James slips his hands under the oversized shirt I'm wearing and presses into my skin as I undo his buttons. His hips give a little surge into mine, causing a tide of tingles to flow through me. My body turns lax for him, and my eyes roll shut at how divine his hands feel on my skin.

"I did," he murmured.

Val. We made a deal when we officially started dating almost two years ago. When I become Valentina for the night, all cards are off the table and I am at his mercy. Not that I'm not every other night, but on Val nights, it's different. We're different. I don't say no. I wear what he wants me to wear, and he is relentless all night. Anything I've voiced about liking or wanting to try with him, he gives it to me. Being open with our sexuality is what drew us together in the first place. Happy sex life, happy wife. That’s the motto, right? Although I'm not his wife, it's pretty much the same thing. James loves that he makes me happy. He even walks around with a goofy grin on his face all the time.

At first, I worried that Valentina was who James wanted and not Aubrey, but he’d assured me that wasn't the case. He said he liked to change things up a little, and I couldn’t fault him for that. Who doesn't? I know I do. He was open and honest with me. It keeps things interesting and fun for us. I never know when he's going to call out for her—it's always a surprise—and I never regret it. Usually, I'm eager for the next time before we’re done.

"Only if you're up for it," James says.

Move aside, Aubrey. Valentina's up.

"I'm always up for you," I say, dropping my voice to match the mood. James loves when I go full Valentina on him.

My fingers reach the last button. I push his shirt open to reveal the colorful tattoos on his chest. For fifty-six, he's in better shape than most twenty-year-olds. Brawny, virile, and still hot as sin. James Riviera is all mine. It's hard to see the actual designs in the shadows, but I know the colorful swirls of ink on his skin by heart. My palms slide up his abs, feeling each rib of muscle, then over to his pecs. I scoot down to undo his belt, but he reaches out to stop me before I can even pull it free.

My eyes snap to his. Without saying a word, James flips me over so he's looming above me. He pulls me in with his steel gaze like there's something he has to say, and I'm lost to him. He lowers his body and gives me his weight. My fingers thread through his hair while I revel in the touch of his bare chest between my thighs.

"Val can wait until this weekend," he says, and my brow creases in confusion. "We're going to Tahiti for a week. I already have it set up and cleared your schedule with your assistant, and I made sure the cats are well taken care of."