A/N Thank you all so much. So, is it really shower time for our couple?

00

Feeling the Love

He can't believe she's so willing to shower with him, and that's not all, it sounds like she wants to get in bed with him. Shit. He's not even sure he's ready for this, and what if he misunderstood her? Or, what if she misunderstood what he was asking her? He better make sure, "You think we're really ready for this?"

"I'm sure I'm ready, are you sure you're ready?"

His neck flushes, and man he's embarrassed, but he's honest, "Well yeah, I been ready for you that way since, I dunno, like the third day you was here."

She laughs softly and says, "How nice to know, but, well, what about, you know, us being alone? What about Merle? What's Merle doing right now?"

"He said he ain't used ta the thin air up here on the mountain, or all the hard work." Daryl can't help smiling, "He says prison life with a buncha cons is a whole lot easier than mountain life with me. Anyway, he's takin' a nap. He asked if I could just give him a holler when it's supper time."

She grins and nods her head, "We have our privacy then, and it sounds like this is meant to be Daryl, besides, as much as I love Jack, I'm getting tired of sleeping on the floor every night. I think it's time you and I graduated to that big soft bed." She can't believe how bold she's acting, like she just does this sort of thing everyday. It's that, well, darn it, she can't help herself and she's afraid if she waits for Daryl to make the first move nothing will ever happen.

They're both red-faced but it's not holding them back, "Yeah, so, that sounds good, except, well, I told ya Beth, if it got this far between us there wasn't gonna be any goin' back. We were in it for good. Is that how you feel? Like it's a forever deal?"

"Daryl, I told you, and I promise you, I only want to be with you. You and me together. I wish you'd let yourself believe me, and believe that I love you."

"Yeah, well that's a tough one, but then, if you're willin' ta…ta do this with me, then yeah, and like I said, I love you too."

Maybe it's not the most romantic way those feelings could have been expressed, but coming from Daryl she knows it's real.

Even though his nerves are kind of frazzled, Daryl's happily surprised Beth is as willing as he is to take this next step. He takes her hand in his and kisses it softly before they begin the short walk to the bathroom, and Jack starts to follow. Daryl stops, smiles and tells the dog, "Not now buddy, ya go lay down by the fire."

The dog looks dejected and Beth whispers, "Poor guy."

Daryl assures her, "He'll be asleep in 90 seconds, and he won't miss us a bit."

As soon as they're through the bathroom door he turns the lock. Who would possibly intrude? No one. But still, if this goes where they think it's going they're going to be naked in a few minutes, they'll both feel better if the door locked.

Daryl mentions, "Oh shit, I forgot ta check if I put clean towels in here."

Beth responds, "I did, and they're warm. I set them near the space heater."

He smiles, resting his hands on her hips when he tells her, "You're sumthin' lady."

She smiles back, "You're sumthin' too Daryl."

Daryl does not consider himself to be a skilled lover, even the thought of something like that almost makes him laugh, except he can't quite feel the humor because, shit, he's too busy feeling the pressure of making this right for her.

His experience with women and sex mostly involved him and some chick being half-drunk, stumbling out of a bar and having a one-time quickie. It could never be that way with Beth. This romance stuff, and caring about a woman the way he cares for her, isn't something he's familiar with, and as he pulls her close to him he wonders how in the hell this is all going to go and it has him thinking, no matter how anxious he is for this with her, he's got to take it slow. He has to prove to her it's real and show her how much he cares for her by the way he touches her.

She's a tough woman in a lot of ways, but when it comes to this stuff, Daryl's pretty damn sure a man ought to be as tender as he's able to be with a woman like Beth.

He draws back, cradles her face in powerful hands, kisses her and as their lips part she surprises him again, asking, "Why don't you help me unbutton my blouse?"

He's 100% sure she knows how to unbutton her blouse, shit, she can probably get the job done a lot faster on her own than with him helping her, but he gets what this is about, so he smiles as he begins to do what she asked. He doesn't notice, she's hiding it so well, but Beth is feeling overwhelmed herself. She's nervous and so worried that she won't be able to please a man like Daryl. He probably has a lot of expectations about how things should go, what if she can't live up to those expectations?

Gosh, the truth is, she isn't very experienced with this stuff. The two times she's been with a man, her ex-boyfriend, it wasn't a particularly loving or pleasing experience. And that boyfriend did not hesitate to tell her it was all her fault she didn't get satisfied. He was such an ass, but still, his words are in her mind and she's afraid she'll disappoint Daryl, oh my, then all those thoughts are suddenly gone because her blouse is open and he's kissing her so tenderly as he slips the garment off her shoulders. He nuzzles his face gently into the curve of her neck while his hands glide slowly over her smooth skin, and then he pops the clasp of her bra and she feels it immediately loosen. He draws back, looks in her eyes and asks, "Is this okay?"

