Sunday Night
Two hours in a car with Kate was a long time and Daryl was enjoying every second of having her all to himself. No distractions, just the road and the hum of his truck as she drove along, her delicate hands wrapped around the worn old wheel. She'd changed into a pair of faded blue jeans, ripped at the knees from years of wear, her old converse and a loose white v neck t-shirt before they left the house. Now as they drove along with the window wound down, and the last of the sunshine lighting up the I-20 before it skipped into the cabin to dance off her glossy ponytail, he decided she looked like she belonged with him in this old truck. It was moments like these when he remembered exactly why he spent so much time chasing her runaway ass. And why he was in love with her.
"I need a break," Kate yawned, stretching her neck and making a girly little groan as she pulled off the interstate at Augusta, trailing down the road until she spotted a twenty four hour diner, all lit up with a cluster of cars parked out front. They hopped out of his truck and Daryl wrapped his arm around Kate's waist as they stepped across the tarmac and onto the black and white tiled floor of the diner. She picked a booth by the window. Dark blue leather seats with white piping and grey formica table tops were spotted around the diner which looked like many others he had been to, although he'd never been to one in Augusta.
The server, Meghan, a long gone grey haired lady in a yellow waitress dress and a white apron poured them a cup of coffee in bright white mugs before leaving them to deliberate the menu.
"I could drive the rest of the way," he offered.
"I know, but I want to… take you somewhere," she said that with a smile and he liked the sound of it. It was nice to be on an adventure of her design.
Daryl ordered cherry pie a la mode and Kate stuck with her mug of black coffee although he caught the envious look that crossed her face when his pie was set down on the table in all its glossy red syrupy goodness. Without too much consideration he gave her the first bite and then the second since he thought she looked sexy as hell taking a mouthful from his fork.
"This is the point of no return, Mr Dixon" Kate announced as she sipped her second cup of coffee. "If we keep going then we'll have to skive off work tomorrow."
"Skive?"
She leaned forward, her eyes filled with mischief, "pull a sickie."
Daryl snorted and tried to contain the buzz of bees that she stirred up, she was so adorable and just the right amount of wild. He had been wondering about work as Kate had raced his truck down route 20 to destinations unknown, but he hadn't worried enough to stop her. When a beautiful woman wants to take you somewhere it's customary to say yes, regardless of consequences. He took a mouthful of pie and chuckled to himself between chews, "ya know it was your idea to get a tattoo, an' now ya want me to bunk off work…"
Kate bit the smile on her lips, her big puppy dogs eyes looking like butter wouldn't melt. Except he'd heard her swearing like a drunken sailor and she had a fiery temper on her when she got going so he knew she'd definitely melt the whole block of butter.
"You're a naughty girl. Definitely a bad influence on me..." he teased.
Her leg brushed deliberately against his under the table as she leaned forward resting her chin in her hand, "so what do you want to do? Be naughty with me or go home and be a good boy?"
There was really only one answer to that question, his grin spread wide across his face, "where we goin'?"
She grinned, "out of Georgia." Then Kate finished her cup of coffee, fished her phone from her purse and snuck outside to make a call while he watched her like a hawk as though someone might up and steal her away. Or more likely, she might change her damn mind and run away with her own two stubborn feet.
Out of Georgia, destinations unknown, the idea excited him and he was glad he was going to share his first trip across state lines with her. He wasn't sure why he had never left before because right now in this random little diner on an impromptu road trip with Miss Uppity it all seemed like the most natural thing in the world. Although he couldn't help but think that all he wanted to do was keep this intrepid woman in Georgia and she was showing him just how easy it was for her to leave.
/
Kate had called a couple of hotels and made a booking so they didn't have to spend Daryl's first little holiday in the back of his sex truck. Then they had chased Route 78 all the way to Charleston, South Carolina.
Just before they crossed the state line Kate pulled over for a commemorative kiss as she whispered, "there's no going back now Mr Dixon."
There was a couple more hours of driving. She was determined to do the whole way since she'd been laughed at for moaning to an American colleague from a previous museum when she said Manchester to London was an arduous 4 hour drive if she wanted to visit Isy. Apparently a 4 hour of drive in the US was considered "nothing."
The hotel was on the waterfront, surrounded by palmettos and affording what she was sure would be beautiful views except by the time they arrived it had long gone dark. Even in the dead of night the pink stucco walls of the plantation style house glowed under hazy yellow spotlights that were dotted around the grounds and flanking the white double door. The doors led into a huge entry way with a chandelier glistening brightly and a sweeping staircase standing dramatically as if it was waiting for a woman in a hooped skirt to come waltzing down to meet her beau.
