that he wasn't the kind of man that was used to the kind of attention she'd lavished on him since he'd picked her up. He was gorgeous, quiet, but there was something about him, something she'd sensed back in high school that raised the big red flags and made him unapproachable. It had scared her way back then, but now, now she with him, she'd tasted him, she'd felt him hard and ready against her hand.

She felt powerful, and it scared and thrilled her at the very same time.

She took another deep breath and gave herself a once over in the mirror, running her fingers through her auburn locks again, smiling at the way her hair stuck up a little in the back. Ed had thrown a fit the first time she'd come home with her hair cut short, and it had secretly satisfied her, because it had been her first step in moving away from him. It hadn't taken long for her to realize, after that, that there was so much more to life than Ed Peletier.

Now, as she stood in the bathroom of some back road bar in the middle of wherever, she thought about the man waiting on her out there, the man she'd teased and groped and given a spark of hope that tonight would go much further than it really should. But she craved him. She felt the burning ache in her stomach as she thought about how this could crash and burn fast and hard. But he'd consumed her thoughts years ago, and she couldn't help but admit to herself that even after she'd met Ed, she'd still spent more time than she probably should have wondering about Daryl Dixon and what he might be up to, if he'd found someone he might finally feel comfortable enough to approach.

She trembled then, knowing that six months ago, she'd have laughed in someone's face if they'd told her she would be on a trip to anywhere with Daryl Dixon or that she'd be coming onto him so strong that it would knock the wind out of both of them.

The night her divorce was finalized, she'd had far too much tequila, and she'd gone home with some guy at the bar. And she'd had a hell of a lot of fun, but she sure as hell surprised herself. And she'd felt as if she'd freed a part of herself. And since then, she'd felt bolder, felt more in tune with her own needs, with acknowledging her desires instead of working solely to satisfy Ed's. That night had been an awakening. Still, tonight, she'd surprised herself again. And it scared her how much she wanted to go out there, tell Daryl to forget the drinks and just drive until they found a hotel. She wanted him. She'd never wanted someone like this before, and it was a raw, animal need that boiled through her blood like a flash fire.

Her knees trembled a little, and she wiped at her brow again. She knew she had to get back out there, but her mouth was dry again, and she suddenly wasn't sure what she should say or how she should act. Clearly, her forward actions hadn't been a turn off, and it had awakened something primal deep inside of her. She liked it. She wanted more of it. But she wasn't sure if it was really her or just her way of coping with who she used to be.

The music was playing a little louder now, some slow rock song she could imaging floating over her as he fucked her slow and sweet, and she groaned, gripping the sink again. She had to pull herself together.

When she finally stumbled out of the bathroom, Daryl was setting up to break at the pool table. Carol couldn't help but notice his ass as he leaned over the table. She couldn't help but think back to those innocent stares when he'd sat in front of her in Home Room. She'd dropped a pencil once just to watch him bend over and shyly hand it back to her. He'd had no clue. They'd both been idiots.

She sighed and smiled, feeling the heat at the back of her neck receding a little as the chilly air from the vents overhead willed away the flush of heat that coursed through her.

"Ok, where's my drink?"

"Didn't know what you wanted, so I kinda ordered everything." Daryl gestured to a tray full of drinks of all sizes and varieties. There were fruity ones with umbrellas, small shot glasses, glasses of dark amber liquid, some on the rocks.

"I do believe you're trying to get me drunk, Mr. Dixon."

"Oh, I'll be helping you with these," he offered with a snort, handing her a pool cue as she leaned over and grabbed a shot glass. She kept her eyes on his as she took down the shot in one gulp. Her face reddened slightly, and she coughed when her eyes watered. The glass nearly slipped from her fingers, and she laughed.

She had the sweetest laugh, and Daryl couldn't help but notice how beautiful her teeth were. She had an amazing smile.

"Fireball," she choked out, as Daryl grabbed a larger glass and took a swig of something that smelled pretty strong. "Whoa. Slow down. Somebody has to be the designated driver."

"Checked with the bartender," Daryl said, gulping down the last of the contents of the glass. "There's a motel a mile down the road. We can sleep it off." Carol paused for a moment, watching the way his gaze moved to her breasts for a brief moment before he looked up at her face again. His face was red now, and she smiled.

"I'll be stripes. You breaking first?"

"Nah. Ladies first," he replied, giving Carol a nod.

"Such a gentleman," she said with a smile. "Maybe a couple of drinks and that'll change."

"You don't like nice guys?"

"Oh, I love them," she practically purred. "Especially when they're all liquored up." She handed him another drink.

"Who's gettin' who drunk?"

"Hmm?" She feigned innocence, and he could have sworn she batted her eyelashes at him. And then she stepped up to him as he swallowed down the drink in two gulps. "Just so you know? Nothing's happening tonight." She thought she saw a flicker of disappointment in his eyes, though he hid it well. She peeked over Daryl's shoulder before closing the gap between them and reaching to cup his groin again. "I fully intend on enjoying all of this when I'm stone cold sober." Her voice was low and thick, breath honey-sweet and tinged with cinnamon, and he just about came right there in his pants.

And then she let go of him, leaned over the pool table and took her first shot, sinking two striped balls as Daryl fought to keep his sanity and his composure. No way was he winning this game.