...

It had been weeks, fucking weeks since he had had time alone with her. He was on the edge and the only person that could bring him back was her. If somebody had to get shot for him to have a moment alone with her then so be it. He was that desperate. He had tasted the exotic fruit and he was hopelessly addicted. If only he could find her...

"Hey 'Chonne, you seen Carol?"

Michonne shook her head, dreadlocks swinging and she peered around outside as if she might spot Carol walking around at any given moment. Daryl followed her gaze hoping for the same, but he was only rewarded with disappointment.

"I haven't seen her since last night when we all had dinner together," Michonne offered. She took note of his tense expression and coiled posture with a frown. "Something wrong?"

Daryl shook his head. Something was wrong, but he wasn't about to tell her about it. It wasn't as if she could fix it anyway. The only person that could fix his current condition was the same one who made him that way in the first place. His body craved her like a drug and he needed his next fix.

"Nah, everything's fine. Just need to ask her about somethin'," he lied.

Michonne nodded, "Just a word of advice...I wouldn't ask her to make anymore cookies. Seems to be a hot topic these days."

Daryl snorted. "Cookies...right." Lips twitching with amusement, he continued on, pausing as he came upon the house that they shared with Rick and Carl. He had checked there earlier, but something told him to check there again just in case she had come back.

He eased the door open and poked his head inside, fully expecting to see Rick or Carl lingering somewhere since they always seemed to be around lately. Every time he thought he was going to have a few minutes to himself there they were. At first he didn't hear anything and he started to close the door back and leave when he heard the faintest feminine sigh somewhere upstairs. Slipping inside, he closed the door behind him and crept silently up the stairs.

He stopped at her door to listen and heard it again...another faint sigh. What was she doing in there? He tried the knob, but it was locked and he pressed his ear to the door once more to listen. He was greeted with only silence this time and he frowned. He raised his hand to knock lightly on the door, but it was thrown open with force before he could even touch the wood.

Carol stared at him with dark eyes, her knife in hand poised to strike. It took several seconds for it to register that she was holding the knife and by that time she had relaxed and let her hand fall back down to her side.

"Sorry," she murmured. "I heard something and thought..." She shook her head. "Nevermind. I guess I'm just paranoid."

"What are you doin'?" His voice came out gruffly as he peered over her shoulder.

Her response came in the form of a teasing smile that turned his insides to molten lava. She leaned against the doorframe, "What do you want me to be doing?"

A growl resonated deep in his throat as he stepped into the room, forcing her backward as he closed them inside. He turned and clicked the lock on the door, taking a moment to draw in a breath before he lost total control. He felt her hands slide over his arms as she stepped in close behind him and he shivered as she kissed the base of his neck, her teeth scraping him gently. His hands tightened to fists and he drew in another sharp breath when her hand ghosted over his ass.

"Carol," he growled. "It's been too long..."

"Shh...I know. Let me make it better."

Deep growls rumbling in his chest that he tried hard to hold quiet threatened to break through when she began to remove her clothing. He mimicked her actions, unconsciously moving faster than her in his haste to kiss the very breath from her lungs. He stood there naked and watched as she finished removing her clothing and then they both moved, naked bodies meeting in the middle.

He drew her chin up with his fingers and pressed his lips to hers, tongues swirling impatiently. Hands trailed over naked flesh as they finally surrendered to a passion that had been building for weeks. Eyes wild, he searched her room until he settled on her dresser and he walked her backward until she was pressed against it. Lifting her by the ass, he settled her on top of the dresser and spread her legs wide so that he could look at her.

"Fuck me..." His mouth grew dry as all words fled him. And when she reached between her legs to spread herself open for him with two fingers he lost that last shred of control he had been desperately clinging to.

Surging forward, he buried himself between her legs, thrusting his tongue inside of her wet folds over and over. She whimpered and wrapped her legs around him, hugging him as closely as possible. He thought of nothing but her as he licked and feasted upon her. It was always her. As far as he was concerned she was the last woman on earth because if anything ever happened to her then he would die right along with her. There would never be anyone else for him. Vaguely he wondered if it was possible to love someone too much. Then he decided that he didn't care one way or the other.

