Luna bent her head and pressed her forehead against her hands that were still grabbing the steering wheel. She took a deep breath and slowly let the air out. Luna could feel adrenaline pumping through her veins with the same speed the black SL600 had been racing along the highway. Luna’s hands were trembling slightly as she sighed hard, feeling her heartbeats slowing down their wild rhythm.

Vin narrowed his eyes, raising a hand, rubbing her nape gently, soothing her. Without a word, Luna unfastened her seat belt, opened the door and got out of the car. Vin mimicked her and, circling the car, he went to her side.

He pulled Luna to him, encircling her body. Frowning, Vin noticed how Luna was trembling in the aftermath of their race against Sully. Two seconds later, Luna pushed him away slightly, turning around on her heels, walking towards the beach.

Vin heaved a loud sigh, lost in thought. He had trained with the most experienced drivers to drive in ‘TFATF’ and he never had seen anyone drive the way Luna had done. What he had seen tonight had struck him numb. After a long moment, Vin shook his head and realized the Luna had taken off her heels and was walking back to his side.

Vin had found this place a few years ago. Back then, he had just moved to LA and sometimes he had needed to be completely alone to think about his career and his life. Only one person knew that he used to come here, and that was Valentino.

Vin used to drive to this place, normally at night because it was an out of the way place. He’d sit on the sand, staring at the sea for hours, watching the waves crashing against the shore.

After a moment of hesitation, Vin opened the door of the car and looked for a CD. He grinned and put it on. Immediately salsa music started to play. Vin lifted his head as he turned the music loud.

A big smile graced his lips as soon as Vin saw how Luna had started to swing her hips in the rhythm of the music. He headed towards her, encircling her waist with his arms.

In one fast move, Vin turned Luna around and pulled her to him, then bent his head and pressed his forehead to hers.

“Oye, mami. Baila conmigo.” (Hey, mami. Let’s dance.) Vin whispered in Spanish causing a shiver to run up Luna’s spine at the sound of his gravelly voice.

“Siempre, papi.” (Always, papi.) She grinned, encircling his neck.

Vin grabbed one hand, entwining their fingers and the other came to rest on the middle of her back. Luna carried her free hand to his nape and stroked him gently.

In two seconds, they started to turn around in the rhythm of the music. Vin had one of his thighs between her legs while they were swinging their hips in unison.

Their bodies were so close that no one would have been able to know exactly if they were just one. There was nobody around, they were alone. Just the full moon was a silent witness to their presence.

From time to time they separated their bodies and Vin made Luna spin around, holding her with one hand. The loose skirt floated up, showing her legs. The night was warm around them. Luna was laughing and her eyes reflected the light of the moon.

Vin pulled her to him, pressing their foreheads together. Not even once did their hips stop. Sometimes Vin would grab her waist, dipping her. Luna lifted one leg and encircled his waist.

Song after song they danced salsa and if Valentino would have been able to see them, he would have thought that they both had been born in his own country.

If Luna had been a perfect match dancing with Valentino, now here, dancing with Vin, she seemed as if she always had belonged in his arms.

They lost count of how many songs they danced together on this deserted beach under the moonlight.

After a long time, they collapsed onto the sand, rolling, laughing and kissing each other like there was no tomorrow.

————————————

Vin had brought a blanket from the car and they took a seat leaning against some rocks. He had lent her a black leather jacket. Luna was sitting between his thighs, with her head rested against his chest. Vin had his arms encircling her body, his chin resting on her head. They were holding hands in complete silence, just listening to the waves crashing against the shore.

“This is a nice place, Mark.” Luna broke the silence as her bare feet were playing absently with the sand.

Vin grinned and tightened his embrace around her.

“It was. Now with you here, it’s an amazing place, Luna.” Vin whispered against her ear, squeezing her hands gently as he nibbled her earlobe. In response, she moaned softly, closing her eyes.

Luna then turned around to lock eyes with him. Vin grinned as he captured her lips in a slow, gentle, hot kiss, just the kind of kiss that he knew she loved.

When they released their lips they stared at each others eyes and once more time stopped around them.

Vin’s eyes were reflecting the moonlight and Luna found that she was unable to look away from those beautiful chocolate brown eyes. A strong shiver crossed her spine and she felt that strange sensation in her stomach. As if a thousand butterflies were fluttering wildly.

Vin had been eaten alive by the sparkles in her green eyes and was so lost in their colour, that for a second his heart skipped its rhythm, just to match Luna’s heartbeat.

At that exact moment something came to life inside of their souls.

Without taking his gaze off her eyes, Vin released her hands and pulled a small pouch made of red velvet out of his jacket. He opened it and pulled out a ring. Luna was so lost on his eyes that she was oblivious to his hands.

“Give me your hand, Luna.” Vin whispered as his eyes flickered to hers. Luna blinked and looked down. Vin had a ring in his hand.

Slowly, Luna lifted her right hand. He took her hand in his and put the ring on her right ring finger. Then he lifted her hand and kissing it gently, he spoke.

“Black Star. The legend says: the one who carries it will be able to find the path to her heart.”

Luna gasped and her eyes widened, staring at the ring.

The ring was made of silver and the band was not closed at the about a half of a centimeter wide top section. One side of the opening looked like parchment made of wrought silver. On the other side was a black stone set in silver.

Luna turned her hand slightly and as soon as the moonlight reflected on the surface of the stone, a star came to view shining, trapped in the middle of it.

Luna went completely silent, staring at the star. Immediately, M’s voice echoed faintly inside of her brain and she felt an invisible knot closing her throat.

“…a star in your hand…”

Slowly a big smile graced her lips as she looked back up to Vin. Without a word, she leaned her head in and captured his lips in a soft, gentle kiss.

When they released their lips, Vin saw two single tears rolling down her cheeks. He frowned slightly and wiped them with his thumbs.

“I hope you find the path to your heart, Luna.” Vin murmured against her lips, brushing them gently.

Luna swallowed the knot in her throat and after a moment she found her voice. “Thank you, Mark.”  She whispered and kissed him again. Vin grinned against her lips and closed his eyes.

Vin had taken a step ahead in his life and he didn’t even know why, but he suspected that this was going to be just the beginning of a journey. But for some unthinkable reason, Vin couldn’t push the idea out of his mind that maybe they wouldn’t be able to make that journey together.