I pondered several different ways to take the next step for this couple and decided to just rip the band aid off in one fell swoop. I'm glad y'all like it.

Yeah, Glenn was a little out there with Daryl. But I'm guessing Maggie put him up to it. And when Maggie says jump, Glenn says "How high?"

Side note: I am a lady in the court of Queen Kaye (aka SOA lovin mom). Ya mess with her ya mess with me. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then this doesn't apply to you.

I really liked writing this Daryl. In all my other fics he's a virgin, so it was nice to write him with at least a tiny bit of game.

Please let me know how it worked for ya!

Amber had felt an ice cold wave hit her body when she heard the crash. There was no doubt who was standing right outside the door. That was just how her luck ran.

It was confirmed when the curses hit her ears. She had ran to the door and couldn't even look at Daryl. She just hit auto pilot, getting down on her knees to pick up the shards of glass. It was either that or end up crying her eyes out like she had this morning. Except this time, she wouldn't have a broad tattooed chest to cry into.

Only the three largest pieces of glass made their way into her hands before he spoke.

"Stop."

His boots were directly in front of her and she refused to look any higher, the shame making her wish the floor would go ahead and soak her up like it was doing the liquor. She shook her head and picked up another piece, realizing in the back of her head that Maggie had made a sudden exit sometime after the bottle hit the floor, the little chickenshit.

Daryl squatted down in front of her. "Yer barefoot, and in shorts with yer knees in it. Just. Fuckin. Stop.!" he didn't raise his voice until the last sentence when he realized he was being ignored.

Amber reached for another piece of glass and was suddenly lifted from the floor. All the glass in her hand fell back onto the weathered pine as Daryl threw her over his shoulder without even grunting. He took the space between the door and the kitchen in two long strides and sat her firmly on the counter. She felt the Formica shudder under her as his hands slammed down beside her hips, effectively pinning her in place without touching her. Amber still looked down, refusing to cry, refusing to look at him because she knew what she would see. He was pissed, close to what she had seen on him at Jake's. Except this time it was at her. He was probably ashamed of her too, of what she had done to their friendship. But what she feared the most was the hurt. He had extended himself to someone for what could have very well been the first time in his life and she couldn't leave DAMN WELL ENOUGH ALONE as usual and screwed it up.

"I ain't askin but once. Did ya mean what ya said?"

His voice had an odd strangled sound she had never heard and that was what finally brought her eyes to meet his. Anger, shame, and hurt weren't even close to what she saw in that blue.

Fear.

Hope

And something else she had never seen before on him, that seemed to turn his eyes from the color of faded denim to almost navy.

This was her out. She could fix it as much as it could be fixed. She could say she was jerking Maggie's chain and they could try to pick up the pieces of what was left of their friendship.

"Yes. Every word."

Daryl was faster than that rattlesnake could have ever dreamed of being. His lips were on hers before she could register what he was doing. One hand was grasping the back of her neck, pulling her roughly to him while the other grasped her jaw, thumb on one side, fingers on the other. The kiss was desperate, rough, bordering on brutal. It was full of raw want, for her, something Amber had never experienced.

It was exactly what she needed.

After a split second of shock she responded in kind. With her sitting on the counter they were nearly the same height so she wound one arm around his neck so her fingers could clutch at his hair. The other hand fisted his shirt over his heart and pulled him to her. She stopped trying to think, stopped even trying to breathe. For the first time in a long time, Amber just felt, tasted, just fucking was. And it was easily the best thing she had ever experienced in her twenty seven years.

Daryl moved the hand from her jaw to run it down the outside of her hip, the rough callouses sending cold chills up her back. When he got to her knee he hooked his fingers under it and pulled her to the edge of the counter against him. She felt growing bulge in his jeans brush against her and she instinctively tried to press closer. Daryl groaned then, opening his mouth and Amber took the opportunity. She slid her tongue across his lower lip and then sought further.

He was so warm, almost hot and tasted of smoke in a raging primal way. There was a bare undertone of something sweet too and Amber smiled against him when she realized it was her sweet tea that he had been drinking all day. Who would have thought a man like him would taste sugary.

