Chapter 10: Seduction and Flirtation

The cabin was still as if no live at all stirred within its walls. Beth eased into the bathroom and back out, trying her best not to wake Daryl. She found it completely flattering that he would take the room adjoined with hers.

She had to fight with herself not to ease his door open to watch him sleeping. They had a moment last night and she was eager to have another.

As she twisted her hair up into a bun, she jogged down the stairs to find Merle passed out on the couch, his naked body on display. She rolled her eyes, then placed the throw over the back on him.

Several empty beer bottles laid on the floor next to the couch, as well as a plate of half eaten food.

"You have a good heart, but you're a pig," she giggled as she cleaned up Merle's mess.

Beth started breakfast, mixing up a batch of chocolate chip pancakes and bacon. She set out four plates, made a pot of coffee and set out the container of orange juice. Merle would be sleeping off his late night party for most of the morning, so she didn't set him a plate.

As she sat the last plate on the breakfast bar, she saw the notepad with the finished lyrics on it. Daryl had not only added a new bridge, but he wrote some intense lyrics. The new cords added a grunge feel to the song and in a key that matched her pitch.

After the pancakes and bacon had been plated, she called up the stairs for them to come down to eat. She grabbed a strip of bacon and the notepad as she wandered off to the basement. The recording studio and lounge stretched out over the span of the basement. She felt like a kid at Christmas with all the mixing equipment and musical instruments.

With an acoustic guitar in hand, she sat down behind the sound mic and began to strum out the song Daryl had written from her meager words.

~~ OO ~~

Daryl heard Beth's voice echoing from down stairs. He could smell bacon before his head had even lifted from his pillow.

Glenn knocked on his door, asking if he was awake as he slowly opened the door.

"Do you smell that? Beth's been cooking." Glenn grinned back at him from the door as Tara whizzed by them.

"Come on sleepy heads… before Merle gets into the food!" Tara shouted back up to them, then let out a squeal when she reached the bottom step.

Daryl and Glenn both rushed down the stairs to see Carol standing in the living room, while Merle was leaning back on the couch in all his glory.

"Mornin' ladies… like what ya see? Play yer cards right, Carol and all of this could be yers." Merle grabbed his erect cock and stroked it.

Daryl tore pass Glenn and Tara, jerking Merle off the couch and towards the downstairs bathroom.

Glenn started laughing as Daryl manhandled his brother. "He's a smooth one. Seducing a married woman and this one here doesn't even like dick."

Tara looked back at him with a large smirk on her face. "And the only other woman in the house is too busy trying to get in his brother's pants."

Daryl tossed Merle in the bathroom, along with the pair of pants he found in the hallway. "Get dressed and stop bein' a total dickwad."

"I'm wearin' her down. Me and Carol… it's gonna happen." Merle pulled the pants on and walked out. Daryl placed his hand on his chest, pushing him back against the wall.

"No… you need to sober up. Don't go back out there until yer showered and changed." Daryl was about to go to the kitchen when he heard Beth's powerhouse of a voice singing the song he'd finished last night.

He slowly made his way to the basement door, listening intently to the each word as it was masterfully crooned.

"Let me wrap you up in my velvet, let me wrap you up in my love," Beth's voiced filled the room and every inch of his being. His heart slowed to a sluggish beat as he leaned into the wall and watched her behind the glass.

When the words, eye fuck, came from her perfect pink lips, his dick became instantly hard. His eyes were drawn to her mouth and his thoughts of how wonderful those lips would feel around the head of his cock.

"Daryl?" Beth stood up and placed the guitar down on the stool.

"Sounds great, Beth. I think we could probably bang this song out by tonight." The pale blush that covered her cheeks made him wonder what he'd said to cause such a reaction.

"Did you like the pancakes?" Beth walked back in the sound room to retrieve the notepad.

