The Embrace

 

I want to thank everyone who has been reading, and especially those who took the time to rate or review.  I know you’ve been waiting for this next installment for a very long time and I appreciate your patience. 



I read some interviews that gave me a few important insights into Daryl’s character, so I hope I’ve managed to capture him in a way that will seem real for his many devotees. 

Thank you to RF for her beta skills (especially after I sent her the wrong version to review the first time...oops!  Sorry!). 

Hope y’all like it...

*****

Chapter 4

Carol’s heart fluttered in her chest as though it was trying to escape the confines of her ribcage.  As many times as she’d dreamed about what it would be like to find herself in this very situation, it had never once occurred to her that it might actually happen.   It was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.

As she watched Daryl lower the steel shutters on all but one of the windows, the light in the room gradually dimmed until the walls were mottled with stark violet shadows.  The pale orange beams spilling through the last uncovered pane of glass were all too clear a reminder that it wouldn’t be long before dusk would arrive and Daryl would have to leave with the others.

The two of them only had a few hours together at best...and depending on what dangers the men might encounter during the rescue mission, maybe only a few hours ever.  She had no intention of letting her nerves get the best of her now.

Having done what he could to ensure their privacy, Daryl turned around so he was facing her.  When she saw his hopeful expression, Carol flew into his arms, causing him to stumble backwards a step before catching her in his strong embrace.  His eyes shone with amusement at first but that changed the second she rose up on her tiptoes and captured his lips with her own.

Overwhelmed by the sweet intensity of such a simple connection, Carol moaned quietly and tangled her fingers in his hair, the sandy-brown strands damp and soft where they curled above his collar.  She could go on like this forever, sharing the very air from his lungs and savouring the luscious taste of him deep in her mouth. The fantasies she’d harboured night after lonely night now seemed drab and grey compared to the vivid, technicolour reality of how he lit her up inside with his every touch.  

The tendons of his neck shifted under her palm as he angled his head so he could take charge of the kiss, cradling her jaw in his hand as he twined his tongue with hers in a leisurely, intimate dance that sent heat pooling low in her body.  Captivating scents rose up from the warmth of his body to fill her senses...the shady green balm of the forest in which he hunted, the faint odour of motorcycle oil, the salty tang of fresh sweat and the musky spice of masculine arousal.  All of it left her dizzy with desire and unsteady on her feet.

She slid a hand down to his shoulder, thrilling at the way cords of solid muscle flexed as she ran her fingers lightly along his arm.  Goose bumps rose on his skin and she felt a tremor move through him despite the swiftly rising temperature within the booth.

“I love that I can do that to you,” she murmured, nuzzling his cheek.  She more than loved it, actually.  His reaction was proof positive that what was happening between them was truly mutual, something she hadn’t really believed in her heart was possible until now.

Daryl tilted his head slightly and she shivered as his breath fanned hot against her ear. “That ain’t all you do to me,” he said huskily, his whiskers scratching the delicate skin of her neck as he spoke.

With subtle pressure, he backed her up against the wall and pinned her in place with his body.  Even through their clothes, Carol could feel the thick, hard evidence of his need jutting against her navel and the rush of lust that surged through her was so overwhelming that she struggled to remember how to breathe properly.  Primal instinct had her rolling her hips against his in turn, wanting him with a desperation she’d never felt before. 

He exhaled sharply and seized hold of her waist to keep her still.  Any sound of protest she might have made was stolen away with a kiss so devastatingly hot that if Daryl hadn’t had her trapped between him and the wall, her knees would have buckled and she’d have collapsed.  Her head swam at his delicious incursion, his tongue seeking out every sensitive spot in her mouth and drawing her tongue deeply into his at the same time. She clung to him, weathering the long-anticipated storm of his passion.

Determined to explore the sleek texture of bare skin, she sought out the buttons on his tattered shirt and fumbled to get them undone, groaning when she found her shaky hands simply weren’t capable of such a complex task. Frustrated, she tugged harder and was startled when the front of his shirt suddenly tore completely apart, buttons flying around the room before they hit the floor and bounced off into the shadows. 

Daryl pulled back, blinking in surprise.  “You coulda just asked me to take it off,” he chuckled, arching an eyebrow as he glanced down at the frayed threads and torn buttonholes on his shirtfront.

Shocked at her unusual aggression, Carol stared at him wide-eyed and covered her mouth with her hand.  “I’m so sorry! That’s not...I can’t believe...I’m not like that!  Really, I’m not!  I’ll mend your shirt, I promise!”

“Nah, forget it,” he drawled, giving Carol a shy grin that it sent love surging through her.   “It was about ready to fall to bits all on its own.  B‘sides, it was kinda worth the sacrifice - ain’t ever had a woman try ‘n rip off my clothes before.”

