Chapter 13

Carol woke to the sound of thunder and the flash of lightning. She moaned softly, her hands aching from the abuse she'd inflicted upon them hours before. It was dark, and she couldn't see anything except when the lightning flashed, and she felt his arms around her middle before she felt his breath against her shoulder. She suddenly remembered they'd gone back to the house in town and had dinner, and then they'd stayed up talking about their plans for looking for Sophia. After that, she'd gone to bed, and she'd asked him to stay with her until she fell asleep. Then she'd asked him to hold her, and he had, and at some point, she'd drifted off, and clearly, he had too.

She turned in his arms, facing him, feeling his steady, warm breath against her face, and she curled up against him, pulling one arm around his waist. She felt his arms instinctually tighten around her, and she sighed softly, resting her head against his chest.

She began to drift off again when a loud clap of thunder shook the windows. She felt Daryl jolt awake, and she pulled her arm tighter around his waist. He moaned softly as he slowly became aware that she was curled against him, and his hand moved down her back.

"Time is it?" he muttered sleepily.

"Not sure," she whispered softly. "Maybe early morning." He yawned, peering through the darkness, unable to make out the view of her face, but he could feel her breath against his cheek. "We should go back to sleep." Her hand curled into the back of his shirt, and he loosened his hold on her. The thunder shook the house again, and he felt her jump. His hand rubbed soothing circles on her back, and she sighed under his touch, her breath catching in her chest.

He felt her breath ghost over his jaw, and then he felt her lips press against the corner of his mouth. Her ankle hooked over his, and he groaned softly when her hand moved up the back of his shirt, running over his back, warming him with her gentle touch. He lay still, letting her explore for a moment. Her lips were suddenly on his, and he was opening up to her, and she was gasping against his mouth, exploring him with her tongue and lips and teeth. He moaned as she pressed into him further, draping her leg over his hip, the heat from her center pressing into his groin. It didn't take much friction for his dick to stir to life, and she moaned at the feeling of him hard against her, pressing into her. She bit her lip, her body sparking to life as his hands began to move under her shirt, fingers skimming over the tops of her hips.

"Hey," he murmured, as her kisses moved from his lips to his neck. "Hey."

"I don't want to think," she whispered. "I just want you." Her voice was breathy but certain, and he didn't know what the hell to do. He was torn between acting on both of their desires and between giving her some space considering everything they'd been through in the past few days. "Please." And now she was begging him. "Please, just make me forget." Her tongue was on his skin now, and he groaned as she moved her hips and grinded against him, the fabric of their pants making the friction that much more intense.

Her hands were tugging on his shirt now, and in the darkness, he rolled onto his back, bringing her on top of him. She steadied herself before helping him take off his shirt. She bent down, her mouth seeking his in the dark, her tongue flicking over his lips, drawing out another groan from the back of his throat. Her knees framed his hips, and she moved against him, panting as she felt his dick straining against his pants, pressing into her heat. She leaned down, her mouth pressed against his neck, her mouth working him in a way that he'd never felt before. His hands gripped her hips, and he flipped her over in the bed, his mouth moving to her neck, feeling her shiver in his arms as he sucked her soft skin into his mouth, teasing it with his tongue.

He was dizzy now, and his hands were moving up her shirt, brushing over her toned stomach as their mouths connected again, a kiss more passionate than before, as if they were both fighting for dominance and submission at the same time, both wanting to take care of the other but desperately needing to be taken care of.

His hands were tugging at her pants now, and she lifted her hips as he pulled them down, and then he settled against her again, feeling the warmth of her thighs squeezing his hips. He buried a groan against her neck as his hand moved to the band of her panties, and a soft moan escaped her lips in the darkness. He captured the sound in his mouth and kissed her hungrily, his heart racing as her tongue chased his, teasing his lips and luring him closer to the point of no return.

"Please," she whispered again, as she arched forward, pulling her own shirt over her head. He desperately craved to see her, but he settled for the feel of her, the taste of her, as he leaned down, kissing her neck as he brushed one hand tentatively over her breast, feeling the small mound harden at the nipple, and her chest heaved, pushing herself against his hand. "Yes…" A growl escaped Daryl's throat as he lost all control and sought her other breast with his mouth, swirling his tongue around the stiff peak. Her hands were on his shoulders now, her nails gently digging in, and she bucked her hips to grind against his again, her skin tingling from the feel of his skin against hers.

