Page 169 of Now and Forever

When we’re alone again, silence surrounds us. Eric turns to me.

“Your punishment is starting. Go to the bed and take your clothes off.”

“Baby ...”

“Go to the bed ... ,” I demand.

He raises his eyebrows, then his hands, and disappears down the hallway. My heart racing, I look at the boxes I still haven’t unpacked. I look at the tags. When I find what I want, I take it out, and, amused, I run to the bathroom.

When I walk into the bedroom, Eric looks at me, amazed. I’m dressed up in my naughty-policewoman costume. I finally get to try it out on him!

I make a turn, showing him the views the costume has to offer while I put on the hat and glasses. Eric eats me up with his eyes. I cheekily walk to my sound system and put in a CD. Suddenly, the hard-hitting guitars of AC/DC burst through the silence of the apartment. The chords to “Highway to Hell,” a song I know he likes, ring out.

He smiles, and I approach him like a tigress. I take out the nightstick I’m wearing on my belt, and I stand before the love of my life.

“You’ve been very bad, Iceman.”

“I can tell, Officer.”

I smack the nightstick twice against my hand. “You know what I want as your punishment.”

Eric laughs, and before I can say or do anything more, my lover, my crazy German lover, has me under his body, and, with a sensuality that drives me crazy, he whispers, “First fantasy. Open your legs, baby.”

EPILOGUE

Munich ... two months later

“Run, Judith!Emerald Madnessis starting!” yells Simona.

When I hear her, I look at Eric, my niece, and Flyn. We’re in the pool.

“I’ll be back in half an hour.”

“Auntie, don’t go!” whines my niece.

“Auntie Jude ...”

I dry myself off with a towel.

“I’ll be right back, troublemakers.”

Eric grabs me. He doesn’t want me to go either. Since I’ve been back, he can’t get enough of me.

“C’mon, stay with us, dear.”

“Darling,” I murmur, kissing him, “I can’t miss it. Today Esmeralda Mendoza is going to find out who her real mother is, and the series is ending. How can I miss it?”

My German lets out a laugh and gives me a kiss.

“Go on then.”

With a smile on my lips, I leave my three loves in the pool and run to Simona. She’s already waiting for me in the kitchen. When I get there, I sit next to her, and she gives me a tissue.Emerald Madnessstarts. Simona and I are full of emotion, and, just when we think the series is over, we see across the screen: “To be continued.”

“To be continued!” we both scream, our eyes wide.

We look at each other and laugh.Emerald Madnesswill go on, and we’re sure to go on with it every single day.

Simona goes to make dinner, and I’m on my way back to the pool when I bump into the kids with Eric in the living room, playingMortal Kombaton the Wii.

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