"Haven't had any. Had to deal with Merle." Daryl waited for her by the stairs, placing his hand on her shoulder as she walked by. His eyes wandered to the tight little ass she was unconsciously swaying.

Beth let out a chuckle as they reached the top of the stairs. "I got a good look at Merle's full moon this morning."

Daryl shook his head, hoping this brief experience with Merle's true self didn't scar her for life.

"Didn't you want to go see her ma today?" The question came out as if his subconscious pushed it out.

She stopped in the middle of the hallway and turned to look at him. The joy etched on her face and in her eyes was all the answer he needed.

"You would seriously do that for me?" Her bottom lip began to tremble, so Daryl pulled her in his arms. He stroked the back of her soft, golden hair as his lips kissed the flaxen strands.

"Yeah. I think you need it and it will help you write. Ain't that what we're here for?" A small smile crept across his lips as the idea of her on the back of his dirt bike with her arms tight around him flashed in his mind.

Beth nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a female voice say Daryl's name. She pushed herself out of Daryl's warm embrace as her fingers skimmed the impressive bulging biceps that had just given her comfort.

"Hey, Carol. Sorry about Merle." Daryl's shoulders slumped forward, making Beth's core ache. She pulled her knees together, adding to the pressure that was building at her apex.

"This must be Beth. Hello, I'm Carol." Carol offered Beth her hand and she shook it. She remembered Rick talking about his assistant, Carol and that she had just gotten out of a bad marriage.

"Nice to finally put a face to the name. Rick told me all about you." Beth's breathing and heartbeat had just returned to normal, when Daryl slid his large, warm hand on the small of her back.

"I won't be in the way long. Need to make a store list, make an appointment for Theodore to come in and see if there's anything besides food, you'll be needing." Carol winked at Daryl, taking in his demeanor.

Beth wasn't sure why Daryl's hand was on her back, but she wasn't about to ask him to remove it. She felt safe with Daryl, protected in a way.

"I'm good. What about you, Beth?" Daryl looked down into her deep blue eyes, seeing something he hadn't before. Her pupils were growing darker as they locked on his.

"Yeah, I'm good. Maybe some rocky road ice cream and a new notepad." The hallway was becoming hotter by the second. She wasn't sure if it was the way Daryl was looking at her or the fact his hand hadn't left her back, but she needed some cool air and some space.

Beth saw the bathroom just to her left and dart into it. Daryl started to follow after her, but Carol stopped him.

"She's pretty." Carol smiled back at him, noticing how he couldn't stop staring at the closed bathroom door.

"Yeah… she's pretty cool. She's can sing and work a crowd. I wasn't sold on her or her pop princess look, but she's proved me wrong, time and time again." Daryl finally turned his gaze to Carol, who was studying him hard.

"It's okay, Daryl." Carol bumped her shoulder into his, gaining a blush from him.

"What?" Daryl acted like he didn't hear her, knowing full well she was telling it's okay to date again.

Carol was right. It had been over a year since he and Kay broke up and since then, he'd only had one night stands or quick fucks in various places. He needed more, but he wasn't about to open up his fragile heart, not while it still felt so raw.

She patted him on the back, knowing he understood her plain and clear. "I'll make sure you have your cigarettes, energy drinks and ice."

Daryl nodded back at her, then suddenly twisted his head to look at her. "Ice?"

Carol walked off, smirking all the way to the kitchen. Daryl was glad she was gone, she had this way of making him blush like a teenager.

Suddenly he was torn between staying put in the hallway to wait for Beth and going off to the kitchen with Carol. He was still wearing that full metal jacket around his heart, but Beth had managed to loosen it just a bit.

Part of him wanted to talk to Carol. She had cared for him like family, had become a surrogate sister, and she could see that little spark that Kay had tried to extinguish, returning.

"Beth made pancakes if you want some," he said as he walked towards Carol, but keeping his eyes on the bathroom door.

