Page 37 of The Good Girl Effect (Salacious Legacy #1)

Camille

J ack is smiling, like really smiling. He’s holding Bea under one arm, helping her reach a large balloon from one of the vendors standing in the crowd.

She giggles loudly, and Jack presses a kiss to her cheek with more love in his eyes than I’ve ever seen.

This is not the same man I first met. It’s far more than just him coming out of his shell. Jack is healing.

Did I have a part in this? Did my presence at the house somehow convince his heart to repair itself? I guess it really doesn’t matter. He’s getting better for her , which I think Emmaline would appreciate.

“Oh, the teacups!” Bea shouts excitedly as she pulls us through the park. I take one look at the dizzying ride, and my stomach turns just watching it.

“I couldn’t possibly,” I stutter as my feet stop so she can’t tug me toward it.

“Me neither,” Jack replies as he stares at the ride with a grimace. Then he glances at Elizabeth. “You can take her. Don’t you spin for a living?”

She rolls her eyes as she takes Bea’s hand. “It’s a little more sophisticated, but sure. Come on, Bea. They can’t handle it, but we can. Let’s show them how it’s done.”

The little girl giggles as she takes her aunt’s hand. Elizabeth glances toward the line and then back at us. This one is a bit longer. A sign above the queue displays that it could take up to forty-five minutes.

“Why don’t you two take a walk or something? I’ll text you when we’re done,” Elizabeth suggests.

I glance up at Jack and shrug. “I would like to do some shopping.”

“Okay,” he relents before looking his sister in the eye. “Don’t take your eyes off her for a second.”

She rolls them again, an expression she uses often. “We’ll be fine. Go,” she says as she shoves Jack away.

“Wait, Papa,” Bea calls, running back toward him. “Hold my balloon, please.”

He stiffens, looking at the large mouse-shaped pink balloon.

“I’ll hold it,” I say, saving him.

As I reach for it, Bea adds, “Tie it around her wrist, Papa. So she doesn’t lose it.”

I scoff with offense as Jack chokes out a laugh.

“Yes, sweetie,” he replies, taking the ribbon from her tiny clenched fist. She dashes off to join Elizabeth, and Jack takes my hand while stifling a grin.

“I have experience,” he adds so quietly only I can hear it.

Slowly, he wraps the ribbon around my wrist in a double loop before glancing up at me with a handsome, devilish look in his eye.

“Very funny,” I say, pressing my lips together. Why must he make it so hard to keep myself from falling for him?

I keep close to his side as we make our way through the park.

His hand rests protectively at the small of my back.

We mostly stay silent, and it’s clear neither of us know how to navigate our relationship in broad daylight.

It’s different when we have Bea as the center of our attention.

But when we’re alone, we can’t be the same us we are at night.

I glance awkwardly up at him, and he briefly meets my gaze. More than anything, I’d like to link my hand with his and walk like we’re a real couple. Like I truly mean something to him.

When we come across a large gift store, I slip inside and start browsing. He stays close behind me when a small pink box catches my eye. It’s a jewelry box with a red rose on the top, and when I open it, the music starts playing, and a small ballerina twirls slowly.

I let out a small gasp as I stare at it. “I had one of these when I was a little girl,” I say with tears in my eyes. “My papa gave it to me for my birthday, and every year after that, he would put a gift in it for me.”

Jack steps up so close behind me that his chest is pressed against my back. With a soft exhale, I close my eyes and lean into him.

“That’s beautiful,” he whispers. “We should get it for her.”

Blinking the moisture away, I turn my head to stare up at him. “We?”

“I mean…you,” he says, correcting himself. “You should get that for her.” But even as he says it, his hand slides over mine so we’re holding the jewelry box together.

As I stare into his eyes, I fight the urge to kiss him here. It would only take one small movement. I could lift onto my tiptoes and press my lips to his. It would mean nothing, just like all our kisses.

At least to him, it would mean nothing.

To me, it would mean everything. It would mean that I’ve found someone who doesn’t think I’m too much or too stubborn or too nosy. Someone who chooses me. Someone who thinks I’m perfect just the way I am.

Instead, I turn away and take the box to the checkout counter. After paying, I walk with Jack out of the store. Without a destination in mind, we just meander through the park in silence.