Even though she can't imagine ever saying no to him, she loves him even more for asking. She smiles and whispers, "Yes," and he carefully slips her bra off.

There's no time to feel shy, she's too distracted because his mouth is now covering one of her breasts, while his fingers fondle and tease the other. She hears herself moan, and she's a little breathless when she says to him, "Now let me help you with your shirt."

She can feel his muscles instantly tense and he answers, "No, that's okay, I'ma just leave it on."

She thinks she knows why, but she's not going to let him get away with it. He has to trust her enough to believe that she will love him and find him attractive no matter what. "That's not okay with me, Daryl. I want to see your body and feel your skin next to mine."

"Nah, nah, ya don't. Trust me, I'm ugly."

She's not going to settle for it being this way between them, "Bullshit, you're the most handsome man I've ever seen, and I want to see all of you."

Damn, he's got her cussing again. He's dreading this, she's going to be repulsed, but how can he turn her down when she says those things to him? He sighs, "Yeah? Well, if ya change your mind lemme know right away, I'll put the shirt back on."

She smiles, "Okay, that seems fair, but don't hold your breath."

He snorts a laugh, but it's brief, he's too absorbed in watching her delicate fingers loosen the buttons of his shirt to be laughing about anything. Seeing this sweet, beautiful and bare-breasted woman undress him is a kind of pleasure he never even knew he was missing. Yet, as good as it feels when she buries her face in his chest, softly kissing his skin, he's also feeling his anxiety level rise as she reaches up and begins to slide the shirt off his shoulders. He mutters, "I'm…I'm…"

She assures him, "I'm excited by the sight of you Daryl. I'm sorry you were mistreated, but the scars don't change the fact that you have a beautiful and very sexy body, and I'm seriously in love with the way you look shirtless."

As hard as it is for him to believe her words, they turn him on and he finds himself with his mouth on her breast again and his hands begin to roam her body, until they get to the button on her jeans. He's still having trouble believing this is really happening, and so as he begins to loosen the button, he asks her again, "Is this okay?"

Her reply is a whispered, "Yes," as her hands slide to his butt and she gently squeezes it, while a soft, "mmm" sound escapes her.

She's standing in front him in nothing but a tiny pair of pink panties, feeling awkward, shy and not particularly sexy, but all he can do is stare and enjoy the sight. Beth's body isn't like any he's ever known. Everything about her seems so soft and delicate. Her perfect breasts are small and round with pale pink nipples, and he wants to touch and taste them again. Her tiny waist dips in at the sides, and although she's quite slim, she's also shapely with strong, lean muscles. Daryl wants it all and he looks so serious when he tells her exactly how he feels, "You're beautiful lady. Everythin' about ya is perfect."

He doesn't give her time to respond, kissing her hungrily while his hands are gliding down the soft skin of her back, and then he's firmly grasping her bottom.

Beth feels the power and strength of him as he pulls her body tightly against his, and yet he's being so gentle, and oh my, the feel of his skin against hers is so warm and inviting. She's becoming increasingly excited for more. It's her turn to draw back a little. She just has to see everything there is to see about this man's body. There's the narrow waist and slim hips, and oh my gosh, that slimness does wonders to accentuate this broad shoulders and muscled arms. Everything about Daryl screams strong and powerful, but she's already experienced how tender he can be.

The time is now.

She could die of embarrassment, but her desire for him is stronger than any shyness she might feel. She bends and slips her panties down, then stands straight, looks in his eyes and says, "Your turn."

His heart is thumping at the sight of her, and at the thought of what's to come.

Although she does her best not to be too obvious, she's eager to see his manhood, and oh my, despite the chill in the air, he's semi hard and it's already so...so big. Maybe a little intimidating, but that's okay. She wants this with him and for some unknown reason, she feels herself smiling.

He's worried, why is she smiling like that? Does his dick look funny? Small? Does it make her want to laugh? What the hell? "What's so funny?"

She reaches her hand out to him, "Nothing is funny, everything is wonderful, and everything about you is big and strong and perfect Daryl Dixon."

"Shit lady, ya had me worried."

They stand under the showhead and he asks, "Ya ready?"

"Yes," he pulls and the lever and the burst of water soaks them both. They hurry to do what they have to do, but still they take the time to touch and tease as they quickly soap each other up, and then he asks again, "Ready?"