Their tongues met and she moaned quietly when his slid over her lower teeth and began to explore her mouth. The kiss was slowly becoming softer and easier as they relaxed into it.

Finally, they pulled back to catch their breath. Both of Amber's arms were draped over Daryl's shoulders and his hands were on the tops of her thighs, thumbs brushing over the skin below the hem of her shorts. They just looked at each other for several long seconds, panting through slightly opened mouths as their bodies tried to shunt oxygen through pounding hearts and to racing brains.

"Woman, ya scare the shit outta me." Daryl admitted, his voice low and husky.

Amber nodded. "Same here, Desperado. Now kiss me again."

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

Amber tasted just like she smelled, like rain and crystal clear springs. Her mouth was so damn cool against Daryl's own overheated one that it reminded him of how it felt to drink ice water after working outside all day in the sun.

The second kiss wasn't as frantic, but there was still an urgency on both their parts. Daryl cautiously brushed his fingers against the bottom of one of her breasts. Amber nodded once without breaking their kiss, arching her back to encourage that hand. The weight of it filled his palm and fingers and he knew, even through her clothes, that she had the best tits of anyone he had ever been with. He cupped the generous swell and then brushed his thumb over the peak.

Amber's reaction was immediate, breaking the kiss to moan low in her throat and bringing her knees up to hook over Daryl's hips and tug him against her more firmly. He had the thought that if they didn't stop soon, he was going to end up fucking her right there on that countertop while they had guests outside. And in that moment, it sounded like the best idea he had in a long time.

He felt her hands slip under the hem of his shirt, to his lower back and he froze, all the bravado brought on by his eavesdropping disappearing. Eyes closed tight, he moved his hands to grip her arms, stilling her motions.

"Daryl, now you stop. I saw them this morning."

He didn't move, his voice a whisper. "Why didn't ya say somethin?"

She shrugged under his grip. "Nothing to say. There're old, someone hurt you when you were little. I figured you'd tell me if and when you were ready."

He looked up at her from under his hair. "M'backs worse."

Amber pressed her forehead against his and sighed. "I figured. I'm not asking you to take your shirt off right now, just to let me touch you. But if you don't want me to, that's alright too. It won't change how I feel."

Daryl took a few long moments to even out his breathing before letting go of her arms. He buried his head into her shoulder and leaned in, his unspoken consent halting and tense as he braced himself on the counter.

Her hands slowly crept up under his shirt and he expected her to pull back when she got to the deep scar that ran across his lower back. It was one of the worst ones. But her fingers passed over, soothing it with their coolness against his own fevered flesh.

It was the most intimate thing Daryl had ever ever experienced. Even during the few times he had sought a drunk release, fumbling in his truck with some woman he picked up from a bar, he had never taken off his shirt or let them put their hands underneath. Somehow, this that he was allowing Amber was more baring than sex itself.

Her fingertips were stroking his mid back now, it was as far as the buttoned shirt would let her go. He found himself relaxing back into her caresses, it still scared him but at the same time it felt so damn good. Then he straightened up and pulled away a little and he saw Amber's face suddenly fill with worry. He kissed her once on the lips quickly to reassure her.

"Just hold on a minute."

Daryl stepped over to the window and looked out at the yard and the pond beyond it.

"What are they doing? Do we need to go out?" Amber asked from where she was perched, her disappointment obvious.

Daryl shook his head. "Nah, she's swimmin' and he's sittin on the dock watchin'. Think we're okay for a few."

He shut the door and came back to her, nervously working the buttons on his shirt.

"Like this," he breathed, "but it stays on, a'ight?"

She nodded and he kissed her, this time slow and easy. Her hands slid across his chest then, tracing his tattoo before trailing down across his stomach. She moved under the fabric, returning to his back, moving up higher now that the shirt was loosed.

One of his hands was creeping under her own top now, and she gasped in surprise when he palmed her breast and gently squeezed. Daryl's other hand buried itself in her hair, using it to shift her head so he could begin to use his lips and tongue on her jaw, trailing kisses down her neck. He took a chance and nipped at sensitive skin where her neck met her shoulder.

Amber jerked as if shot and her nails dug into his back for a second as she cried out. Daryl almost moved back in shock but she stopped him.

