Diamonds and Deceptions, The Parks Empire

Moonlight, coupled with longing andloneliness, did strange things topeople, Tyler thought.

The moon was the loneliest of the heavenly bodies.He could feel its pull right now. Could feel, too, thepull of the woman standing before him.

For the past nine months he'd lived every daywith an emptiness he hadn't known what to dowith. Tonight, for a small amount of time, he'dforgotten about that emptiness. Forgotten becauseBrooke's words had somehow filled it. Her words,her laughter.

Her.

Had he thought it through, he wouldn't have doneit. But he wasn't thinking. He was reacting.As if hypnotized, Tyler lowered his head andtouched his lips to hers, kissing Brooke very, veryslowly. Just the way his heart was suddenly beating.For the first time in nine months, he felt alive.