Several hours later, after an unplanned outing, Ashley faced Dave again. Her dull gait was almost facing the entrance of the beach house when she noticed a familiar figure seated by the shore. After s deep sigh, Ashley pulled up the loose arms of her cotton jacket, took her shoes off and decided to join him.

There were things she needed to talk to him about. Many, many things.

After Dave Scott asked her a question that made her soul flare up, Mark Song appeared with an invitation some hours later and Ashley accepted it to escape from her reality. She thought she could escape the truth that surrounded her divorce. But, going out turned out to be a mistake.

As she walked, her eyes stayed glued on the outline of Dave's broad back which was a little tilted due to the way he was sitting. And she could not help but wear a smile because he appeared peaceful. His entire aura was one that she wished to have a share in.

"Hi," she greeted in a low voice when she got to his side.

Dave dragged his gaze off the playful water body and as she sat on the soft mat he laid down, she wondered what was on his mind.

"You are back early," Dave stated.

Ashley crossed her legs and threw her hands behind her for support. "Things got boring."

After her response, Ashley immediately recalled the details of her meeting with Mark Song. Things went terribly wrong.

"Really?" Dave asked and Ashley gave a heavy sigh that gave away the hatred she had for the way things played out that evening. "What happened?" he further asked.

'Mark groped my ass. With a crazy ass smirk, he said he knew I wanted it.'

Ashley could not bring herself to utter that statement.

With a casual shrug, she replied, "Well, Mark turned out to be a boring guy which is surprising. In college, he was particularly fun. But today, he kept talking about himself in a way that got on my nerves. I got angry and left."

'He pulled me closer, glued me to his chest, and said he wanted me.'

Dave sat up so that he could properly face her. "Are you fine?"

Shaking her head slightly, a little frown on her face, Ashley answered, "Yes, I am. Does something seem off?" Her smile was greatly fake but she hoped that she was doing a great job of hiding that fact.

"Not really. I am just glad you are back. This place is boring without you."

Swiftly pushing away the ugliness of her outing with Mark, Ashley allowed a full smile on her lips without hesitation. And it dawned upon her that one of the things that were missing while she was in the club Mark Song took her to, was the smile that always graced her lips whenever she was with Dave.

The smile and feeling that comes with being appreciated, being admired by someone. That someone being Dave Scott.

Dave...

She was missing Dave.

"Dave..."

"Yeah?"

'I think I like you beyond the way I initially imagined.'

"Do you think I need to forgive my mother?" Fear and doubt embedded inside her decided against her initial statement.

Dave looked surprised for a few seconds. But he soon relaxed that expression and leaned his head closer. So close that she could feel the way his breaths went in and out. Peering into her eyes, concern all over his face, Dave reached for the side of her face and caressed her skin before whispering, "Yes, I do."

Ashley felt like crying. Hearing that damn voice of his roused thing within her soul. That gentle and soft voice made her yearn for him even though he was right beside her. A ferocious need for more of his presence washed over her. And at that second, she wanted every of their moment to last forever.

Opening the eyes that she had kept shut to keep away the stinging tears, Ashley asked further, "Why?"

"If you don't learn to forgive her now, memories of what she did will come back at some point to remind you of that one thing you have been refusing to acknowledge. And when those memories come back, they will crush every form of happiness you would have built for yourself. So, Ashley, you have to try to forgive her so that you can sustain the peace of mind and happiness you are searching for."

"How come you are not telling me to forgive my ex-husband?"

"That man is not important at all, your mother is. Why? Because she is the main reason you got so disturbed by what you saw that day. Ashley," he reached for her arms, " forgiving your mother will relieve you of the burden the divorce has put on you. When you have a long talk with her..."

"Talk? With her?" Ashley started to think that Dave was going too far with his inspirational talks. His words were not only sounding ridiculous, but they were also getting a bit annoying.

"How do you expect to forgive her if you don't have a long talk with her first? If your mother means well, she will explain herself trust me."

"Why should I approach her for an explanation? Isn't she the one meant to be all sober and apologetic? Heck! She could have called over the past few weeks or visited to explain herself, but she did not. And you expect me to forgive that woman?"

Ashley was really starting to lose her cool.

"If she had shown up at your doorstep a few weeks ago to explain herself, would you even have let her in?"

