“Hmm,” Dr. Kizer says with a smile as we walk into her office, hand in hand.

Erika's cheeks redden as she leans against my shoulder.

“Dr. Kizer,” I say in greeting.

The counselor’s smile broadens. “Tell me, Mr. Cross, Ms. Ellis: how was the cabin?”

I squeeze Erika's hand. “I think it was just what the doctor ordered.”

“Ms. Ellis?” the counselor asks.

“Erika Cross, Mrs. Victor Cross,” my wife says. “I'm having them change my name at the station too. Soon it will be Erika Cross on channel fifty-three. I had some preconceived notion that I couldn't advance in my career if I used my married name, but now I realize what that did to Vic. We've been married for almost five years; I want everyone to know.”

“Victor,” Dr. Kizer asks, “how do you feel about that?”

“I think I have the only woman I've ever loved next to me at this moment.”

Dr. Kizer nods. “My fee includes use of the cabin. If you two are all done there, we can adjust—”

“No,” Erika and I say together. Though a smile tugs at my lips, I narrow my eyes at my wife in an unspoken warning.

Her blue eyes sparkle as she lowers her lids. “I'm sorry, Sir. It's your decision.”

“Doctor, we'd like to use the cabin again next weekend.”

She grins. “Very good. I admit it’s an unconventional therapy, but for some it’s exactly what’s needed.”

Erika’s cheeks grow pink, and I recall how red her ass was with the paddle. “It was.”

“Erika, tell me how you felt when Victor took you there.”

She sighs as she looks at me and back at our counselor. “Scared, excited, confused.”

“Go on.”

“Happy and so fulfilled.”

“Can you explain?”

Erika’s light pink lips disappear for a moment behind her teeth as her blue eyes glisten. “I thought we were done—that our marriage was over. I didn’t think there was enough energy or desire on either of our parts. I can’t tell you how much it means to me to know that Victor loves me enough to plan all of that, to push me out of our normal, and...” Her voice cracks. “...reignite the sparks that I thought had died.”

Dr. Kizer tilts her head. “The way he took you to the cabin was also unconventional. What do you have to say about that?”

Erika looks from the counselor to me and back. “I’ve thought a lot about it. As it was happening, I was scared. I was afraid he’d gone mad...”

“And then?”

My wife’s smile broadens. “He was right to do it that way. If he would have asked me to go, explained his plan, I would have said no. I would have overthought the whole thing and let rational reasoning rule.”

“And then?”

Erika squeezes my hand. “I don’t want to think about it. I’m afraid our marriage would be over.”

“What about you, Victor?” Dr. Kizer asks.

I swallow the lump growing in my throat. I’m the Dom in this relationship, yet the truth is that I’d do anything for the woman beside me. “I was excited and to be honest, nervous. I’d talked the whole plan up in my head and believed it was the right way to go.” I turn to Erika’s trusting blue eyes. “Yet I know Erika, and she can be stubborn.”

Erika smiles.

“It wasn’t until I pulled the truck over onto the side of the road and learned how aroused she was that I knew we still had a chance.”

Dr. Kizer leans back against her chair and looks from me to Erika and back. “Well, it sounds like the cabin was a good start. It’s yours for as long as you need it. I'm sure you still have a few things yet to explore.”

“Yes, we do.” I grin at Erika as her cheeks grow even rosier. We never made it to the canes, nor did I take her ass. Everything that we did do was a lot for our first time as Dom and sub. Though Erika may have questioned it once or twice during our weekend, I wanted her to be comfortable.

“My advice,” the counselor says, “use the cabin. Fan those flames. But don’t forget to talk. Communication is the key to keeping that flame alive.

“Erika, was the name change your idea?”

My wife looks up. “It was. Vic didn’t even ask me to do it. I wanted to. I never realized how important my taking his last name was to him—and to me.” She adds, “I want the world to know that I’m his.”

“Victor?”

“I’d brand my fucking name on her forehead, but this will work.”