~~OO~~

Beth leaned against the vanity, taking several deep breaths and looking down at her shaking hands. There was something about Daryl that drew her to him. Since the day they met, she felt this invisible pull. It was as if he was a steel and she was a magnet. She'd be pulled to him, even across the universe.

"Get it together, Greene. Don't flake out now," she said to herself as she splashed cool water on her face. She opened the door to find Merle leaning up against the wall, grinning back at her.

"Little brother sure is smitten with you, kitten." Merle made purring noises as he walked towards her.

"Whatever," she dismissed him and his teases as she raced back up to her room to get ready to go see her parents.

Merle followed after her, giving her a little bit of Dixon advice. "I'm tellin' ya this only because my baby brother has a good heart and he deserves a good woman... like you. Don't be in any hurry with Daryl. He's like a good bottle of Scotch. He needs to sit on the shelf for a little while, so when you do open him up... he'll be smooth."

Beth placed her white lace leggings, ripped jeans and black tank with white musical floating across it over her arm. She turned her face just enough to look back at Merle as he lingered in her doorway.

"Thanks, Merle. We're just friends, but..." Beth pondered her next words for a moment, making Merle grin. "if we ever become not friends, I'll make sure to buy you a bottle of Scotch."

"I'll hold ya to that, Blondie." Merle gave her a wink as his grin became a full blown smile.

Tara came in her room as she was getting dressed from her shower. She was still chewing on a strip of bacon and she perched up on the vanity in the bathroom.

"Daryl said, Velvet is a go. We're gonna go over the sheet music and rehearse a few times. Carol's calling T-Dog to come in tomorrow to do a recording session. Maybe we'll even have a recording to send back to Rick. I was thinking we could work on another song by Friday. Loved to get two songs done so Rick will let us out of Hotel Grimes." Tara watched Beth as she pulled her hair back in a high ponytail.

"Sure. My songbook is downstairs, I think. You and Glenn pick one out and we'll go over the lyrics. Just so you know... Daryl reworked Velvet. It's good. I left the notepad down in the studio if you want to go over it," she pulled on her cropped denim jacket and laced up her black Chucks before she hurried out of her bedroom and down the stairs.

Daryl was sitting out by the pool with Merle and Glenn was busy going over the supply list with Carol. She made her way out to the pool and nearly swallowed her tongue when she saw Daryl wearing a tight black t-shirt, dark jeans, Glenn's Detroit hat and sunglasses. With the various tattoos over his arms, he looked every bit the rock star.

One tattoo caught her eye. It was the same tattoo that she stared at the first time they met. The Triumph motorcycle cycle with Double Entendre's logo on the tank and a busty blonde stretched over the handlebars.

"You ready?" Daryl asked as he stood up and extended his hand.

"Where you two off too?" Merle picked up the cup of coffee Carol had made him and let his eyes take in the uncomfortable look on Daryl's face.

A believable lie must have come to Beth first, making Daryl let out his held breath. "For a walk. I think better after some fresh air and since Daryl is my writing partner, I'm gonna need him close to bounce some ideas off of."

"Ideas? Sure... okay... have fun, kids." Merle raised up from his chair, smiling so hard his face hurt.

Daryl took Beth's hand, pulling her around the back of the cabin and out towards the dirt path that lead up the mountain side.

"I can go into town while you visit with yer folks," he offered, but she shook her head no.

"My mom ain't gonna let you leave. She's got this rule about feeding and getting to know the boys I bring home," she immediately cupped her hand over her mouth as soon as the words came out. Her face beamed a bright red that burnt all the way down her neck.

Daryl tried not to chuckle at her embarrassment, but she was just too darn cute. "You got it, darlin'. I'll stay around, unless yer pa runs me off."

They both share a laugh as they walk up the trail, still hand in hand.

I can promise you that their friendship will only grow while they are in the cabin as well as the sexual tension between them. Thanks for the reviews and follows.

As always... Bethyl On!