Ashley recalled the reaction she had when she saw Kevin in her kitchen, and she saw a point in Dave's question. She was too much of a mess back then to entertain her assistant not to talk of her mother that slept with her husband.

"If your mother is any bit human, I am sure she would be itching to explain herself. But she can't because she isn't sure if you are ready to talk to her. Nobody wants to tick off a timed bomb you know. So, Ashley, when you are ready, go talk with your mother and try, even if it is not easy to forgive her. Just keep trying. Forgiving her will help lift a great part of the sadness you carry within you. Trust me."

"Honestly, all you have just said makes absolutely no sense. If you were a stranger I just met, I would think you are nuts. But," she flashed him a grin, "you have found a way to make me see myself in a different light since I met. So, I guess I will find time, a convenient time, to visit her and have that long talk."

"But..." Dave assumed a jovial look as he drew closer to her side. "If that woman acts like a bitch, please and please make sure you show her that you don't take crap. Okay?"

"Okay." She punctuated her word with a smile.

Dave went on to sling his arm around her shoulder and with that contact, he pulled her into his side.

Then, he said, "I also need you to remember that life is all about the good and bad. The next time you find yourself in a bad situation, mourn for a little while and try not to drink all the beer in your refrigerator." Ashley gave a loud laugh as she rested in his embrace. "Bad times are moments where your strength is really needed. Just fight, fight till you pull yourself out of the situation. If you get tired, rest for a while. After resting, get on your feet and keep fighting."

Snuggling into his chest, she asked, "Why are you suddenly giving me a crash course?"

"Well, since this is our last night here, I..."

Abruptly, she sat up, an unknown feeling rushing through her. "This is our last night?"

"Yeah," his forehead formed a small frown. "Didn't I tell you?"

"No, you didn't."

"Oh. Hm. Well, we are leaving tomorrow morning because I have an important meeting to attend in the afternoon."

"Oh. Does this mean we are done trying to heal me?"

"Do you still need to be healed?"

"Well, since I am like a bomb, I could explode anytime. To prevent that, I will continue to need the healing."

Obviously amused by her words, Dave went on to plant a quick kiss on her exposed forehead. "Don't worry," he said, "I will be here for you."

"Oh, Dave."

"What is it?"

She had fallen into his chest as his words reminded her of the things she felt for him. The truthfulness his voice carried each time he spoke always sparked something in her, day in, day out.

"Nothing, I just want you to hold me."

"How about I do you one better?"

"Yeah?" she mumbled into his shirt.

"You can satisfy this hunger I have right now..." She looked up at him, her body immediately reacting without fully hearing what he wanted to say. Ducking his head closer, Dave continued, "I want to taste you, all of you."

Ashley propped herself higher and placed her lips barely inches away from his. And she replied to his whispered request, saying, "What are you waiting for?"

As soon as he claimed her awaiting lips, drops of rain began to fall. Instead of pulling away so they could go inside, Dave increased the pace of his kiss, he deeply explored the neediness of her lips to her delight.

But when the rain became a bit heavy, Ashley pulled away.

"I think we should go inside," she said.

Dave shook his head. "No, I want to taste you right here."

"But we will get drenched."

He kissed the skin of her shoulders which her fallen jacket exposed. "It will make it more fun."

"But we might catch a cold."

After cupping the back of her head, he trailed his kiss to her neck. "Who cares?" came his murmur.

With water now on her skin, Dave's teasing became more intense and it ignited her in a way that made her forget her fear of catching a cold. She forgot the fear that didn't want her to confess how she felt. She forgot all her fears and all that mattered at that moment was her and the man that was satisfying her in ways she loved.

After Dave laid her on the mat, her jacket and top disappeared thanks to his frolicking hands and she became exposed to the coldness of the approaching dusk.

Then, seconds later, after brief eye contact, Dave assuredly captured her lips again. And after a murmured statement about how he was going to keep her warm, Ashley became more relaxed, she trusted his words.

So, in that lying position, she reached for the built man and invited him to continue what he had started. And that he did to her delight. After taking his shirt off so that she could feast on his sexiness, he leaned closer and caressed every part of her body. With the help of the rain, he made her feel things she had never felt before. He kissed and touched. He licked and tortured. He stroked and sucked.

And when it came to an exhilarating end, Ashley let out a sigh of relief.

And she thought, that without a doubt, she was starting to feel something great for Dave Scott. And that something seemed to be love.