“Well, it’s a first for both of us, then,” she admitted with a blush, unable to keep from smiling back.  

He hesitated a few seconds before shrugging the garment off of his shoulders, letting it slide down off his arms before tossing it carelessly aside.  The faint light outlined the well-defined contours of his torso beautifully, from the dusting of hair between his flat, hard pecs to his tapered midriff.  He was lean and toned and every bit as stunning as she’d imagined in spite of the distressing network of scars that cut across his torso. 

When he saw how intently she was gazing at him, he went red with shame and rubbed self-consciously at the marks as if he could somehow erase them.  “Sorry,” he muttered, crossing his arms in front of him. “I know they’re ugly…”

Her heart shattered into a thousand pieces for the hurt that had been done to him early in his life, and for all that he carried within him still. “No!” she declared, grasping his wrists firmly and forcing him to uncover himself.  “No.  What’s ugly is what was done to you.  I could never look at you and feel anything but love.  To me, you are perfect.”

With infinite gentleness, she curled a hand around his neck and drew him down for another kiss, this one slow and soft so that it would call out to his heart every bit as strongly as to his body.  “I wish I could take away all the pain that was inflicted on you, wish I could punish those who thought it was okay to treat a little boy like that.,” she said, tracing one of the ragged lines that ran side to side across his midriff.   Carol couldn’t even imagine what awful things had been done to him that would have left such deep, permanent welts, wasn’t sure if she even wanted to know.  “But the man who gave you these scars…the one who gave me mine…they’re gone now.  You and I, we were stronger… we are stronger than both of them in the end.”

His skin burned hot and his heartbeat thundered under her palm as she bent to softly kiss a line along the jagged, shiny stretch of skin she’d been touching, smoothing her hand over his ribs at the same time.  When she looked up again, she saw his eyes glisten before he gathered her in for another hug, his arms cinching around her so tightly that he nearly squeezed the breath from her lungs.

“Never had anyone look at me like you do...like I’m the only other person in the world,” he confided quietly, his moustache brushing her temple as he spoke. 

She smiled to herself as she splayed her fingers over his back, loving the way his muscles shifted and flexed as he held her.  “Never?  I find that hard to believe.”

Daryl remained silent for a few seconds as though struggling to find the words before she felt him shake his head.  “Most of the women that came ‘round our place were lookin’ for Merle, just strung-out users wantin’ to trade a piece of tail for the next hit of whatever dope he was pushin’.  Decent folks stayed as far away from us as they could, ‘specially after my mom died.”  He sighed deeply and nestled his face in her hair.  “Carol, you’re the first I felt this way about...the first I ever cared about like this, you know? I mean...that I’ve loved.”

It wasn’t exactly poetry but his meaning was unmistakable and heartfelt, and she knew what it had taken for him to even say those words out loud.  She tilted her head to the side, catching his mouth with hers again and pouring all of her emotion into the caress of her lips on his.  He was right...so far as she was concerned, he was the only other person in the world right now, for her. 

As she shaped the curve of his ribs and the flat planes of his abdomen, revelling in the ripple of muscle beneath her fingertips, he stared at her with such longing that a shiver skittered over her skin. She brushed her nails over his nipples and he moaned softly, his breath hitching in his lungs as she ducked her head and tongued delicate circles around each stiff, ruddy tip in turn.

“You’re gorgeous, you know,” she sighed, her exhalation on his damp skin causing him to writhe against her.  Every physical response Carol was able to coax from him made her feel strong and utterly feminine at the same time.  Loving Daryl made her feel like a woman again, and she would take no end of satisfaction in having him lose himself in her touch.

“Guys ain’t gorgeous,” he growled peevishly, and she laughed softly before kissing his bottom lip. 

“If you could see yourself the way I see you, you’d think differently,” she breathed against his mouth before stealing another kiss, one that was far more demanding and ravenous than she’d dared initiate before.  He returned it every bit as fervently, pulling her against him until her breasts were pressed flat against his sweat-slicked chest.

He suddenly broke away with a gasp, his eyelids heavy with lust.  “I want…I need to see you, too.”

She swallowed hard and nodded, stepping back from him on slightly unsteady legs.  As he bunched the hem of her shirt in his hands, she raised her arms and he peeled off her tank top.  As the cooler air hit her skin, she found herself wishing that she’d taken the time to put on a bra again after she’d washed up, that there was even one extra layer between them before he finally saw her, flaws and all.  What if she saw disappointment replace the hunger on his face?  It had been a long hard winter, and she had far fewer curves than she used to.  She was too plain to really be considered pretty, anyway, and heaven knew she was too old for him by far…

Daryl’s breath caught in his throat, that one strangled sound dispelling all her insecurities in a heartbeat.  “Good lord, but you’re beautiful,” he murmured quietly, gazing at her with such awe that Carol flushed with happiness. 

