Chapter 10
It had been a while. The last time he'd been with a woman, it had been quick and dirty, and he was pretty sure she hadn't even gotten off. It had been a drunken mistake on both of their parts, and he hadn't even gotten her name. He was sober now, if not a little drunk on the feeling of Carol's thighs squeezing his hips, but he was pretty sure that this was neither a mistake nor something he was going to regret tomorrow. She continued to surprise him in the best possible ways. And he surprised himself.
He hadn't expected that he would make the move like that. He'd thought about it. The last few nights, he'd really thought about it, lying there in his tent with her on his mind. But the last thing he'd thought he'd do was kiss her like his life depended on it. But it felt too damned good to stop.
Somehow, he'd managed to get her sitting on the counter, and he was standing between her legs, and her tongue was in his mouth. She tasted so good, and his heart felt like it might stop or bust, he wasn't sure which. But she was making these noises, these sweet, desperate noises, and his hands were gripping her hips, and he was pretty sure she was making those noises because of him.
He groaned as she squeezed her thighs, bringing him closer, and when he heard the whimper escape the back of her throat, he knew she could feel his erection straining at his zipper as he fought to keep control. Kissing her woke some primal hunger deep inside of him, and it was simmering just beneath his skin, coiled and strangling his muscles as he fought to keep from coming completely unhinged.
He pulled back, gently placing his hand against her neck, fingers light against her throat as he turned her face toward his. His nostrils flared as she slowly cracked her eyes open, pupils blown wide as she looked up at him with a hunger he'd never seen before.
"You sure 'bout this?" he panted, as he felt her hand move down his chest and over his pants to cup his straining erection. That, plus the hint of a smile at her lips was all he needed. "C'mere." He kissed her then, slow and deep, and she grabbed at his shoulders and his back, pulling him closer. The heat of her body pressed against his was enough to drive a man insane, and he rocked his hips against hers as he lay her back against the glass countertop, praying it wouldn't give under the weight of both of them.
He crawled over her, fingers twisting into the white arms of the sweater she'd tied around her waist. He pushed it back, and then his hands were grappling with the hem of her shirt. She arched back and her fingers stroked the ridged scars on his back. He sucked at her neck, gently grazing the skin with his teeth as he unceremoniously shoved his hand down the front of her pants. She cried out at the first contact of his fingers with her sensitive skin along her thighs, and she gripped his arms hard, straining to keep herself together as he stroked her through her panties. She was damp and so hot, and when he pulled his hand back, her scent hit him like a tidal wave. He growled then, yanking at her belt, loosening it just enough that the knife clip clattered onto the counter and then slid off onto the floor. He could hear the sting of blade against concrete somewhere in the back of his mind as the knife slipped from its holder, but it was soon lost on both of them, as Carol sat up just enough to start tugging at her shirt.
"Here. Let me," he grunted, tugging the tank top over her head and tossing it away. His hands were on her breasts then, cupping them through her bra, and his eyes darkened as he buried his face between them, tongue flicking at the trail of sweat that had beaded down from her neck. She gasped as he pulled back the simple white fabric that covered her, and when he drew a hardened nipple into his mouth, she cried out sharply, as if surprised by her own sensitivity. "You ok?" She nodded and reached behind her, unclasping the bra so he could slide it down her arms.
He lingered at her collarbones, gently brushing his thumbs along them before he leaned forward and pressed a kiss there. She threw her head back as he kissed down her through, and she draped one leg over his hip as he sucked a nipple into his mouth. She gasped, threading her fingers through his hair, as his stubble brushed against her skin. And she was trembling. He could feel the way her body shook as he slid his tongue across her breast, and he looked up then, gauging her reaction as he started with the button on her jeans.
"Just tell me to stop," he said cautiously, keeping his eyes on hers.
"No," he said bravely, sitting up a little, hands sliding up his arms and over his shoulders before she started with the buttons on his shirt. He helped her, and she lay back, breasts shaking with each heavy breath, watching the way his fingers expertly worked the button of her jeans, dragging the zipper down. He wasn't rushing. He was taking his time, letting her know she could still back out if she wanted to. But her body was screaming at her, begging her to keep going, to let him keep going, because after all this time, she needed to feel something that wasn't disgust when a man touched her the way Daryl was touching her now. There was nothing disgusting about the way the desire flickered in his eyes, the way his tongue tasted her skin, the way his hands moved like they'd already mapped out the planes of her body in another life and just knew on instinct what to do to make her feel good.
