Daryl opened one eye as the sun streamed in the window, it was early, but he felt well rested. He had slept like the dead, once they had finally gone to sleep and it had only been a few hours ago. Still, he felt great even after just a few hours of sleep. Better than he had felt in a long time and it was because of her. He reached for his phone quietly and Tara had texted him. A simple thumbs up and a smiley emoji, he quickly texted her back and laid back down on the pillow.

Beside him Carol was still asleep on her stomach, her hair all over her pillow like a brilliant red crown. He sat up slightly and looked at her, listened to her breathing. He couldn't take his eyes off of her and he would have been happy to just sit there and admire her all day. The sun was shining and hitting her hair and face just right, making her look like an angel.

She looked spectacular, and his thoughts went immediately to the night before. It was the best night of his life, no doubt about that. Despite all his bravado, this was all new to him. The feelings part, the looking at her and smiling because he loved her part. It was all so new. The physical part was never a problem for him, he'd had a little experience with that, minus the feelings.

Sex had always been just sex and it had never brought feelings before.

He had been with exactly three women in his life. One was essentially a fuck buddy when he was in high school, but Sandy had done him the favor of always letting him know what did and didn't feel good, and he did the same for her. That was a gift because so many men and women had no idea what another person liked. They had been really honest and open with each other.

He remembered things and was observant and it had paid off big time last night.

Daryl and Sandy never loved each other and basically used each other as sexual Guinea pigs, but it worked for a while and he learned his way around a woman's body. But Sandy went away to college, when he was a senior in high school and that was the end of that. Eventually she stopped coming home for visits and she later married a boy that she met at school in North Carolina.

Even then he liked older women. She had been two years ahead of him in school and lived next door to him all of their lives. He was pretty sure she had slept with Tara a time or two during the years as well. Sandy had mentioned it to him, more than once that she liked girls too and she and Tara had been friendly. He never asked and really it didn't matter to him one bit.

Merle was way too old to look at Sandy, but he did, even though for him she was underage. He was well aware of what was going on with them, he didn't approve, but then Daryl had never asked for his opinion. So he kept it to himself.

Sandy had kept in touch once she was married and settled.

They talked occasionally on twitter, and he thought of her as a friend for sure. Once she and her husband had been back in town for a wedding or something and he had met them for a beer. It was a good night and it hadn't been awkward at all, Merle and Tara had been along too, and they had all gotten pretty lit. They spent hours talking about their child hood, the three of them. Her husband Don was a good guy and if he knew about him and Sandy he never said a thing. Just a night of reminiscing and stories about when they were all little kids together. Daryl was glad his friend was happy, and she was, her husband adored her.

Sandy would be happy to know about him and Carol, he would have to message her and let her know. She had been after him to open himself up to someone and now he did.

The other two times were drunken hookups, quick and unsatisfying. And now Carol. It was amazing with her, the kind of sex that made your dick ache just thinking about it.

Daryl knew what he liked and he had found it.

He had said 'I love you' to her but she hadn't said it back. He wondered if she had heard him say it, if she felt about him the way he felt about her.

He had driven 16 hours to get to her; he had never driven 20 minutes for a woman before. As he watched her, he was struck by the knowledge that he had fallen in love with her, sight unseen. He had loved her for months and being with her now was something he had never thought would happen. He hoped she wouldn't regret this and that telling her he loved her didn't scare her away.

As is on cue she rolled over and smiled at him.

"Hey." She said sitting up and not bothering to cover up. He was treated with an eyeful of her gorgeous breasts. A guy could get used to this.

"Hey." He replied.

"Sleep ok?" She asked and he nodded. He was quiet, looking at her and Carol wondered if he was really ok, he had a funny look on his face.

Carol waited a beat and then leaned forward to kiss him softly. "Me too, best sleep I've had in a while."

Daryl laughed. "That's cause you're up all night talking to that looser on Tumblr usually."

"That guy is no looser, he's a great fuck." She said getting out of the bed and heading to the bathroom. She turned back and looked at him still sitting on the bed. "About that shower…"

He didn't need to be asked twice and he could ponder the nature of their relationship another time, right now there was a beautiful woman asking him to take a shower with him. Who was he to say no? Especially after the preview of a shower together a few nights ago, that had made him drive all the way to her in the first place.

Carol turned on the water and turned back to him. "You aren't a looser." She said to him. "And I love you desperately."

Then she held out her hand for him to take and they got in the shower. The water cascaded over both of them and he took he into his arms.

"This is so much better in person." She groaned against his neck and he pulled her closer.

"You don't gotta say it, just cause I did."

"I'm not." She looked up at him, bringing her hands up his back. "But it's complicated, you know?" You're young enough to be one of my students practically.

"We'll work it out. You come visit me next month, then we'll be off the summer, before we know it." His enthusiasm warmed her heart, and she believed him, he had the ability to make her think all things were possible. But if you were one of my students, I would never be here with you.

"You make it all sound so simple." She said, giving into the feeling of his arms around her. It was so nice to feel a man's arms around her in a good way. The last few years with Ed were a nightmare and it was a shame, he hadn't been a bad man at first, but he became one.

When Ed touched her at the end it was always to hurt her, and this man's gentle touch was welcome and wanted.

"It is simple." He said, pulling her from her unhappy memories and she watched him as he soaped up his hands and brought them over her shoulders. Carol moaned out loud at the feel of him kneading her skin, he knew just how to touch her that was for sure, and she wanted more and more. "We take it one day at a time, see each other as much as we can. Talk on the phone." He grinned as he whispered that part into her ear.

He was definitely a good time. A good time, but so much more than that too. She hadn't lied when she said she loved him. She did and even though her head wondered how they could work this out, her heart knew they would.