Carol woke the next morning with a strange feeling. It was a nervous excitement and her stomach felt like it was full of butterflies. Daryl was still sleeping, lying on his back looking very peaceful. When her eyes settled on his face she knew instantly what the feeling was all about. She was falling in love with him. The realization hit her hard and took her breath away. It was shocking and surprising that she could feel that way about him so quickly. She wasn't the impulsive type - Carol was cautious. But what they experienced the night before was something incredibly special. It connected them instantly on a level that some couples takes years to reach.

The butterflies and the way her heart seemed to skip a beat just watching him sleep… What she was experiencing were those first feelings of excitement and anticipation when you realize you are falling for another person. Carol had this innate desire to look after him. She wanted to take away his pain. She wanted to show him how beautiful the world can be if you let yourself see the pretty things.

She watched him for a few more minutes and then snuck out of bed to the bathroom. Carol went pee, washed her face and hands and then brushed her teeth before creeping back into her room and climbing in bed. "That's not fair," Daryl mumbled, his eyes still closed.

"What's not fair?" she asked, smiling.

"You just snuck out and brushed your teeth didn't you? And I don't even have a toothbrush here," Daryl replied.

She laughed. "How did you know?"

"I felt you leave and I could smell the mint from the second you came back in," Daryl opened his blue eyes and looked at her. "So you're minty fresh and I have icky morning after, slightly hung over breath."

"Second drawer," she replied. "And medicine cabinet, top shelf." Every time she went to the dentist she got a new toothbrush and she had a collection in her bathroom drawer. And she assumed he likely had a headache so she was directing him to the Tylenol as well.

"Thanks," Daryl replied, getting out of bed and leaving the room. She was pretty sure she heard a groan as he walked down the hall. A few minutes later he wandered back in and took a seat beside her. "I left my pink toothbrush on the counter…" he started. "Wasn't sure what to do with it…"

"I'll put it away," Carol said quickly. "Never know when you might need it again." It was a huge statement, even though it came off light and flirty. Daryl looked up at her in surprise. Well might as well keep shocking him Carol thought. "Spend the day with me," she blurted out. "It's Saturday. I don't have to work. I don't have any plans. Spend the whole day with me. And tonight… You take me to that pool hall so I can hussle some husslers." She flashed him a smile, "I mean, we have to go back there to get your bike anyway, right?"

Daryl took a deep breath. "You sure?"

"About which part?" she asked.

"All of it I guess," he shrugged.

"Of course I'm sure." Carol had an idea. "Let's go to the beach," she said excitedly. "I can pack a picnic lunch and we can find a private little spot by the water… I think it's supposed to be warm today. We can relax and catch some rays..." Daryl looked embarrassed. "What? What's wrong?"

"Don't laugh… But I don't own swim trunks," he mumbled shyly. "And I ain't never been to the beach…"

Carol certainly wasn't going to laugh at him. It was the saddest thing she'd ever heard. "Even as a kid?" Daryl shook his head. "Well, it will be a day of firsts. Your first trip to the beach and my first trip to the pool hall." Daryl still seemed nervous. "Truth is, I could use a new swimsuit," Carol admitted. "There's this great shop in Newnan. We can stop there on the way…"

"Um… where exactly are we going?" Daryl asked. "Ain't the beaches like a 5 or 6 hour drive to the coast?"

"Well if you want to see the Ocean we can hit Savannah in about 4 hours… but I was thinking Lake Martin in Alabama," Carol explained. "It's only a couple hours away and it's beautiful."

Daryl seemed to be trying to hide a smile. "Sure," he said. He was excited and it made her feel really good. This is only the beginning, she thought, vowing she would find ways to see his beautiful smile.

Less than an hour later they had both showered and were on their way to the swimwear store. While Daryl was getting ready she packed them a picnic lunch. It wasn't anything exciting, but she figured they could find ice cream somewhere on the beach. Ice cream for dessert made any lunch better.

Carol had picked out a suit and adorable cover when she noticed Daryl was still looking. "Can't find anything you like?" she asked.

She watched him flip over a tag and look at the price, "Uh, no. Not really…"

"Hey," Carol said gently, touching his hand. "I'm paying. Get whatever you like." Daryl instantly looked embarrassed. "Don't do that," she said. "Don't make it awkward or weird. You've done things for me that I'll never be able to repay you for. This is no big deal."

"I'll pay you back," he muttered, quickly grabbing a pair of trunks and a tank top. Carol didn't argue with him. She knew it was a pride thing and she completely understood it. But she wanted him to know that money didn't need to be an issue between them. Not only did she make good money, she also didn't spend a lot of it so she had a pretty large savings.

The drive to the beach was strange but interesting. Carol learned that there were a lot of things she took for granted that Daryl had never done before, including crossing the state line. "You've really never been out of Georgia?" she asked, trying to focus on the road but noticing him look back as they crossed into the next state as if things might be different past the 'Welcome to Alabama' sign.

"Nope," Daryl replied. "Don't look much different though."

She fought off a giggle. She loved his naiveté. "Does if you keep going. Or when you head Northeast," she said, thinking of the drive to North Carolina. Carol wanted to take him there. And take him to the west coast to see the beautiful Pacific, down to the east shores of Texas on the gulf coast, way up North, maybe even into Canada... She wanted him to see it all, everything she'd been lucky enough to see. The backwoods of Kentucky, the quaint little towns on the coast of Maine, the bustle of New York, the hustle of LA... But right then, they were making a two hour trip across the state line and it was enough. She knew it was going to be a good day.

