Beth

Yeah so, he was gone by the time I got up the next morning. I really hadn't anticipated him cutting out so early… Hell, I was up by six, so he must have left very early. I heard the guy named Rick, I think, tell Maggie "Daryl" was like that… Liked to be on his own, and pretty much stayed to himself unless he was needed in any way. I had to say, I was so disappointed, but I pasted the best smile I could fake, and went about daily chores. I had even gone down and sat with the newcomers, took them some muffins mama had made, and went to the well and showed Dale where the water supply was.

I was just stepping out of the bedroom where Carl was staying. Daddy had asked me to change Carl's bandages, and of course, I had. I needed to take a shower and put some fresh clothes on. The Georgia heat left a film of sweat coating me and being covered in sweat just wasn't my thing.

"His wounds look good," I told Laurie as I made my way toward the stairs leading up to my room. "You can go back in and sit with him if you want. I will call you out for dinner when it's time."

I barely nodded as Laurie thanked me for my help, intent on getting upstairs and freshening up. If I hurried up in the shower and changed, maybe I would be out in time for Daryl to be back. Rushing into my room I collected a set of clothes and a fresh towel from the hallway linen closet, going to the bathroom located at the end of the hall, I grabbed the knob and pushed my way inside.

"Holy shit… Don'tcha knock in this damn place…"

I found myself face to face with a startled and very naked Daryl. He must have been just as shocked as I was, because he didn't even attempt to cover himself with the towel he held to his side. My jaw must have unhinged, because I could swear my chin touched the floor. And of course, I would have had to be blind not to appreciate the sight in front of me.

His body was perfectly muscled in the all the right places. His pecks were firm, and his abs lined, there was a light sprinkle of hair dusting his chest. The taunt skin covering his body was just the right amount of tan. Watching a little drip of water trail, it's way down his neck, I followed the drop to his chest. There were little droplets of water clinging to some of the strands near his puckered nipple and my mouth went dry. "Wow…"

I hadn't actually meant to say that aloud, but my brain wasn't exactly functioning properly at the moment. My gaze had just dipped below his waistline when he seemed to comeback to his senses, and quickly wrapped the towel around his waist and tucking it in together.

"Y' finished…"

Even though his response was short there didn't seem to be very much attitude in it like there had been every other time he'd spoken to me. I swallowed trying to relieve the dryness claiming the moisture in my throat, my gaze shooting back to his face, and I instantly notice a very slight tip to the corner of his mouth. Apparently, there was a tad bit of amusement lurking beneath his normal hostility. Tipping my chin slightly, I sniffed, blinking rapidly fighting for something intelligent to say.

Was I finished?

That was a huge resounding no… I would never be finished looking at the most amazing body I had ever seen, and I had seen a lot of bodies. Considering the hell our current lives were nowadays I had come across the human form, and none of them matched Daryl. Without much thought, I heard myself mumbling, "I could look at you for days…"

There was a soft grunt from him in response, but he didn't say anything, his gaze watching me for a long moment. The world around us seemed to fade and the only thing that existed in that moment was Daryl and I. Biting my lip, I noticed that the distance between us was closing in. I'm pretty sure I was the one closing the gap, because Daryl still hadn't moved. Greedily my gaze roamed the skin in front of me, and all I could think was how much I wanted to lick his shoulder.

I know, sounds crazy right? Wanting to lick a person's skin… It was right up there with wanting to pet someone. But there it was… I wanted to lick this guy named Daryl and the impulse was so intriguing I found myself swaying toward him. I glanced up and a few strands of hair was dangling in his eyes, and this urge to push them back consumed me. His masculine scent mixed with the soap he'd used only seemed to draw me closer. This urge to moan battled my wits. It was like I could feel him surrounding me, and we weren't even touching.

Complete and utter madness… I had no idea where all this was coming from, but I found my hand lifting, and suddenly my fingers were lightly, barely really, touching his bicep. The slight drift of my fingers over his warm skin seemed to have an affect on him because I felt a quiver run through him.

I would have stayed like this for hours, letting my fingers skim the gooseflesh that raced down his arm, but he suddenly shifted out of my reach. My eyes flashed to his for an answer for his sudden withdrawal. His eyes watched me intently, and he chew the inside of his cheek. After a few moments, barely above a gruff whisper, he said, "Y' better go…"

Daryl

She didn't speak when I told her she should go. She simply stared back at me with this hungry look I'd never seen before. I had to admit the hypnotic look in her eyes had a way of captivating me. I had never seen that look on anyone before. Like she couldn't control her response to me, and I found myself entranced by the notion.

What would it be like to taste all that hunger? I had tasted lust before… Hell I had been a victim of lust before, but hunger? Never…

"Daryl," she murmured in question, her thick lashes blinking up at me.

It was the weirdest thing… I had this urge to pull her closer and close the bathroom door. Stupidity… Plain stupidity… The last thing I needed to do was get involved with a girl-woman… The daughter of our host…

My jaw clinched as the thought filtered through my mind. I wouldn't disrespect the guy giving us a place to stay by getting involved with his daughter. One by the way, that looked barely legal… Perhaps in the old days I would have just snatched up what I wanted, but now…

Now… I had a family… Yeah, we were a group of misfits, but they were my family… I would put my life on the line for anyone of them… Not that I would ever fucking admit that…

Even as I felt my body growing aroused by Beth, I steeled myself against this sensation burning through my gut. "Beth, y' gotta go…"

Pulling out of her reach, I turned my back to her, and grabbed up my clothes, completely forgetting the lash marks put there by dear old dad… "Oh my god."

Her gasp caught my attention, and the sound of the bathroom door closing spun me around on my heel… I was completely trapped.

Beth had stepped fully into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. There was no where to go, and I felt this panic spring to life… The last thing I wanted to do today or any other was to relive the brutality endured by my father. "Girl… Y' jus' don't listen…"

She completely ignored my statement, concern written all over her face, and I could swear a trace of pain was in her eyes. "Daryl, what happened?"

Like an enraged animal I sprung in front of her, effectively pinning her between myself and the sink. A growl erupted from within my chest, her eyes instantly widening in surprise, and her mouth fell open. Finally, she was quiet… "Look, princess, if I wanted t' talk 'bout, which I don't, I wouldn't be talkin' t' y'…"

A flash of hurt rushed through her face, and a feeling of remorse tickled my chest. This girl/woman inspired so many new feelings I had never experienced before… From amusement at the intrigued look she had for me, and this newest one, remorse. The very last thing I wanted to do was hurt her feelings. Yet the thought of telling her about the whippings my dad had inflicted on me, and seeing pity on her sweet face, was the very last thing I wanted to do.

Some of the fire went out of my stance, my head falling an inch or two. I couldn't even look at her anymore. I was such a dick.

I left at four this morning trying to avoid this ridiculous crush she had on me. I'd stayed gone as long as possible. I'd tried being a total asshole to her yesterday when she'd followed me into the woods, and that hadn't worked. I should just simply tell her this little infatuation she had on me was going to go nowhere… That I could not and would not let anything happen between us.

Then something totally unexpected happened. She lifted a hand, and she cupped my jaw. Her fingers brushed over the stubble on my chin, and when my eyes lifted to meet hers, she said, "I don't know what happened… But I'm sorry it did…"

Then out of nowhere, she leaned forward and brushed a kiss to my chin… Holy fuckin' shit… Now what?