Sandra's eyes widened as she turned to Dylan. “What?”

“You said you wanted to eat some apple mango, right? Then I'll get you some,” he said, smiling. 

Her lips parted. “You're going to climb that mango tree? No, Dylan. It's dangerous! You might slip and fall!”

Even if that apple mango is not that high, she won't allow Dylan to climb it. 

“Don't worry, Sandra. I know how to climb trees,” he assured her as if he could read her mind.

“Are you sure?” she asked again, still doubting what he said. How could someone like him know how to climb trees?

He nodded and smiled. “My family owned a resort in Batangas. I often climbed the trees there when I was a kid.”

“That was a long time ago, Dylan. I'm sure you can't do that now," she answered him. 

“Come on, baby. Don't you have trust in me?” 

Oh, damn. He called her baby again.

She bit her lower lip. “But you might get hurt. And I don't want that."

Dylan held her hand and gently squeezed it. “Don't worry, Sandra. I won't fall, okay?”

“Fine.” She let out a sigh in the end. 

Dylan smiled at her before turning to Rosing who was smiling amusedly while looking at them. 

“Would you allow me to climb this apple mango tree, Aunt Rosing?" Dylan said, asking permission from the caretaker.

“Just be careful, hijo.”

She was feeling a little nervous while watching Dylan climb up the tree. 

“Dylan, take care, please.” She looked up and reminded him.

Dylan tried to glance down at her. “Don't worry too much, Sandra. I can do this.” He even winked at her.

Sandra didn't know if she'd smile or shake her head. Seriously, he still had the guts to wink at her like that?

Despite the worry she was feeling at that moment, she couldn't help but smile while watching Dylan climb up the tree like he was a freaking Spiderman or something. 

 “You have a very sweet boyfriend, Sandra,” the old woman said to her, smiling.

She pursed her lips. “He's not my boyfriend yet, Rosing. He's still pursuing me.”

“Don't let go of him, Sandra. That kind of man was now rare nowadays. He looked like he was really head over heels in love with you."

She smiled without taking her eyes from Dylan. The man was really proving to her that he would do anything for her, huh. 

And with what he's doing, she couldn't help but fall for him more. 

“Aww… damn...”

Her heart started to race in her chest when she heard Dylan's groans from above. 

“D-Dylan? What's happening?"

“Oh!” Rosing worriedly muttered beside her. “He might have been bitten by ants!”

“YOU shouldn't have climbed that tree,” Sandra told Dylan when they finally got home. 

She sighed while looking at the rashes on his arms and neck. He got bitten by a colony of red ants earlier. 

Yeah. He was successful in getting some apple mangoes but this was what he got in return. 

“It was nothing, Sandra,” Dylan said with a shrug.

Her eyebrows met in one line. “What nothing are you talking about? I know what it feels like to get bitten by those red ants.” 

“But it's worth it, Sandra. I've got a lot of apple mangoes.” The corner of his lips curled up in a proud smile.

Her heart wanted to leap out of her chest with that smile from him. Damn. He was already suffering from rashes but he could still choose to make her heart flutter. 

“Stay here. I'll get some ointment inside.” She left Dylan in the living room.

When she got back, she sat in front of him and opened the packet of ointment she got in her mother's emergency kit.

“Let me do this, Sandra.” Dylan said. 

But she just shook her head at him. “Let me, Dylan. I know you're a doctor but this time, allow me to do this to you. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing.”

“Alright, baby.” Dylan smiled which caused her heart to skip a beat.

“Stretch your arms, please.” She said, avoiding his eyes for the meantime. She didn't want to get distracted by his handsome face. Here we go again. The Dylan Laxamana effect on her.

“Alright.” He extended his right hand to her. She carefully put some ointment on her finger and spread it on his arm. 

She avoided looking at Dylan's face. She could feel that he's looking at her and she wanted to focus on what she's doing. 

After putting ointment on both his arms, she was forced to look up and focus her eyes on his neck.  

She cleared her throat and bit her lower lip while spreading some ointment on his Adam's apple. 

Damn. His neck alone was just so sexy. 

She almost dropped the ointment from her hand when she heard his sweet and gentle voice. 

“Baby...”

“W-why are you calling me baby?” Damn. Her heart was hyperventilating again.

“You don't want me to call you, baby? What endearment would you like then?” he asked her, grinning.

Dylan was the first man in her life who called her that endearment. None of her ex-boyfriends did. 

Dylan was the only one. And everytime he calls her 'baby', her heart was always hyperventilating. “Why are you already using an endearment?” she asked him instead. “We're not even together yet.”

“But sooner or later, we will be.” He smiled sexily.

She just playfully rolled her eyes at him and chuckled. “Overconfident. What if I'd reject you?”

“Oh. That's the only thing you're not allowed to do, baby.” He grinned at her while raising his perfect brows. “You'll surely regret it, Sandra.” 

She let out a chuckle while shaking her head. She continued on treating him. 

This time, she raised her hand to touch his face. 

He also had some rashes on his handsome face. Some on his cheeks. His face was red as tomatoes because of that. But despite that, he was still a hundred times more good looking than any normal man. 

While putting the ointment on his face, she couldn't help but stare at his red lips. His lower lip was a bit swollen and red.

“You also got bitten on the lip, Dylan.” she said in a small voice. 

“Yeah.” He bit his lower lip and closed his eyes for a second. “It stings.”

She swallowed hard. What he did was just so sexy.

Damn! She suddenly wondered how those lips tasted like? Were they sweet? She should ask those red eyes who bit him. 

What the hell, Sandra! 

Her cheeks heated up with her thoughts. 

“U-uhm, do I also need to put some ointment on your lips, Dylan?” Damn. She didn't know if she could touch his lips without her shaking. 

Right now, she was only looking at his lips but she felt like she was already hyperventilating. What more if she touches them? His lips were so tempting.

“Will you get mad if I kiss you?” Dylan's husky voice filled her ears.

When she tried to look at his eyes, she found out that he was also staring at his lips. 

His eyes were hooded with desire while staring at her lips.

“Can I kiss you, baby? Yes or no, please.”

Her eyes dropped at his tempting and slightly open lips. She wanted to taste those lips. Badly. 

“Yes, Dylan. You can kiss me.”

As if on cue, Dylan cupped her face and captured her lips.

His lips was so soft and sweet. His lips were moving against her in a very gentle way. 

She automatically closed her eyes and answered his kiss. She couldn't explain the intense sensation she was feeling right now. Butterflies were invading and playing inside her stomach. 

She didn't know how long they were kissing. They were only forced to move away from each other when they heard a loud clearing of a throat. 

Her face heated up when she saw her brother Cray looking at them from the stairs.