The Good Girl Effect (Salacious Legacy, #1)

by Sara Cate

I wish I could tell him what an ill-tempered, miserable grump he is. He’d probably tell me what a foolish, immature brat I am.

So maybe if I tarnish and corrupt and defile Camille, she’ll no longer appear to me like a ghost of the woman I married.

Call it stubborn pride or fierce independence, but following orders is far easier than following restrictions.

When he stares at me like this, like I mean so much to him, it makes me wonder if he still sees her. Do I just remind him of his late wife, or has Jack started to see me for me?

I can’t give her my heart, not yet. No matter how much I want to. It still belongs to my wife.

“I do not belong to you.” My hand snatches her arm, and I toss her over my shoulder while she screams in displeasure.

I’m coming undone, being torn into a million pieces until all that remains is a base, carnal version of myself with only one motivation—her.

“Hold still,” he says. Then with steady hands and a relaxed expression, he applies the mascara to my right eye.

It was never about me lying or keeping something from Jack. It was about him still holding on to the past and never giving himself enough room to grieve.

it is actually both

Rule #43: Emotions must be felt.

I think I always will because that’s what happens when someone dies. My love for her froze in that state forever, and I’ll never fall out of love with her because she was never around to let me. But my heart isn’t frozen. It’s a living, beating organ with room for more.

“She wasn’t supposed to sleep in my bed because she’s your nanny.” Why am I even telling my six-year-old this? “So she can stop being my nanny,” Bea replies, moving her attention back to the icing and sprinkles. “Tante Elizabeth doesn’t have a nanny, and she has ladies who sleep in her bed all the time.”

It’s times like these, when Jack’s passion takes over, that I realize how perfect we are for each other. He can be as impulsive and excitable as I am. At times, he can be too much too.

“You don’t want kids someday?” “God no,” she replies before glancing back at Bea and the baby. “No offense.” “None taken,” Bea replies, making everyone laugh.