The strangeness and suddenness of the kiss prevents Carol from enjoying the little twinge that shoots down to her knees -- it's been a while since she was kissed, even longer since it was by someone she actually respected, and she's not exactly in the business of making sex jokes about people she finds repulsive, so. Shock (not the bad kind, she thinks... probably not) keeps her from being anything but a cold fish since she's focused more on rapid, confused blinking than in applying any sort of feeling to it. Not that she has none; quite the contrary really.

Her fingers clamp down on his sleeves for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which is preventing him from dashing off whenever this is over because that is absolutely not acceptable.

It's about then that Carol realizes her stilted response might be insulting which is the last thing she intends, so the last moment before she gently pulls back and breaks the kiss she leans into it very slightly, maybe he won't even notice but if he does at least he'll know she's not rejecting him, she's just...

Something other than rejecting him. She's still scurrying to catch up with events but she's never do that outright. Not without answers.

"Daryl, what... what?" Her tone is one of gentle questioning, but the way she grips his arms implies that if he turns tail to run she will knock him senseless.