They discussed music for a while and found their taste was very different. Carol wasn't a huge fan of country beyond the more contemporary love songs and legends like Johnny Cash and Loretta Lynn that she'd heard growing up. And Daryl didn't know any of the bands she really enjoyed except the most popular classic rockers like KISS and the Stones. But they both enjoyed music and were open to trying something new. They listened to the classic vinyl station on Sirius on the way there and Carol agreed to listen to The Highway on the way home, which was the new country channel.

When they got to the beach and found a quiet, private spot, she remembered that they needed to change into their swim suits. "Well shit," she muttered. "I really don't want to walk all the way back to restrooms at the main gates just to change." Daryl was looking at her, waiting to follow her lead. "I guess we change in the car," she said. There was no one around and the spot she parked was blocked from view by a hill on one side and some tall shrubs on the other. Someone would have to walk right up to the car window to actually see anything.

She grabbed the bag with their purchases and started ripping off the tags. She handed Daryl his clothes. "Okay, you first. I'll close my eyes."

"Uh... Okay..." Daryl replied taking the clothes. "Can't say I've ever actually changed in a car before..." There was something about the way he said 'changed' that meant he'd done other things in cars that involved removing clothing. Carol smiled as she turned her head. In a weird way it was actually a bit comforting that Daryl made the joke. It told her he was getting a bit more comfortable with her and it also reminded her that, even though he was shy and may not be overly experienced, he'd at least fooled around enough he could joke about it. "Done," he announced a few minutes later.

Carol hadn't peeked, even though she seriously considered checking to see if she could see anything in the reflection of the window. But as he turned away and she started to change, she drove herself crazy wondering if he might try. She wanted him to. She wanted to catch him peeking, tease him about it and see that adorable face turn beet red. Carol squirmed around, putting on the two piece suit she'd bought, sneaking a look at Daryl every once in awhile. The suit wasn't overly revealing - Carol didn't do the bikini thing. But it was fairly low cut and actually revealed more of her boobs than she thought it would. Probably should have tried it on, she thought, quickly slipping the cover up overtop. "Okay, ready," she said as she put her sandals back on.

To the best of her knowledge he hadn't peeked and she was rather disappointed. Ah well, the day is young, she thought. They gathered up all their gear and headed down to the beach. It was an absolutely stunning day. The sun was shining and making the bright blue water sparkle and glitter. Carol picked a spot in a little bit of a cove. The thing she loved about that particular beach was the way you could choose these private little spots where there was actually a slim chance of anyone walking by. The way the coast jutted in and out left little tiny sections of beach all along the shoreline. She had actually been to the very spot they were at the year before and hadn't seen another person all day, even on a long weekend. There was a large section of beach where it was crowded and busy, with life guards, food stands, a park and playground, but Carol liked her privacy and she knew Daryl would too.

She pulled out the big blanket she'd brought and Daryl helped her spread it out. He was so distracted though, checking out the water and his surroundings. It was extremely adorable. He was trying so hard to play it cool, but Daryl was excited.

Carol turned away from him to organize the rest of their gear. She bent over to straighten the picnic basket and when she stood Daryl was right behind her. "Oh," she said, turning to face him. He was looking at her strangely and she felt a shiver run through her body, followed by

goosebumps covering her skin. It wasn't a bad look. It was intense and… thankful. It was a look you give someone who just saved your life.

"I um… I just wanted to say thank you," Daryl spoke softly, in his usual shy way. "For this," he gestured around. "For today… last night… all of it." Carol opened her mouth to speak but before any words came out Daryl was kissing her. She gasped as his lips came crashing down on hers. It wasn't that she didn't want it, but it surprised her he'd initiated after the way the last time he'd tried ended. Daryl was the kind of guy who was shy to begin with and easily discouraged. The fact he was comfortable enough to try again was actually quite monumental and Carol was both happy and so proud of him. She wouldn't give him any reason for concern this time. She would let him know that she wanted to be kissed and was very glad he'd done it.

She parted her lips and darted out her tongue, pleased to find his right there to meet her. The feelings rippling through her body were hard to ignore and were going to be even harder to control. The longer they kissed the more she wanted. Carol wanted to fuck him, or wanted him to fuck her, she wanted to see him naked and feel his dick in her hands. Daryl pulled her closer and she could feel his erection. It took everything she had to keep her hands away from it. She wanted so badly to reach inside those swim trunks and free him. He wanted her just as much, she could feel it in his eager kiss.

It would have been so easy to just let her guard down, give in to her urges - to his urges, and let him take her right there on the blanket. But it didn't feel right. She knew this was the kind of sex Daryl was used to. The quick and dirty, barely remove your clothes type of sex. And Carol was not opposed to that style - it was a necessity sometimes. But her first time with Daryl, whenever it happened… it needed to be different for him and special. He needed to feel the emotional connection between two people in an intimate encounter, not just the physical.

Carol was now one hundred percent sure she was falling in love with this man. And when they finally had sex she wanted him to feel loved and cherished. So she would control herself and wait. But that didn't mean it wasn't going to be an exciting and sexy day, full of those totally cliche moments in every B movie and romance novel set on a beach - she would make sure of it… Starting with the fact that they both needed to apply sunscreen ASAP.