Carol twisted and moaned as her legs shook violently around him. She was getting close and he wanted to make her cum harder than he ever had before. The way she had been acting lately...taking control of everything and playing that innocent act of hers so brilliantly...fuck. It was about the hottest goddamn thing he thought he had ever seen. All of that emotion and intense need had been festering within him with each passing moment that he didn't get to touch her.

The dresser rocked backwards as he pushed in further, sucking on her sweetness with just the right amount of pressure. He licked steady firm strokes over her and then circled up to her hot spot which he drew into his mouth - a man on a mission. She cried out, her voice muffled by the pressure of her hand as she tried to be as quiet as possible.

"Oh...uhm...God!"

He grinned as he pulled back and reached for her again. Without giving her time to regain her footing, he slid her forward and down onto his hard shaft. They both groaned simultaneously as they adjusted to each other after their lengthy dry period. He waited for her nod to continue and then he began to rock into her, softly at first and then harder as she bit down on her lip.

His muscles quivered with sweat as he tried to keep himself from spilling his load too soon. Then she latched down onto his shoulder and he hissed through his teeth, damp, sweaty hair falling into his eyes.

"Sweetheart," he muttered, "Fuck."

She laughed huskily in reply and he caught her nipple between his teeth, nibbling the hard peak before rolling it around with his tongue. He groaned when she squeezed her thighs together, her body hugging him from within. Since the day she had done it purely on accident and seen his accompanying reaction, she tended to tease him with it from time to time.

"I love you," she whispered near his ear. She bit down on his earlobe as she came again, arching into him as far as she could physically go.

Her words did him much as they always did and he followed suit barely seconds later. He held her tautly as his body spilled within her over and over again. Spots danced behind his eyelids, but he never let go of her...never let her fall.

With as much balance as he could muster, he maneuvered them both to the bed and they collapsed upon the slightly cool sheets breathing heavily. He took a moment to gather himself and then he offered his arm to her. Carol slid over with hesitation. She drew lazy circles over his chest with one finger while he pressed his lips to her hair and breathed in the scent that was her.

"How much longer do you think we can pull this off 'fore someone finds out?"

She sighed. "As long as we can. No one here needs to find out about us. It would raise too many questions. We only told Rick because we had to, but the rest of our group doesn't need to know yet. They wouldn't be able to keep it secret," she explained.

"Yeah...you're right I s'pose."

"Of course I am," she teased. "Besides, isn't it more fun this way - sneaking around?"

A lazy grin slid over his face and he stretched contentedly. "It's got it's perks," he admitted before his expression changed to a more serious one. "I don't like waitin' this long to be with you though."

She leaned up on her elbow and ran her fingers lovingly through his damp strands before kissing his forehead affectionately. "I think it makes our time together that much better."

He shrugged, his eyes following her fingers and face. "Whatever you say, sweetheart."

"I like that," she murmured.

"What? Sweetheart?"

"Yeah."

A random thought occurred to him and he smiled wickedly. "Like it enough to make me some cookies?"

She went silent and still then she smacked him soundly on his shoulder, her eyes shooting teasing sparks towards him. He chuckled and trapped her wrists, rolling her beneath, his body already responding to her nearness.

"Who told you about the cookies?"

"Sweetheart, it's no secret." He grinned and kissed her lazily. "But I'm easy so I'll take this instead." He nibbled on the spot just below her ear and she shivered, "Much sweeter."

She huffed, but he could sense that she was bending. "You know too much."

Laughing outright, he pulled back to stare down at her twinkling blue orbs. "Can I call you the Cookie Lady?"

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Only if you never want sex ever again," she threatened.

"On second thought..."

"That's what I thought."

"Love you," he whispered against her skin. He captured her lips in another kiss and the rest of the world fell away as they lost themselves in each other once again.

...