"Okay." And they hurry to rinse, but they can't help tickling and lightly pinching each other here and there. They're laughing and playful, until the water suddenly turns icy. Then they're quickly reaching for their towels and drying each other off.

They smile and Beth steps closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, and Daryl lifts her in his arms and she rests her head on his chest as he carries her to their new bed.

After carefully laying her down he leans in, cradling her face in his big calloused hands. She smiles at the contrast between the roughness of who this man is, and the gentleness he's showing with her, and the look they share says so much more than words ever could. It expresses exactly what they're feeling.

He slips in bed next to her, laying on his side and leaning above her as he kisses her deeply and they feel the power of mutual yearning surge between them. This emotion is so strong, like nothing either of them has ever experienced before, nor is it anything they could put a name to. It's not as simple as just the desire for physical satisfaction, this is a need for something much deeper than that. They can feel it right to their core, what they're about to do will be a true coming together, physically, emotionally and in spirit.

This must be what love feels like.

He smiles down at her as his fingers begin to gently slide into her silky blonde curls. She's enjoying the softness of his touch and seeing the desire in his eyes, when his lips begin slowly kissing along her jawline, teasing and tantalizing her as they move along the tender skin of her neck and throat. She can hear and feel the soft growling noises coming from him, and she wonders if he feels the quiet hums of pleasure echoing through her body. He eases up to gaze into her eyes, and there's such a shy smile on his face as he pulls her closer and his hand slowly slides along her shoulders and back. She reacts to his moves and his touch, wrapping her arms around him as her hands gently roam along the coarse, damaged skin of his back.

He stiffens, and asks, "Why? Don't that make ya sick?"

She's caught up in the heat of the moment and answers honestly, "It doesn't bother me at all. It's just a part of you Daryl and I love everything about you."

Her words and acceptance of him have a profound effect. He's suddenly more confident when he whispers back, "I love ya so much lady," as his desire for physical love grows.

She feels the tiny bumps rise on her skin, but they have nothing to do with her being cold. Something else is causing them. Excitement, anticipation, desire, and deep emotion.

Their kissing becomes more feverish and her body moves closer to his. The tips of his fingers tickle her skin as they trace the curve of her body, from her back to her bottom, and then they slowly glide along her pelvic bones, and as she's wondering what he'll touch next, his mouth begins to tease and nibble at her nipple, and oh my gosh, her nipples seem super sensitive. The slightest touch from him has her whole body reacting in pleasure filled shivers and audible moaning, and then he whispers to her, "Ya got the most perfect little boobs," and because those words come from Daryl, they add to her arousal.

Daryl still can't quite believe this is all real and that Beth is so willingly giving herself to him, and damn, she seems to be enjoying it all as much as he is. He's trying to be careful though, he doesn't want to hurt her or scare her, and there's no way to explain it, but suddenly she senses that he's being extra cautious. She takes his face in her hands and smiles up at him, "I'm not really that delicate you know. I promise I won't break. Do this the way you like to do it, something tells me I'll like it that way too."

It's been a little torturous for him but he's also been enjoying it, now though, well yeah, he's been taking this mighty slow and careful. He knows she liked it when he was having his fun with her boobs, she was giving him all the signs. He likes it too, teasing her sweet pink nipples and the way her body squirms when he does, but there's more he wants and his fingers slide down over the soft curls of her mound, and then she freezes. "Ya okay lady? Want me ta stop?"

"I'm fine, and no, please don't stop. I just got a little…well…please don't stop."

He can't help a smile and a small joke, "Ya don't have ta tell me twice." And then his mouth is on her tummy kissing and licking, and his finger slips inside her. Daryl can tell by the way her hips rise to meet his hand and the dampness he feels, Beth likes this just as much as he does. He teases her inner thighs with the tips of his fingers, touching and tantalizing the pale flesh, and then his hand slides back up her leg and once again she feels his finger slip inside her. She startles and whispers, "Oh," before relaxing and allowing herself the pleasure of fully enjoying the feel of his mouth and tongue on her breasts while his fingers are exploring her most personal place.

He pauses again to look at her and quietly ask, "Ya okay lady? All good?"

Her breathless answer turns him on even more, "It's all so good Daryl. I never knew it could be this way," and that has him taking the play a step further as his thumb begins to rub and tease that sensitive little bump.

She's squirming more, raising her hips, and they seem to be seeking him out, while her moans of pleasure have gotten louder and his more guttural, and he finds himself trying to somehow get even closer to her, his body is half on top of Beth's all while now two fingers move inside her and his mouth is more urgently sucking at her breast, while he softly bites at her nipple.

