I know that this story is kind of slow. I wasn't sure where it was even going to go when I wrote it, only that I couldn't leave the first one hanging like that lol. Obviously. So, thank you for sticking around! And for being patient! It's appreciated!

Chapter Twelve

He stepped out of the shower and dried off quickly. He'd had two choices in the shower. He could smell like a man that didn't believe in soap or he could smell like a fucking fruit roll up. So he'd gone with the lesser of two evils and used the kids soap and now he smelled like a goddamn pineapple. But that was okay. He'd smelled worse. Maybe she wouldn't make fun of him.

He swiped his hand across the mirror and secured the towel around his waist, staring at his reflection. It was strange that he didn't look different than he had when he had looked at himself that very morning at the house in Augusta. It seemed odd to have your entire universe turned on it's axis and it not leave some kind of physical mark.

But that wasn't really true. Upon closer inspection he could see clearly that his eyes were different, clearer. His shoulders were square, no longer weighed down with the burden of what felt like a lifetime of losses.

He didn't want to put the clothes he had worn all day back on but he didn't have anything else. Maybe she would have something that he could just sleep in. She'd said herself that there were a few things left in the van, even though he was pretty sure he'd outgrown them. He shook his head at the thought.

He had gotten a girl pregnant before he had even finished growing. Jesus Christ. But it was true. He was a few inches taller and much wider than he had been back then. He took the clothes with him to the bedroom door and hesitated for a second. Should he knock? Was this their room now or... He wasn't sure what the hell protocol was for this kind of situation.

Finally he decided that this was okay and he walked right into the room. She must not have heard him come in because she was sitting cross legged in the middle of the huge bed, a book in her lap. He stood there staring like an idiot but he couldn't stop and he couldn't look away. He wasn't sure if she slept in the kind of thing that she was wearing now all the time or if this was just kind of a special occasion and she decided to pull out all the stops but he sure as fuck appreciated it, regardless of the reason. It was low cut and lacy and hugged her tightly. The creamy color of it set off her pale skin and auburn hair and he found himself unable to swallow.

He cleared his throat, the bundle of clothes gripped hard in his hands in front of himself. She looked up sharply and then grinned.

"You're naked," she said, her eyes dancing.

He snorted. "No I ain't. I'm wearin' a towel. Didn't you say that you had some stuff you found in the van?" He didn't know why he was finding it so hard to breathe in here.

She nodded, and then stretched her legs out in front of her, crossing her feet at the ankles, tossing her book to the side and leaning back on her arms. "You sure you want to sleep in clothes? I know this is the first time in your life that you actually get to sleep on silk sheets. You might as well stick to the bare minimal when it comes to dress so you can actually enjoy it."

She was the fucking Devil, looking at him like that. Now that she was stretched out he could see that the top was matched with a pair of barely there shorts that left very little to the imagination. Jesus Christ. He gripped his clothes even harder, suddenly feeling unprepared, almost like he had that first night in that motel room. It'd been a long time...

"Daryl?"

"Huh?"

"Drop the damn clothes," she said, watching him.

He nodded. "Right," he muttered, tossing the armful right onto the floor and stalking towards the bed like a man with a purpose.

She scrambled onto her knees as soon as he was next to the bed his hand going for the towel that was still wrapped securely around his waist. It hit the floor seconds before his knees hit the mattress. Her mouth was on his before he could even get one arm around her. When he did he lifted her easily and she didn't hesitate before she wrapped her legs around his waist.

He expected her night clothes to have a rough feel but as he slid his hands over her back it proved to be soft. He forced himself to lower her gently but all he wanted to do was throw her onto her back and rip those fucking clothes off. Five years was a long goddamn time for a man to go without any kind of sexual release other than his own damn hand.

He felt the bite of her nails in his back once he had her on the bed. She pulled her mouth away from his and bit her lip as she moved up into him. Suddenly those sexy bottoms became incredibly offensive since they were all that separated him from actually sinking into her now. In the back of his mind he wondered how often the kids barged into her bedroom. And then something else occurred to him that he hadn't really thought of, but seriously should have.

He raised up on his arms, looking down at her and nearly lost his train of thought at the look of pleasure on her face. "If we do this, what are the odds of you getting pregnant again?" He panted.

She shook her head. "Can't. A had my tubes tied a few years ago." Even though the conversation wasn't really a sexy one she planted her feet on the bed and rolled her hips up in to his.

He groaned and rolled, putting her on top of him. Now she had more room to move and goddamn, could the woman move, sliding over him. He could feel the heat rolling off of her, feel how wet she was already and he hadn't even gotten her clothes off.

She bent her elbows, coming down so her mouth was able to leave a wet trail down his throat as her ass went up, giving him a clear view of the straight line of her spine, her slender waist and then the feminine flair of her hips. Her teeth sank into the tender skin of his stomach and his breath left him in a rush.

She was getting dangerously close and he wanted it, to feel her lips around him. To watch her take him into her mouth until she almost choked. Goddamn, he wanted it bad. But he also knew that if she did, this was over. There was no way he could hold off if he tried to endure that slow torment.