Her hands moved to her own hips, tugging at her panties, and he grabbed her wrist, kissing her softly in the darkness. She moaned softly against his lips, letting him comfort her, letting him love her. His fingers gently hooked into the band of her panties and slipped them down. She sucked him a sharp breath as they worked together to get them off of her, and he was still for a moment, and she wasn't sure what he was thinking. She reached for him.

"Daryl?"

"Wanna see you," he murmured, frustrated by the darkness.

"It's ok," she breathed. "It's ok. Just come here. Please, Daryl. Please." He kissed her again, and her hands worked the band of his pants, and they worked together to slide them off of him, and then he was hard and ready against her thigh, and all she could think about in that moment was how much she wanted him. How much she needed him. How safe he made her feel when the rest of the world was a lifeless void.

"You sure?" he panted, his arms straining against the mattress as he hovered over her, wishing he could see her face, wishing he could see the certainty in her eyes, praying he wasn't making things worse for her. She needed him, and he sure as hell needed her like the air he breathed.

"Yes," she gasped, as her hands slid up his back. "Please. I need you." Daryl gently grabbed the back of Carol's knee, guiding her leg to drape over his hip. She moaned as his dick pushed at her wet heat, and he growled out his desire against her neck. She gently stroked the back of his neck, as if assuring him it was ok, and she wasn't going to regret this tomorrow. His eyes screwed shut, and he began to push into her, feeling himself surrounded by her, stars bursting behind his eyes as her slick walls squeezed him. He felt her body tense as he filled her and begin to relax when he was fully seated inside of her. She drew in a few ragged breaths, and he kissed her forehead and her nose and her lips, and she kissed him back hungrily. He pulled back slightly, and she whimpered.

"You ok?" he asked gently. Her hand sought his face, and she leaned up to kiss him again.

"I'm ok," she murmured. "Just don't leave. Please stay. Make love to me." She held onto him tightly, her nerves on overload, her body craving more of him. She sucked in a sharp breath as she stretched around him, and he began to pull back.

"I'm hurtin' ya."

"No," she breathed. "Please. Please don't stop." He could hear her voice wavering, and his mind suddenly sobered.

"Carol, I—"

"Please," she begged, choking back a sob. "Don't. Don't stop. Just kiss me. Please." He bent down and brushed his lips soothingly over hers. She held him, stroking his shoulders as if to reassure him, and he kissed her again, feeling her relax in his arms, and he began to move inside of her, gently at first, letting her get accustomed to this new feeling, trying to bide his time to give her as much pleasure as he could while he could. He buried his face against her neck as she cried out, her nails digging into his back as he began to make love to her.

Lightning flashed again, and he could just make out the vision of her neck arching against the pillow, her head thrown back, mouth open in a soft, silent cry. He sought her mouth again, kissing her softly and he moved inside of her. She pulled at his shoulders, needing him closer, and he sunk into her, chest to chest, hip to hip, connected, joined, both desperate for the feeling, unable to get enough.

She gasped against his neck before pressing soft kisses there, her teeth gently grazing along his shoulder. She opened herself up to him, sighing at the feeling of being loved this way. She began to move her hips, meeting his thrusts and setting a pace for him to follow, and when she felt his mouth enclose over one nipple, she let out a soft cry, burying her fingers in his hair.

He held on for her, feeling her breaths grow more ragged as her cries grew louder and more urgent, and when she fell back against the pillow, her body soaring from the sweet ache of release, he let go, spilling himself inside of her, collapsing against her, his hair now a damp mop across his forehead as he rested his head against her shoulder.

Her hand delicately traced along his back for the longest moment before he began to shift, drawing away from her only long enough to roll onto his pillow. And then his arms were around her again, pulling her to him, and she buried her face against his neck, her hand resting on his chest, and they both lay awake, nerve endings tingly, breaths slowing, listening to the storm rage on outside. A calm fell over them both until they were lulled back to sleep by the tempest outside.