Both of them feel it happening, Beth is starting to come undone. Her body is moving more desperately, and she's grabbed hold of his hand like she's trying to pull him further into her, and then suddenly her body stops moving completely, but for no more than a split second, then she begins to quiver and shake, and she even lets out a little shriek as she let's herself go completely. She collapses into him as he nuzzles his face into her neck. He's murmuring something to her but even he's not quite sure what he's saying. He wants to tell her something but he doesn't have the right words. He's overwhelmed as her arm wraps around his neck and her voice is raspy and low when she tells him, "Oh my gosh Daryl, I never…that was so…I feel so good."

That brings a smile to him and he tells her, "That's good, that's what I want, ta make ya happy."

"You do Daryl, in so many ways."

As they've been talking his broad hands have never stopped stroking her body, but he waits until he's sure she's caught her breath and then it all begins again. The kissing, the licking, the sucking, the tasting, the touching and teasing. It's not long before they're both at that place where they know the only thing that will satisfy them is each other.

Daryl's kneeling in front of her, Beth's legs are together and her knees are up, and then his hands are on them as he gently spreads her legs further apart and before she knows what's happening, she feels his face between her legs and she can barely say, "Daryl..."

"I just had to lady," and he takes his time licking and tasting her. Beth's embarrassment doesn't last long because soon she's so physically on fire she can't hold her body still.

He stops, leaning up on one arm as he takes hold of his manhood and in a hoarse whisper asks, "Can I?"

"Yes, yes please Daryl, please."

By the first "Yes" he's already teasing her with his tip and by the second "Yes" he's begun to slip inside her. He's been wanting this with her so badly but he isn't going to rush now. He makes himself take it slow and easy. He wants to treat her like she deserves to be treated, like she's special and worthy of all of his time and attention.

Her skin is so warm and the way her hips are rising to welcome him in lets him know she wants this just as much as he does. He keeps a steady rhythm as he moves inside her, trying hard to make his strokes slow and easy while she gets used to the feel of him. It's not just for her, he wants to take time with her for himself too. Why rush when they can enjoy everything about their first time together.

When he feels her small hands grip his ass he smiles, shit, his sweet Beth is liking this with him, hell he's liking it with her too. The feeling gets even better when she wraps those soft and surprisingly strong legs around him like she's holding him in place. That's good, he'll stay as long as she wants him to.

It's like they're moving to the beat of some faraway music as they move together, both of them softly moaning the sounds of their pleasure and desire. Soon the pace quickens and his body bends as his mouth finds her breast, while her hands squeeze his biceps, and she murmurs his name, "Daryl, oh Daryl," and they feel it start to happen.

"Damn lady," his voice is throaty and he's damn near out of breath, but he's moving faster as he pushes himself deeper inside her. He wants to tell her something and it comes out. "You're everythin'." Shit, that's true, but that's not all of it, "I love ya Beth."

Beth let's herself go as she calls out, "Oh Daryl, I love you," and the sound of her saying his name and the words she spoke as she came, that has him cumming with her.

Their arms wrap around each other as they fight for air, and before they realize it's happening, they're both sound asleep.

They wake to a loud banging on the door and Merle's voice yelling, "C'mon man, I'm freezing my ass off out here."

Daryl throws Beth her sweats and she crawls under the covers to pull them on, while Daryl's hopping toward the door as he gets one leg in his sweatpants and then the other. He throws the door open, Merle hurries in carrying a box full of something, and while Daryl shuts the door behind him, his big brother is taking in the scene. He smiles, "I didn't mean ta interrupt your afternoon delight, but damn, I's gettin' hungry. Now I guess I know why no one called me ta supper."

"Shut up Merle."

"I probably will while I'm eatin' my supper."

Daryl looks in the box and sees Merle's been to the cellar. There's some canned elk meat, and green beans mixed with new potatoes, and a can of plums. Daryl nods, "Looks good. Lemme put my shirt on and get it cooked up."

Merle's all smiles, oh he'd like to embarrass the shit out of his little brother right now, but dammit, he just can't do that to sweet Beth. There's only the one question he has to ask, "So am I gonna be an uncle anytime soon?"

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A/N Our couple have taken a giant leap. Please leave a comment. The chapter photo is on my tumblr blogs gneebee and bethylmethbrick, please have a look. I'll be back next week with more of The Man on The Mountain and I hope you'll be here too! Until then remember, I love ya large! xo gneebee