"Again...please..."

He bit her harder this time, while rolling her nipple through her bra with his thumb. She shuddered under him. He had never done anything like this with anyone and honestly had no clue how to continue. All he knew was she tasted and smelled so damn good and he wanted more.

Amber brought her hands back around again as he continued to work at her neck and shoulder. She lightly raked her nails down his chest to his stomach and he growled, tugging at the hem of her shirt. She lifted her arms without hesitation so he could pull it over her head and immediately went to unclasp her bra. Daryl pulled the straps down her arms and tossed it on the couch. His eyes widened and red crept up his cheeks as he looked at her.

Amber grinned at his reaction and leaned back on her hands on the counter, giving him time to adjust. He ran one hand up her stomach to fill it with one of the firm globes.

"...best fuckin' titties I ever seen."

Daryl looked up at her face then, his blush deepening as he realized he had said it out loud. She just chuckled.

"You're such a smooth talker..."

Now both his hands were on her, rough callouses dragging over sensitive skin, making her hum and tremble. He leaned forward and picked up where he left off on her shoulder. Slowly, he pushed her farther back and adjusted his hands and arms until his elbows were on the counter and she lay back in his hands under him. His mouth was moving across her chest, tongue leaving a damp trail in his wake. He neared her breast and her hands found his hair, silently urging him to the hard pink bud that tightened in anticipation even as he approached. It was all she could do, she was completely at his mercy in his hands leaned back and legs dangling off the floor.

Finally he sucked the hard peak into his hot mouth and she bucked underneath him, his name coming out of her mouth. His tongue flicked over it and her hips jerked up, her legs coming up and around his waist.

"Daryl..." she whimpered.

"Mmmmmmm?" he hummed around her nipple.

"What are we doing?"

"Fuck if I know..." he answered, moving his attentions to the other breast.

"Okay."

He sat her up then and their mouths met, tongues battling each other for dominance. His hands were constantly moving, her throat to her breasts across her stomach and then back up to do it again.

"We need to stop..." she breathed against his lips.

"Yeah, don't need ta do this here..." he agreed, hands still moving nonstop as she ground her hips against him.

"You're supposed to be setting up ..." she gasped, suddenly cut off as he rolled both nipples between rough thumbs and forefingers simultaneously.

"the grill?" he snorted before ducking his head into her neck. "and yer supposed ta be makin' potato salad." he murmured against her skin, making her squirm.

Her hand drifted down and slid over the member that was straining against his fly. He stiffened and cursed.

"Fuckin' hell, Amber!"

Now it was her turn to laugh. She withdrew her hand and placed it on his chin, forcing his head up to look at her.

"Trust me," she panted "I really want this. But we have guests outside, and I would rather this happen somewhere other than the kitchen counter the first time."

Daryl swallowed hard and nodded. The first time. That implied there would be more times after that. Sparks flew between his ears. He had never been with the same woman more than once.

"Yeah, me too."

He rested his head on her shoulder for a minute and then gave it a peck before withdrawing from her and buttoning his shirt. Snagging her bra and shirt from the couch, he gave them too her while looking at the floor. His former shyness had returned now that the heat of the moment had cooled a bit.

When Amber had dressed he moved to pick her up off the counter to set her on the floor but she stopped him. She looked up at him and smirked.

"I ain't got a clue what I'm doin'" he murmured dejectedly.

"Me neither. But we can figure it out. I'm serious about something though..." she trailed off.

Daryl raised an eyebrow, suddenly afraid.

"...I'm not in this for just a fuck buddy. If that's all you want then I can't."

He wound his arms around her, pulling her into his chest.

"It ain't. But I don't know how ta do this shit. Ain't never had nobody who wanted anything but that."

She nodded against him. "It's okay."

"So what do we do now?"

"I guess you go set up the grill, I'll make potato salad, and we'll cook out, drink, play some music and have fun. And we'll take it as it comes. We don't have to tell Glenn and Maggie anything if you don't want."

"I reckon they already figured it out. I cain't be like him though..."

"I know. I don't want him, I want you."

Daryl sighed and pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head before sweeping her off the counter and setting her on her feet.

"I reckon I best clean that glass up before ya get cut."