Daryl had grabbed the bags from the back of his truck. One was a brown leather holdall which she had thrown together moments after deciding they should go do something crazy and the other had already been in the flatbed of his truck when they had gone outside. She hadn't mentioned it but it had occurred to her that he might have brought an overnight bag to her house before she had agreed or made any mention on his staying over. Of course, he was getting exactly what he wanted because no matter how hard she tried to resist him, he was a very persistent man and it was very difficult to refuse something you actually wanted no matter how hard you tried. So now she wasn't resisting anymore.
"Mr and Mrs Dixon?" the concierge asked as they approached the front desk and she felt heat rising in her cheeks. She'd booked the room under Dixon because using her married name for a romantic trip with Daryl felt weird.
"Kate," she said with a smile as the man stepped from behind his desk.
The concierge had waited up extra late for them was very gracious considering the hour and she gave him a healthy tip after he led them to their room which was on the top floor of the hotel. When the door was shut behind them Kate ran across it to fling open the balcony doors and let in the sound of the waves lapping along the shoreline before she turned to see Daryl leaning against the elegant four poster bed.
"Ya didn't have to pay," he said.
"I wanted to." Part of her loved that he wanted to be a gentlemen who paid for the dates but at the same time, "money's not important."
"What is important?"
That was a loaded question.
Kate's mind scrambled for an answer. "Well," she beckoned him onto the balcony, "tomorrow we're going to wake up in a strange place and have a whole stolen day to do whatever the hell we want… in fact..." she kicked off her converse and stood on her tiptoes so she could kiss his lips and bring the butterflies to full flutter, "we have the rest of the night to do whatever we want."
Monday Morning
When Daryl woke up, Kate was still nestled snug in his arms. It was as nice as he had imagined to wake up with her soft little body pressed besides him. This was what was important, this was why Jim was marrying Charlene, Daryl suddenly felt a pang of jealousy that his friend got to feel this way every single morning.
He stroked his hand along her hair and she began to stir, one eye half opening before she nestled her head in the pillow and groaned, "can't morning wait a little longer?"
"No Ma'am," he kissed her shoulder, a smile prying at his lips as he recollected the exact reasons why she looked so exhausted right now and the reasons why his muscles felt spent and worn in, all of him except one part that was feeling greedy for more. Always more with Kate.
He ran his fingers along her back before kissing her shoulder again, inhaling in the sweet smell of her perfume mixed with the musky smell of a night spent making love. She sighed, rolled onto her side and fluffed the pillow under her head as she nestling the curve of her ass against him. Pressing herself right against his morning wood and then feeling of her bare skin touching him sent a jolt of pleasure along the whole length.
He wanted nothing more than to plunge himself right inside her so he could feel how good it would be without a barrier between them, he settled for grinding against her. One of his hands cupped her breast, rolling her nipple between his fingers until she groaned and his other hand responded by slipping between her thighs, stroking lightly before dipping inside, wetting the tips of his fingers so his stroke was smoother, dirtier. Kate's groans became more desperate as he sucked at her neck and ran his tongue along every inch of skin he could reach.
He loved the sound of her enjoying his every touch, every moan that passed her lips sent a flood of warmth to his groin, encouraging him to slip inside. It would be so easy and he almost let his cock do the thinking, but he didn't. He rolled away leaving her panting for more as he found his last condom and rolled it on. He didn't want her to fall apart without being rooted inside of her to feel every clench of her walls tightening.
He pulled Kate against him and filled every inch, gently rocking his hips, enjoying every lazy sleeping thrust as his fingers continued stroking until she was burying her face into the pillow, almost muffling her euphoric cries. The sound of her falling apart was enough to encourage him along and he came hard, squeezing her whole body against his as his face buried into the smell of her hair, "oh Kate," he shuddered and for a split second he almost said 'I love you'.
Jesus, if he was going to say it, it probably would be best if he wasn't inside her at the time. But he was still inside her right now, he liked holding her right against him as they both floated back down from their high. One thing was certain, Daryl could definitely get used to waking up like this.
/
Daryl was in the shower when Kate rang Lou, "I'm with daryl," she said after explaining that she wasn't coming into work today. She didn't lie to him, he understood and he'd taken the odd day off work too. Lou actually sounded pleased as he chuckled and insisted "say no more lass," before he hung up the phone.
