Page 115 of The Good Girl Effect

“Are you okay?” I ask.

She smiles up at me. “Yes.”

“Ready to go upside down?”

She nods.

Reaching up, I give the rope holding her chest harness some slack, and as I do, her upper half lowers until she’s inverted. The people standing around us clap quietly, watching Camille with interest.

I double-check each lock-off knot to ensure its security. She can only stay in this position for a minute, so after checking in with her a couple more times, I give the loop a small spin.

Then I step back and admire her from this angle. She looks stunning like this. It’s the trust she gives me and the way her body relaxes into the ropes that make her look almost angelic like this. With the single braid in her hair hanging below her head, she closes her eyes as she hovers, slowly rotating midair like the work of art she is. Her cheeks turn dark red as the blood flushes her skin.

I glance around at the people watching, admiring her the way I am. A couple nearby whisper to each other excitedly.

“Do you teach people how to do this?” the woman asks, and I nod.

“We’ll offer workshops,” I reply, and she grins excitedly, clinging to her partner’s arm.

“It’s like…art,” the man adds as he turns his head sideways, appreciating how stunning she looks.

I nod, watching Camille as she slowly spins in her suspension.

And I realize this is what it’s all about. We had it wrong all along. Before tonight, the club lacked a soul. I had no idea what went into bringing this place to life, even when I worked here for years before owning it. Maybe Matis and Ronan tried to explain it to me, but I wasn’t listening. I just figured if we kept it open and made money, that was enough.

I assumed it was about sex, money, and pleasure. Even I exploited this club because I was in pain, but in doing so, I missed out on what it’s really all about.

A place to belong.

A place to find yourself.

Like Emerson said, it was never about sex. It’s about the people.

Camille is resting against my chest on the ride home. For the first time in a long time, I am at ease.

I can’t help but wonder if I didn’t tell Camille the truth about moving back home because maybe that isn’t my truth anymore. I could stay for her. And for the club. That pull to get out of Paris is gone now.

Right now, I only want this.

When we get back to the apartment, I pay the babysitter and see her to the car so she gets home safely. Camille is already up in my room when I get back inside.

I do a quick check on Bea, watching her sleep peacefully in her bed before closing the door and walking upstairs.

Camille is lying on her side, fully naked, on top of my bed. I stand in the doorway and stare at her as I loosen my tie.

“I was looking forward to undressing you,” I say as I tear my tie off.

The corner of her mouth lifts in a smirk. “I thought I would save you the trouble.”

Rather than go to the bed, I drop into the chair in the corner of the room. Leaning back, my legs spread as I stare at her naked body draped across my bed. Sliding my tie through my fingers, my cock hardens in my slacks. Filthy ideas fill my mind as my arousal builds. Just the sight of her has me practically panting, and I know exactly what I’d like to see.

“Let me see how you touch yourself, little bird.”

Her lips part at my command. Camille has such strong-willed confidence, but the moment it comes to sex, she turns bashful, and I find it so fucking adorable. Makes me want to dirty her up that much more.

Her hesitation is brief, and I take that as a testament to the trust we’ve built. She is safe and comfortable with me. Biting her bottom lip, she spreads her legs only halfway and slides her hand between her thighs. Through hooded lids, I watch her slip her finger through her folds and sink the middle one inside her, letting out a soft mewling sound as she does. It is as stunning as I imagined. She moves with delicate grace, slowly losing her composure as the pleasure takes over. Her fingers move faster, and her chest shudders with each shaking breath.

“Keep going,” I say, my grip tightening on the black silk tie in my fingers.