“I can’t believe she’s six,” he says suddenly, and I glance up to gauge his expression. He seems contemplative, watching a family walk past us. “It goes by so fast.”

“She’s amazing, Jack. You should be proud,” I say.

“I am.” His response is immediate, and I can hear the pride in his tone.

There is no doubt in my mind that he loves Bea more than anything.

It was questionable when I first arrived and he would barely even look at her, but as time has gone by and I see that he shows as much love as he can, I realize just how much pain he was in.

But there is no question of his adoration for his daughter.

He laughs. “I was nothing like her when I was a kid. I gave my mom hell, but Bea is so smart and resilient.”

“And funny,” I reply with a smile.

“She gets that from her mother,” he replies, and I don’t let the mention of Emmaline sour the mood. Instead, we hold our smiles, even through the sadness.

“And her tantrums from you?” I ask, turning to make eye contact with him.

There’s no doubt that as adorable as Bea is, when she doesn’t want something, she makes sure everyone knows it.

It’s incredibly frustrating as the person trying to discipline and nurture her.

But as someone who loves her, I hope she stays strong-willed forever.

“Yes, I’m afraid so,” he says with a nod.

The air between us is light, no longer pinning us to the ground. And when I let out a sigh, I softly add, “I do love her.”

His affectionate eyes are on me as he quietly replies, “I can tell you do.”

Then, to my surprise, his hand brushes my wrist. And just when I think it was a mistake, he slides his palm against mine and intertwines our fingers. I nearly stop.

We can’t do this. What if we’re seen? What if people get the wrong idea?

But I don’t argue. I just let him hold my hand, savoring the feel of it. As people pass us by, I know we look like a real couple, and I wonder if he’s as proud as I am.

It’s only fifteen minutes, but for the entire walk, we just stroll hand in hand like it’s normal and we can. But before we reach the area where we parted from Elizabeth and Bea, Jack stops and tugs me under the shade of a tree.

“Wait,” he whispers as he stares down at me. I look ridiculous with this large balloon tied around my wrist, but those beautiful green eyes of his make me forget everything.

“What?” I reply softly.

“I just want to kiss you once, out here in the open, in broad daylight.” His fingers stroke my jaw, and I try to keep myself from collapsing into his arms.

“Why?” I ask, wanting to understand what is going through his mind.

“Because…” His words trail off, and I’m hanging on each one, dying to hear him tell me that I mean something to him, more than just a woman to tie up and have sex with.

More than just a nanny or an employee. More than whatever we’ve been up until this point.

“I want to pretend for one moment that we can.”

His head dips down, and our lips meet softly. At the delicate touch, my heart surges. My hands wrap around his waist as I lean into him. I don’t care about the consequences or the reasons why we shouldn’t do this.

His tongue slips out, tasting my lips. I part them and let him in. It’s innocent and sweet, neither of us letting it grow too heated. But this kiss isn’t about sex or desire. It’s about so much more.

Around us, there are people laughing and whimsical music playing. It’s not a kinky bedroom or a sex club, and we are not the same people we are when we slip into those roles.

This kiss is not between a Dom and his sub. A rigger and his bunny. Or a boss and his employee.

It’s between us—Jack and Camille. And as his tongue rubs softly against mine, I realize that’s what he meant about wanting to pretend we can.

Jack and Camille cannot kiss—not in broad daylight. Not anywhere.

He has a little girl to protect, and I have a job to do. But just for one moment, we can pretend.

The vibration of his phone buzzes loudly in his pocket, so we break the kiss and pull apart slowly. My eyes stay closed as Jack fishes the phone out and answers it.

“Hey. Where are you guys?” he asks.

I hear Elizabeth’s voice on the other end, telling Jack where to meet them. Just like that, our moment of pretending is over. He hangs up and stares down at me with a sigh.

“They’re by the castle,” he says.

“We should go meet them,” I reply.

He glances down to my lips briefly before moving back up to my eyes. I briefly wonder if all this is in my head. Does Jack truly care about me as a person? Does he want this for more than just a moment? Even if we could take a risk and try to make it work, would he want that?

I know I do.

Hesitantly, he nods.

“Yeah, let’s go.”