She finished the last of her tea from the breakfast tray they had ordered from room service and then slipped her feet into her Birkenstocks. She was wearing a kneelengh sundress, spaghetti straps and little buttons down the front, the fabric was mostly black with a pattern of pink and red roses scattered about it. Wearing it made her think of daryl's tattoo and thinking about his tattoo made her think about his body and thinking about that made her feel a little weak at the knees. She let out a long unsteady breath and tried to pull herself together which was entirely impossible as she ran her hands over his clothes.
Daryl was going to be wearing his work shirt, trousers and shoes which had been packed in the cheeky overnight bag he'd brought to her house. Luckily the insignia was only present on his hat and tie. She picked up his shirt and held it against her chest with another little sigh. Being here with Daryl and last night with Daryl had been so nice, more than nice, it felt so good, she felt so good. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this sated.
She heard the shower spray falling quiet and waited with bated breath, as she leaned casually (at least tried to be casual) against the vanity table, for him to emerge. He had a towel wrapped around his torso, beads of water running happily all over his skin and he looked every inch of sex on legs. She wondered now why she had put any clothes back on because all she wanted to do was take them off and fall back into bed with him.
"I worked out an itinerary..." he passed a leaflet from the small pile of leaflets that were scattered around the bed and Kate bit back her laugh.
An itinerary, it seemed rather uncharacteristic, he seemed more of a fly by the seat of his pants sort. Although she'd found him eagerly looking through the leaflets after she'd finished her shower. She'd thought it was cute and the excited look on his face as he pulled on his clothes looked equally cute. She hadn't thought he'd been the sight seeing type since he'd never been on holiday before and it was a pleasant surprise. Travelling was one of her favorite things to do and that's why she was here with him right now because she wanted to share something good with him.
/
First they walked along the beach, hand in hand like they were a couple and it was the most natural thing in the world. Then they walked into town and explored the huge market that had stall after stall selling homemade items of every variety as well as antiques and collectables. Kate bought soap, it was such a woman's thing to buy and the seller handed it to her in a bright pink paper bag which over the course of the afternoon had found its way into his hand along with two more. Despite himself he liked carrying her bags.
They grabbed sandwiches to eat in Battery Park as they sat on a wrought iron bench under an oak tree draped in Spanish moss. "I love that," Kate had said, "we don't have Spanish moss in England, it's pretty… whimsical."
Spanish moss made Daryl think of chiggers and lord knows what else that nested in the stuff. One time a family of bats had built a home in the moss that covered the trees around his Daddy's house. His father had taken a rifle to the tree. The bats didn't stay long and the tree hadn't fared too well either but Will Dixon was nothing if not a complete drunken idiot.
"Did any Dixon's fight in the Civil War?" Kate asked when Fort Sumpter came into view as they strolled through the park and back towards the waterfront.
"Yeah, my Granddaddy's, great Grandpa" he screwed his face, "I think it was that many greats. Anyway, he survived, came home and married his girl and had a bunch of babies. My Grandaddy used to say that Grandpa Sam had buried some confederate gold on the farm."
Kate laughed, her eyes dancing, "have you looked for it?"
"My Grandaddy had a LOT of crazy stories."
"We should get a metal detector."
"Probably find a whole load of horse shoes and bottle caps."
Kate leaned on the railings, watching a host of little white boats bobbing on the clear blue horizon and he thought about taking a picture of her. He'd never taken a photograph of anyone but today had been the kind of day where people took pictures and stuck them on their fridge. Jim and Charlene's fridge was covered in photographs like this.
He leaned against the railing and like he always preferred when he was with Kate he watched her watching the world go by. He loved the way her hair caught in the wind and her eyes danced about to chase the little boats. She caught him looking, a shy little laugh escaped her mouth and the sound of it went straight to his chest, squeezing his heart until he could barely breathe.
"I wish ya weren't leavin'," he blurted as she turned to look across the water once more. It wasn't just because he loved her, it was because he had the sudden inexplicable feeling that this crazy English woman might be the best friend he'd ever have despite the fact that she was the least obvious choice of woman for him. He felt connected to Kate for reasons that he couldn't exactly put into words except that she got him. He liked to think he understood her too, except he was almost certain he'd never truly understand what went on in her head but he kind of like that.
He didn't know if she had heard what he said because if she had then she didn't react. She just kept watching those boats and her hair kept blowing on the breeze.
