But for now she needed no Gold. Her mind slowly drifted to peace as she watched the beautiful city unfold below her. It spread for miles in lines of brilliant lights, illuminating every block of the Los Angeles valley. She felt completely alone until the car pulled into a secluded parking spot at the topmost viewpoint of the drive.

"I thought you'd like the view," Martin said matter-of-factly as he got out of the car. He walked to the other side and opened her door, holding his hand for her to grasp as she nearly stumbled from the interior of the automobile. "It's too beautiful a place to pass without stopping on a clear night like this. Besides, it should clear both our heads a little," he said with a reassuring laugh.

Janet said nothing as she followed him toward the edge of the cliff. They watched in silence for a minute. She was awed by the creations of electrical engineers that had illuminated one of the largest cities in the world with bulbs of every size, shape and color, giving it an almost supernatural glow.

It seemed perfectly natural to her that Martin should put his arms around her waist as he stood behind her, looking over her soft shoulders at the spectacle below. They still were friends, she thought, and she felt strangely at home in his arms. For a moment the guilt returned. But I'm not using him now, she thought, desperately trying to convince herself that the lewd sensations flickering through her body meant nothing. We're friends! That's all, just friends!

The rationalizing thought kept pounding through her mind – and then was gone – as Martin slowly lifted his arms, positioning his hands at the fullness of her quivering breasts. He cupped their firmness with his large palms and fingers, prodding at them as they stood quivering straight out from her heaving chest.