The deeper kiss sent shivers down her spine. Beth moaned softly against his lips, her tongue moving to tease against his. The hand stroking his arm moved higher, returning the favor and tangling into his hair. The feeling of having the long strands sliding between her fingers gave her an unexpected thrill. Every boy she'd ever gotten anywhere near this close to had been close cropped and clean shaven. The rough scrape of Daryl's stubble and the brush of his long hair against her skin was so different.

When the need for air forced her to break away from the kiss, she panted ragged breaths and then kissed down the line of his jaw, pausing to suck more firmly at the soft skin underneath the hinge of his jaw.