"Me too," she whispered so long after his remark that he might have forgotten what he had been talking about if the topic hadn't been the one that had gripped him almost every day since he had first kissed her, even before then. He wanted to believe that he could let her leave and carry on as if they had never met but he was quickly realising that would be impossible.
"Kate-"
"We should go for dinner," she added suddenly, strolling away like she didn't have a single care in the world while he stood rooted to the spot on the brink of not only asking her to stay but begging her. The words and the pleading had been on the very verge of release but he forced them back down. He didn't want to spoil the day, it had been so perfect and he wanted his memory of it to be perfect. So he just followed her and tried to pretend that he didn't have a care in the world.
Kate picked a seafood restaurant where they sat outside under a white parasol with crab soup to start and a pitcher of peach ice tea between them even though Kate had eyed up the cocktails, pointing out one called Southern Gentleman with a sexy little grin. It made him wish they were staying in the hotel for another night, or a whole week of nights.
"Why'd ya bring me to Charleston?" There was a million places they could have gone and there were closer places to cross state lines.
"I looked at the map on my phone and this was a place I'd heard of… and," she laughed before she did her best Southern Belle drawl, "Rhett Butler is from Charleston."
"Rhett Butler?"
Kate gave him a pointed look, "Gone with the Wind."
"Right," he probably should have known that.
"Don't you watch many movies?"
"Not really. 'Specially not Gone with the Wind," Daryl laughed, he could just picture it now, all the Dixon men sitting around his Daddy's crappy old TV watching a damn girls movie.
"It 's one of my favourites, and it's set in Georgia. It gives a girl ideas about a Southern Gentleman coming along and sweeping me right off my feet."
"It does..."
"But then… Rhett Butler is from Charleston so I should probably start looking around here," she craned her neck and glanced around the other tables with a little smile pulling at her lips.
Daryl wondered if she knew how crazy she made him before deciding she definitely did. "Miss Katy," she looked at him then, "if any other Gentleman got an' idea 'bout sweepin' ya off yer feet then he would be gettin' a damn bolt in his ass."
Kate giggled, her long lashes fluttering before she returned to her soup with a coy smile.
The soup was delicious, best he'd ever had, he almost licked the bowl clean when he had finished but decided Miss Uppity wouldn't approve of that. Instead he asked, "will ya come to the wedding' with me on Saturday?"
Kate sipped her tea, her big brown eyes flicking to meet his with her usual level of hesitation.
"It ain't exactly my sorta thing," Daryl added.
"Why?"
"Standin' in front of everyone, wearin' a tux… I have to do a speech. If you're there then I won't be thinkin' 'bout anythin' cept how pretty ya look…" which was true but mostly, "an' what I'm gonna do to ya when the weddin' day is finished..."
She flushed deep rosy pink, her eyes downcast to her lap as she let the flush subside and he had no idea how she could still get that cute little glow after the things he'd seen her do. But he supposed it was because in this restaurant she was a lady and in the bed she was… a lot of different things. "How could I refuse?" she said eventually.
Damn woman, couldn't even say 'yes', he rolled his eyes and held in his laugh. "Oh I'm sure you'd find a way darlin'."
"Don't tempt me Mr Dixon."
Eternally stubborn as a goddamn mule. If he could tempt her he definitely would, except not in the way she was thinking. He'd tempt her to stay with him in Georgia, live on his farm and start handing out invitations to their wedding instead of somebody else's. Thier wedding, he could hardly believe that the consideration was crossing his mind but when he thought about it, he would marry Kate if he could get her down the aisle. He was certain he'd never feel this way about another woman.
When dinner was finished they picked up some takeaway coffees, a bag of potato chips and a bottle of mountain dew for the long drive back. He didn't mind having a long drive except for the fact that he wanted nothing more than to get his hands under the little summer dress he'd watched her sashaying around in all day. He took the driver's seat after securing the bags in the back.
"I don't want to leave," Kate said with a sleepy sigh as she sipped her paper cup of coffee.
His head whipped around to look at her and just as he was about to say she could live with him on the farm she continued, "I just can't be arsed getting up for work tomorrow."
Daryl cleared his throat, his heart was beating like crazy, "yeah." Of course, he didn't want to go back either. He wanted to stay on holiday with her and forget that the rest of the world was ticking by.
But more than anything he wanted to discuss what was going to happen after Sunday rolled around. Part of him wanted to tell her exactly how he felt but the other part of him was enjoying how easy it was between them without any pressure. Still, she'd brought him here and it had to mean something, right?