No one, not even her unlamented late husband, had ever called her beautiful or moreover, made her feel that way.  That Daryl sincerely thought so was almost enough to make her cry.

He reached out but stopped just short of touching her, and she was surprised at the boyish uncertainty she saw when his eyes flicked up to meet hers.  It was sweet and endearing to see the same man who’d never faltered in the face of danger hesitate when faced with the prospect of physical intimacy.  Fighting the urge to smile, she gently took his hand in hers.  “I’m yours, remember?” she whispered, stepping close as she pressed his palm to her tender breast.

Both of them gasped at the moment of contact, the sensation of his calloused hand against her sensitive skin causing her nipple to tighten into a pert little bud.  Her head fell back as he pressed soft, wet kisses along the column of her neck and cupped her breast reverently, caressing her as though he was touching something sacred.

“You feel so good...smell so good,” he moaned as he bowed his head, his breath skimming along her breast bone in a descending trail of kisses.  “Gotta know how you taste...”

Carol whimpered and sank her fingers into his hair as he took her nipple into his mouth, enveloping her with a hot, moist heat that sent streams of fire straight to her core.  His lips tugged lightly at her fleshy, hardened tip while his tongue flicked and swirled against her, teasing her with agonizing thoroughness until she thought she might scream in frustration.  When she arched her back and clutched his head firmly to her breast, Daryl drew her nipple past his teeth and sucked hard enough that she felt powerful, answering tugs deep in her pelvis.  Her eyes rolled back and she cried out loudly, skirting the edge of a climax as she trembled in his arms.

His breath came in harsh bursts of  warmth that tickled her skin as he took her other breast in hand and repeated his gentle assault there, driving her even closer to finally losing control.  The growing pressure at the crux of her thighs demanded attention, and she looped her calf around his leg so she could bring him in close enough to rub the hard ridge of his erection against her throbbing mound.  He clutched her ass and wedged in even closer, grinding himself against her as a wordless, rumbling sound that was half-growl and half-plea spilled from his lips.

“”Daryl,” she keened, her voice raw and breaking on his name.  She languidly opened her eyes to find him giving her a look of such predatory need that it stole her breath away. 

He guided her away from the wall and backed her up to the console’s edge, grabbing her by the hips and lifting her onto the narrow, cold metal work space.  She squeaked in surprise as he tucked his fingers into the waistband of her khakis and pulled hard on them.

“Up,” he commanded impatiently, and she obeyed without even thinking about it, placing her palms flat on the desk’s surface and raising herself.  He yanked her pants over the curve of her ass and down her thighs, leaving her covered in nothing more than a small white triangle of cotton.  He struggled for a few minutes to work the bunched-up material over her cowboy boots and Carol couldn’t help but snicker.

“Might want to try and take the boots off first,” she suggested with feigned innocence, trying her level best to keep from grinning.   

He narrowed his eyes and gave her a wry look as he pulled her boots off one at a time and tossed them aside.  “Didn’t wanna waste more time than we already have,” he answered, finally working her pants from her legs and throwing them away heedlessly into some dark corner. 

When he stood up straight again, she hooked his hips with her feet and coaxed him between her legs.  He came to her eagerly, nudging her thighs far enough apart to press the hot, hard bulge in his jeans against her pulsing centre.  She swivelled her hips provocatively and his eyelids fluttered closed, his lips parting sensuously as a shuddering sigh broke from his throat. 

When she reached for his belt, her fingers bumped against his stiff arousal as she worked the strip of leather free of the buckle and he sucked in a hissing breath, bracing himself by slamming his hand onto the desk beside her with a sudden bang.  She sat all the way up and nuzzled his neck as she unzipped him, licking away the beads of sweat that had trickled into the hollow of his throat, and delighting in the intoxicating taste of his skin.

Without his belt holding them up, his heavy jeans and all his weapons slipped over his lean hips and down his legs, hitting the floor with a muffled thud.  Carol bit back a moan as she saw the way his straining length tented the front of his boxers, and a rush of slick moisture soaked through her panties as her body prepared itself for all that he had to offer her.

She palmed him through the soft, worn fabric of his underwear, and he twitched heavily in her hand as she traced the shape of him from head to base and slowly back again.  His chest heaved and he made low sounds of pleasure as she stroked him, and she flushed deeply at the stunningly erotic way his face contorted at each touch.

“Now,” she implored, the empty ache deep in her womb more than she was able to bear.  “I need you now.”

Daryl groaned and rocked his hips against her, both of them crying out in equal parts impatience and desire.  “Not...not on the desk.  Don’t want it like that,” he panted, his voice rough.  “Please… get down on the sleeping bag...I want to lay with you.  I want to do it right.”

