A single thought consumed Nyla as she sat at the kitchen table, her coffee long forgotten as she reread the article. The words jumped off the screen, a new world opening up before her: "Dom-sub play can involve much more than (and need not include that kind of at all). It can involve service, exhibitionism, the other elements of the BDSM acronym (bondage, discipline aka spanking or impact play, sadism and masochism aka eroticizing intense sensation)'."

The more she studied the complex dynamics of control and submission, the more a thrilling, dangerous idea took hold. What would it be like to surrender herself to you? To hand over the reins of her life for just a weekend? To stop being the one who planned, who organized, who always made the decisions? It had simply become her role in your relationship, and she hadn't minded, but the thought of relinquishing that power, of yielding every single fiber of her being, sent a bolt of pure electricity through her.

The need to be a submissive, to obey, to serve, became a searing ache she couldn't ignore. Over the next few days, she acted with a quiet, feverish determination. She bought a few toys, a thick leather collar and lead, and hid them away in a cupboard she dubbed "The Kinky Cupboard." The following Thursday night, with a long weekend stretching out before them, she decided it was time.