"Pretty romantic? Screw around?"
😍
It wasn’t the surprise of Daryl’s willing fingers on her shoulder or how she had relaxed into his firm touch. It was when Carol looked over her shoulder and saw the moment it registered on his face. How natural it was for him to offer to ease her suffering. How intimate his touch was. Out on the road, their relationship had changed. And now they both knew it.
She smiled, letting him continue to massage her shoulder. His fingers slowed and faltered as she held his gaze. A fever burned low in her core, erupting across her skin, and suddenly, she couldn’t breathe. Something dark fell across his eyes and twitched on his face. He withdrew his hands.
“Better get back,” he warned.
She pivoted on her toes to face him. “Pretty romantic,” she said, the heat making her bold. “Screw around?”
Daryl sized her up, not knowing how his gaze seared her flesh as he considered it. He met her eyes again like he was unsure if she was joking. “It’ll change everything,” he said, shaking his head.
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
He shrugged.
“It doesn’t have to be.”
His eyes quickly scanned hers again before he nodded his understanding. It was a serious offer. He turned away, stepping towards the edge of the bus like he was trying to escape. “I’ll go down first.”
“I knew you were a gentleman,” she teased.
“Stop,” he chuckled, climbing down the ladder. At the bottom, he waited for her, reaching out his arm to steady her as she jumped down from the last rung.
His hand lingered on her arm, and she didn’t miss the subtle caress of his fingers on her skin. It sent a tingle down her spine. His eyes were still cautious. This was new territory for both of them.
Carol realized she would have to make the first move. Stepping forward, she tugged on the strap of his crossbow. It slid off his shoulder without resistance, and she gently placed it on the ground against the bus.
His breath hitched as she drew her arms around his neck. “We can still be friends,” she whispered. “But why not more?”
“More?” His voice was low.
“More than friends.” She let her nose brush against his.
Daryl was panting. The sound of it making her press closer, until she was flush against his chest. He grunted.
“We could make each other feel good.”
“Oh?” His hands brushed against her hips, aimless and hesitant.
She nodded, kissing a trail along his cheek towards his ear. Slowly, her tongue reached out to lick his earlobe. Daryl quivered, his hands tightening on her hips.
He tilted his head as she sucked his earlobe into her mouth, giving her more access to his neck. Her lips traveled down the length of it to the edge of his poncho. She pulled back, noticing the dreamy look in his eyes. His fingers rubbed back and forth on her hips.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
Daryl shook his head, his eyes drawing down to her lips. “Can I kiss you?” he asked nervously.
She smiled and nodded. “I’d like that.”
He stuck his head forward, his lips barely touching hers, almost like he had never kissed anyone before. She leaned into it, pressing back. His head popped back in surprise. Carol smiled which seemed to give him the confidence to try again. His lips were more firm the second time. And then, he just caught on, moving his lips slowly over hers like warm honey. His hands, growing more confident on her hips, began to wrap around her waist.
Her tongue teased at his lips, and he got the hint, opening his mouth. She gave a slow, exploratory swirl of her tongue across his, and he groaned, pulling back. His breath was heavy as he stared at her. “That was some kiss,” he commented, still holding her close.
“Did you like it?”
His cheeks turned pink, and he nodded, averting his eyes.
Carol smiled and lowered her voice into a sultry lilt. “Wanna do it again?”
Daryl glanced up to see if she was serious. “Course I do.”
“Then shut up and kiss me.”
Fortunately, he didn’t need any further encouragement, placing a sloppy, eager kiss at her lips. They made out under the stars until Beth and Maggie started singing in front of the fire. Breathless, they broke apart, knowing they needed to get back to the others, or the others might come looking.
“Look at us. Like a couple of teenagers, sneaking around,” Carol remarked, raising her eyebrows. “I like it.”
Daryl chuckled, gazing at her fondly. The space between them was still highly charged. “Maybe we can sneak around again tomorrow.”
“It’s a date,” Carol confirmed.