He looked down at her then, gently tugging at her pants, sliding them over her hips. His fingers dug in then, gripping the band of her panties and bringing them along. She was starting to breathe heavier then, and he looked up at her, needing reassurance that he still had the green light.
"Wait," she murmured, gripping his wrist before he could continue.
"Want to stop?"
"No," she panted. "I just…it's been…a while. And I…" She swallowed hard and shook her head. "It's nothing. It's stupid."
"Tell me," he murmured, leaning forward to kiss her again.
"Ed's the only man I ever…and I hated it. I always hated it with him. It wasn't ever…I don't think I ever…not with him." He watched in amazement as the weight of her words hit him, but he wouldn't linger on it, and he wouldn't make her feel like less of a woman for having never come with a man before.
"Maybe he wasn't doin' it right," he replied with a smirk. Carol couldn't help herself. She laughed. She fucking laughed, and it was so beautiful the way her eyes twinkled and the way the flush spread down her neck and over her freckled chest.
"Is this what you had planned?" she asked with a grin, letting go of his wrist so he could tug at her jeans some more.
"No," he replied. "Didn't have a damned thing planned past gettin' here, but I like the way this is goin'." Carol laughed again, and it made his heart soar. "Lift your ass." Carol smirked and did as he asked so he could pull her jeans down her legs. He got them down far enough that Carol could kick her boots off and then shift her jeans off with her feet. Then he was tugging on his own zipper, and Carol couldn't help but blush the moment she saw his dick in his hand, hard and ready. He gave it a few pumps in his fist, and Carol's hands were on his back, moving over his ass, clawing his jeans down his hips and pulling him closer.
He could tell by the surprised reaction when he didn't just move to push in right away that she was used to just getting right down to it, and he couldn't help but grin to himself when he began to kiss his way down her throat and chest.
"What…what are you…oh!" He wasted no time in spreading her legs and stroking her with his calloused but surprisingly gentle fingers. She gripped his shoulders then, biting off a cry as her head smacked against the glass counter. If it hurt, she didn't let on, and she closed her eyes, letting him work her over into a whimpering, shivering frenzy.
He couldn't get over how beautiful she was, how absolutely breathtaking she looked spread out before him on the counter. He'd never really taken his time before, not like this. He knew they should be getting back to the farm, but he wasn't ready to give up this time just yet. He hadn't expected this at all, but it was happening, and there was absolutely nothing he wanted more in this moment than to see the look on her face when she came, and he was not about to give up at that need.
She was squirming now, eyes rolling behind her lids, fingers slipping against the sweat that broke out over his arms, mouth slack as she gasped for breath like a fish out of water while he kissed her stomach. Then he was between her thighs, kissing them while he ran his thumbs along her hip bones. She lifted off the counter briefly, and he held her back down, sweeping his tongue over her soaking core. He couldn't help himself. He was like a man starved, and there was nothing keeping him from this.
"Daryl!" she panted out, fingers stretching out to find purchase in his hair. He chuckled against her before teasing her again, spreading her with his fingers so he could flick at her clit with his tongue. "Oh….God!"
He didn't have to work very hard for very long before he felt her whole body tense before him. He stopped touching her then and pulled back to watch her fly, gathering the strength to crawl back over her.
"Oh my God," she breathed after a few moments. "Daryl…that was…I've never…"
"Shh," he murmured, crawling over her, pressing kisses to her forehead and then her lips. He pulled back to see those gorgeous blue eyes flooded with tears. "You ok?" She nodded.
"I'm good," she promised, relaxing against the counter as he settled against her, hip to hip. Then he was kissing her, slow and soft, hands against her face and in her hair, and he began to push into her, slowly, easing into her as gently as he could while every fiber of his being stretched the thresholds of his patience. His body was on the verge of snapping, of giving into his primal urges to fuck her hard and fast. She whimpered against his lips, and he soothed the ache with tender kisses, distracting her as her body adjusted to him. He didn't know what she wanted, what she needed, but when her fingers dug into his shoulders and she bucked her hips up, pulling him closer until he filled her completely, his main goal was just making sure she went away with this knowing that sex could be fun for both of them. In very few words, she'd managed to sum up the entirety of her sex life with her husband, and while it angered him that Ed hadn't known what a fucking angel his wife was, it thrilled him to think that he could be the one to show her everything she'd been missing.
