Page 88 of Standing In The Sun
“Standing in the sun, feeling the fire on my face,
Ain’t no need to run, when I’m lost in your space.
Let it burn, let it shine, let it wrap me in gold,
With you right beside me, Love’ll never get old.”
He rapped the chorus so smooth.
And as Lunar let the music play, his arm slid around her waist, holding her close like he always did. Not to claim her, but to center her, to remind her that she belonged there just as much as he did.
Ahvi’s nerves didn’t leave completely, but they eased up, like they were stepping aside to make room for something bigger as the hook played again. “You are my sunshine…” remixed and looped with new fire and soul, she closed her eyes for a second, letting it wash over her, allowing herself to be seen, and letting herself feel the fullness of the moment.
When she looked back at Lunar, she wasn’t afraid anymore.
Maybe she reallywasbroken. When she thought she was irreparable… thought she had nothing to give… Lunar kept finding the pieces of her she never even knew she had.
nineteen
Ahvi’sback hit the wall with a soft thud. Her breath caught in her throat as Lunar pressed into her. His hands were everywhere, slipping under her dress and exploring her skin like he was trying to memorize it…like she belonged to him, like she’d been made for him, like she was a song that only he knew the words too.
“Lunar,” she moaned. The syllables were thick on her tongue.
He growled, his mouth grazing her ear. “I don’t want to hear my name unless my dick is inside of you, Ahvi…and my dick ain’t inside of you yet…”
The heat in his voice made her knees weak and the low rumble of possession in his words traveled down her spine like he was daring her to take what he claimed was hers.
Her eyes shut tight as her fingers fumbled blindly, feeling her way down his chest, finding his belt with shaky, eager hands. She undid the belt and unbuttoned his jeans, her breath coming faster when her palms found his skin…and then him - thick, heavy, and waiting for her.
She cupped him, her fingers wrapping around his growing length, and the groan that ripped from his chest felt like it echoed through her own body.
“Ahvi.” He bit her lip, tugged it, breathed her in like he’d never get another chance.
The way he said her name always made her feel like more. Like she was something rare, something precious. Each version of it came with a different heartbeat. Right now… this one held hunger and need with a hint of desperation.
He’d never wanted anyone like this. Not just her body—but all of her.
She hummed softly, pressing herself tighter against him, his weight grounding her in a way that both terrified and calmed her.
“I meant what I said,” he whispered, his forehead resting against hers as her hand moved slow and deliberately. His voice trembled like the words cost him something. “Ahvi.”
She licked her lips, then his, feeling his heart thunder under her touch. “What you say?”
“I…Love…You.” He kissed her with each word. “And you don’t have to say it back because I know that stupid little word scares the fuck outta you. But just know—when you’re ready to love me back, I’ll let you...I’ll let you love me so good because your love already feels so good, Ahvi.”
Her breath hitched and her hand stilled.
The air between them shifted.
Ahvi’s eyes glossed over, a tight pressure building in her chest as her body screamedyesbut her mind fought for air. She didn’t have the tools for this kind of love. Not the soft, all-consuming kind that demanded nothing but still held everything. And especially not from a man like him— who, in every way, looked like he could break her open and leave her hollow.
Her heart screamed -I love you too!
But her mind whispered,Don’t say that shit. Don’t believe it. Don’t fall for the light, ‘cause it always burns out.
The Sun is beautiful and can make your day better by basking it in. But that shit could hurt too—sunburn was real and not just for people with paler skin. Her dark skin - born of the moon, gifted to the sun could burn too.
So instead, she bit her lip and blinked away the tears.