So, he gripped her by her hair and hauled her back up before she had a chance, rolling again so she was trapped under him. She grinned up at him and he found himself grinning back before he started working her shirt up. She raised her arms, making it easier for him. His mouth watered once he finally had the garment tossed away somewhere in the shadows further into the room.

She was just as eager as he was because suddenly her hand was in his hair, urging his head down to her breast. As soon as his lips closed over the peak she arched into him, a small cry escaping her. He sucked hard, dragging his teeth over the sensitive flesh before switching to the other, lavishing it with just as much attention before she was pushing him down further.

He grinned against the warm skin of her stomach, taking his time just because he could. Even though he was actually in physical pain now. He was rock hard, aching to get inside her, but he wanted, no, he needed to taste her. He ran his nose along the low slung waistband of her shorts, breathing deeply the scent of her arousal. It was so familiar, like it hadn't been years since he had been with her like this but mere days.

She whispered his name, and though it was barely audible, it slammed into him with a force of a blow. He had been hungry for her before, had been hungry for her for years, but now he was fucking ravenous. He raised up quickly, hooked his fingers through the waistband of her shorts and nearly ripped them in his haste to get them off of her. Without missing a beat he shoved her legs wide and wasted no time.

He groaned as her taste flooded his mouth, reveled in the feel when her body jerked as his tongue traced her. He could read her like a book, knew exactly what she wanted just by subtle movements of her body and he was once again wrapped up in that place that only she could take him. Nothing existed but them and now.

His eyes shot up when she let out a strangled cry, her hands fisting into his hair painfully. Reflexively her body tried to move away, unaccustomed to the intensity of her orgasm but he locked an arm around her waist and forced her to stay still until it was over. When her fingers loosened in his hair and her panting breath was all he could hear he finally moved away.

~H~

Before she could even catch her breath he was right there, hovering over her with a predatory look in his eyes. His mouth came down on hers, cutting off any sounds she could have made as he pushed into her. Her eyes widened and a low growl rumbled in his chest. She had been deprived of this for so long that it took a few seconds for her body to adjust to him. She half expected to hear the sound of a coyote singing in the distance, the rush of the falls that they had parked the van near all those years ago. She was right back there in her mind.

The onslaught of memories that hit her had her eyes tearing up, her emotions riding on a strange sea of sensation that her mind and body were trying desperately to comprehend. But it wasn't a new experience. This was the way it was every time they had been together. It was why she knew that she'd never be able to be with anyone but him. What they had was different. As stupid as it would sound if she had ever said it out loud, their bond was like something... sacred. Not something anyone could get over. Ever.

Her legs wrapped around him, pulling him tighter against her when she felt the sting of his teeth on her shoulder. He cursed under his breath, slowing his movements and she smiled. She felt bad for him, trying to hold on like that. It had been a long time so if he blew it too soon, she wouldn't fault him. But he must have fought through it because his pace picked back up after a moment, deeper and harder than before, jarring her and forcing her to tighten her legs around him. She felt the sweet pressure building inside of her and shuddered around him as her shoulders pressed further into the mattress.

His lips caught hers just before she cried out. This time it came on slowly, building and then wracking through her over and over. He ran his work roughened hand up the back of her thigh, forcing her leg up further, moving deeper, faster, until she thought she would pass out from the raw pleasure. As the last wave hit her his body tensed, he slowed growling into her throat.

She wasn't ready to let him go. She wanted to keep him as close as she could for as long as she could. She was even afraid to sleep, like that would be a waste of precious time with him. He let go of her leg and she let it fall. She felt like she didn't have the energy to even move at the moment.

"I think I'm bleedin'," he said, his voice heavy and rough.

She frowned and pushed at his shoulders until he was propped up on his elbows, looking down at her. "What are you..." She laughed. "Oops." He had claw marks on either side of his neck and though they looked painful, they weren't bleeding. "I think you'll live."

"You think so?" he asked lazily. He raised up on his arms and then finally pulled away from her. She scrambled under the blanket, seeking out his body heat since the cool air was hitting her over heated skin.

"I do. You gotta get some sleep," she yawned. "You have to get up at three thirty. Even though we're perfectly financially stable and you don't have to work so hard."

He snorted and pulled her closer so she was nearly draped over him now. "How do you know I gotta work hard? Maybe I'm one of those that takes it easy."

She smiled and left him long enough to turn the small lamp off, then went right back to her spot, draped over his chest. "Because you have the build of a man that works hard. And your hands," she muttered, her fingers running over his side. "They're all rough. Shows you use them and you use them for manual labor."

He sighed. "I ain't gonna sit on my ass. I don't mind hard work. But I'll find somethin' closer. I have to give Russel some time to get somebody else though. I can't just leave him short handed. He's been damn good to me over the years."

She hummed in the back of her throat while his hands traced patterns over her spine. She was trying to fight it but it was no use. The steady beat of his heart under her ear lulled her to sleep quickly.