She was all around him, her scent, her skin, her heartbeat. It was overwhelming, and he had to bury his face against her neck and pray this wasn't over too damned fast when her muscles began to squeeze around him.
He hadn't felt anything like this in a long time, and it was a struggle to keep his composure, keep going, and he began to move, slowly at first, pulling back to see her face, to gauge her comfort, and when he hesitated briefly, her eyes fluttered open, and she reached for him.
"Don't stop," she urged. "Please don't stop." At her urgings, he grabbed her behind the knees and shifted so he could push into her, fast and deep, and she bit her cries out against the back of her hand. He was dizzy with pleasure, and his whole body ached for release. Carol was reaching for him, fingers gripping at his forearms as he picked up the speed, slamming into her, filling her, pulling out and sliding back home.
He held on, praying he could make it last until he felt her tremble beneath him again, until he heard the gasping sighs as her fingers dug into his muscles, pulling him closer, holding onto him as she went over the edge, and when he heard the whimpers begin to grow, the moans begin to turn into cries of passion, he sped up and pumped his hips against hers until he heard the glass counter groan beneath them. Then he let go, and he collapsed against her, and she buried her face against his chest, pressing kisses there as she came down from her own spiraling high.
"Jesus," he panted, pressing kisses along her jaw line as her hands moved over the planes of his back. He pulled back, pulling out of her and shifting so he wasn't crushing her against the glass countertop. He didn't know what the hell to say, and he never did right after, but the look in her eyes and the grin that spread over her face as she watched him watching her more than made up for his awkward silence.
"That was probably not the smartest thing we could have done," she chuckled, sitting up and wiping her forehead with the back of her hand.
"Probably not. Any regrets?"
"Of course not," she chuckled. "That was…I don't…I don't have words." He kissed her shoulder and brushed his thumb over that spot before he hopped up off the counter and started gathering their clothes.
"Speechless, huh?" he asked with a smirk.
"Oh shut up. Don't get cocky on me now."
"You weren't complainin' a minute ago," he pointed out. She rolled her eyes, but before she could say another word, the sound of banging against the back door interrupted their thoughts. "Talk about wakin' the dead," he muttered, as they worked quickly to pull their clothes back on and get the hell out of there.
...
By the time Daryl turned back onto the old dirt road that led up to the Greene farm, the sun was almost set, and dusk had swept over the fields. Carol was relaxed, happy as she sat in the passenger's seat with the window down and a cool breeze whipping through the cab.
He glanced at her from time to time, admiring the glow she seemed to have about her, and he took a little pride in the fact that he could make her smile and that he'd managed to take her mind off of things, even if it had only been for a little while.
The house was lit up when they approached, and he felt Carol's warm fingers curl around his own against the bench seat. He glanced down at their hands and then at her, but she wasn't looking at him. She was staring up at the house, where the other members of their group and the Greene family were wandering in and out of the front door and sitting along the porch eating and drinking and having a good time.
"Gonna join the party?" Daryl asked.
"Mmm. You, too?"
"For a while. You sleepin' in the house tonight?"
"Thought I might try sleeping in my tent tonight," she said with a little shrug. "I could use some fresh air." He nodded then, wondering if she was expecting him to join her, or if she was planning on joining him. He felt a little unsettled and a little anxious, not certain what the next move was supposed to be, or if she even wanted there to be a next move. But he didn't have much time to think about it.
He cut the engine, and they hopped out of the truck as Rick, Shane, T-Dog and Dale came walking over.
"Any luck?" Rick asked, holding a fried chicken leg in one hand.
"Some," Daryl grunted, hoisting a box out of the back of the truck. "That chicken?"
"Patricia made it. It's good," Rick said with a nod.
"Good," Daryl smirked, shoving a box into Rick's arms. "M'starvin'. Worked up an appetite, you know?"
"You run into trouble?" Shane asked, eyeing Carol and then Daryl.
"Just a little," Carol replied, slinging her new crossbow over her shoulder and heading up to the house to join their friends for dinner.