She climbed down off the cool, metallic ledge and kissed him once more before lowering herself to the floor.  As she settled back onto the downy comfort of his makeshift bed, she stretched her arms above her head and arched her back.  His sharp intake of air let her know that the very deliberate display definitely wasn’t lost on him.  When she began trailing her fingertips over her breasts and then down along the rise of her hips to slip off her panties, he started swearing profusely under his breath and fumbling with the laces on his hiking boots. 

“You’re killin’ me here,” he growled, and she smiled secretly as he sent his jeans sliding across the floor almost the second his boots were off. Standing over her, he curled and uncurled his fists as he took her in from head to toe, staring at her with such single-minded concentration that she wondered if he wasn’t trying to commit every inch of her body to memory.

Carol waited for him for several long moments before passion won out over patience.  She tucked her legs beneath her and sat up, kneeling before him as her hands drifted over the swell of firm muscle in his calves and then his thighs.  A slow, virulent heat blazed in his smoky blue eyes as she grasped the cuffs of his boxers and tugged them gently downward, exposing the only part of him she’d yet to see.

She sat back on her haunches and bit her lip, stunned by his naked form.  Daryl was beautiful – God, he’d hate that word even more than ‘gorgeous’, she knew – but it was the only adjective that suited.  The long column of dusky flesh curled up towards his abdomen from his heavy sac, his thick shaft crowned with a broad, plum shaped head that bobbed in time to his pulse.  Together with his wide shoulders and slim waist, and all the way down to those well-defined legs dappled with dusty brown hair, he was sin personified and utterly irresistible.

“Lay down with me,” she said, tucking her hand into his and holding tight as she reclined back onto his bed once more.  As he followed her down, she spread her legs so that she could cushion him with her body, and she sighed with bliss at the feel of his hard, heavy weight pressing down on her pelvis. 

He propped himself above her on one elbow, caressing her cheek worshipfully with his fingertips.  “I know there’s more we could do but I just can’t wait any longer,” he murmured apologetically.  “It’s just, you make me feel...it hurts too much, I need to be inside of you.”  

“I want that, too,” she replied, tears of joy in her eyes as she lifted her head so she could take another tender taste of his lips.  “It’s been too long already.”

She reached down between them and took him into her hand, stroking him and smoothing the fluid that had already leaked from him over the engorged head of his penis with the pad of her thumb.  His breath caught in his lungs as she tilted her hips and guided him to her entrance, and he slowly slid into her with a deep plunge that had her seeing starbursts behind her eyes.

Both of them went utterly still, and Carol felt him trembling against her as her own body rippled, stretching to try and accommodate his rigid length.  Coherent thought was impossible, never mind speech...just as well, really, because nothing she could say could begin to express how he affected her on every level.  Maybe for once in her life, something wasn’t too good to be true.

Making a sound halfway between a gasp and a whimper, he buried his face in the crook of her neck and panted hard before he started moving again.  He rode her slow and easy, sweet torture that had her lifting her hips to receive every leisurely, heavenly thrust.  “You’re like...like silk inside.  So soft...Carol, oh...fuck...” he groaned, and she clutched the taut globes of his ass, desperate to take him even further into her. 

He was so fierce and yet so gentle that she fell in love with him all over again.  For a time, she fought the rushing tide of her climax, wanting to draw the moment out as long as she could.  But the strength of the emotion in her heart combined with her profound physical response was too much to resist and in the end, she gladly surrendered herself to it.  She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him passionately as she came with a force so overwhelming that she was left temporarily senseless.  She sobbed as she was undone, remade, and complete again all at once, her fingernails digging into his skin as she struggled to handle the realization of the one thing she’d dreamed of so often.

Her orgasm unleashed something within him and he began pounding into her, a primal growl rising from his throat as his hips slammed against hers with increasing force.  She began to spiral upward again, the feel of him moving  so vigorously within her sparking new and devastating responses that drained and elated her at the same time. 

They came in unison this time, Carol screaming out his name as she clamped her legs around his waist, head kicking back and back arching as wave after wave of pleasure surged through her.  He gritted his teeth and shook, bucking in the cradle of her hips as he spent himself within her. 

Daryl all but collapsed against her, his head resting on her breast as they both struggled to catch their breath.  Feeling at peace for the first time in nearly a year, Carol speared her fingers through his sweat-soaked hair and savoured the feel of his naked body against hers. 

“I wish we could stay like this forever,” he whispered, and her heart contracted painfully with the knowledge that it could never be anything more than a fantasy for either one of them.  They had stolen some time in a world gone mad and it was the best that they could possibly hope for.  Nothing that had happened between them would change the reality that awaited them outside their tepid little room.

It had, however, changed everything inside of her.  “I wish that, too,” she said quietly, content for the moment to bask in the heat of the man she had loved for so very long.

*~*~*~*~*~*

One more chapter, methinks...hope not to take quite as long this time.  Thanks for reading, please rate/review!