The cottage was quiet, a soft glow spilling from the lanterns. Outside, the endless sky of her space glimmered as if it had swallowed a thousand stars. Lexi leaned against the edge of her bed, fingers idly trailing along her lips.
Another spar. Another victory. Another bath. Another evening alone with her thoughts.
And Derek.
Always Derek.
He stood as usual at the door, motionless and immaculate, his blank eyes following her only when she moved. His stillness had become familiar to her—predictable, comforting even. She had long ago stopped expecting any reaction from him beyond obedience.
But tonight, something inside her itched. The game wasn't enough anymore. She wanted to feel something real.
She turned, her eyes finding him. "Come here, Derek."
He obeyed immediately, stepping closer, his heavy boots quiet on the wooden floor. His height dwarfed her as he came to stand in front of her bed.
"Sit," she said, voice softer this time.
He sat.
Lexi climbed into his lap as she had before, straddling him easily. Her fingers slid over his jaw, her nails grazing lightly against his skin. "Do you know why I keep you?" she murmured, leaning closer.
"I exist to serve you, Mistress," he replied, as always.
She smirked. "Yes, you do. But sometimes…" Her lips brushed his ear. "…I wonder what would happen if you stopped being so perfect."
She kissed him.
At first, it was the same as always. His lips stayed still beneath hers, warm but unmoving, a statue allowing her indulgence. She deepened the kiss, teasing, biting lightly, dragging her nails down his neck.
Then, without warning, Derek moved.
It was subtle at first — his hands, which had rested limply at his sides, shifted upward, fingers brushing her waist. His lips pressed back against hers, hesitant but firm.
Lexi froze, her eyes flicking open, heart stuttering in her chest.
Did he just—?
Derek's grip on her waist tightened slightly, steadying her as he tilted his head, deepening the kiss on his own.
Lexi's breath caught. Her mind raced. He had never initiated anything. Not once. Not even a twitch without a direct order. Yet here he was, kissing her back — tentative, but deliberate.
And it was not mechanical. It was… warm.
She pulled back a fraction, searching his face. "Derek…"
His eyes were still mostly empty, but something flickered there — a spark of awareness, faint but undeniable. "I only wish to please you, Mistress," he said quietly, his voice lower, almost rougher than before.
Lexi's pulse hammered in her throat. A shiver ran through her. This was new territory. Dangerous territory.
"Please me?" she echoed, a hint of a smirk returning. "Is that what you're doing?"
His fingers tightened slightly at her hips, not enough to hurt but enough for her to feel the pressure. "If you allow it."
Her smirk faltered. For the first time since she'd started her game, she wasn't entirely sure who was in control.
Derek leaned forward slowly, his movements careful but determined, and captured her lips again — this time without her guidance. His kiss was still soft, but there was an edge of hunger now, a restrained urgency, as though some instinct buried deep had finally been triggered by her endless teasing and the water she'd fed him.
Lexi's hands braced against his chest, her mind a whirlwind. She could order him to stop. He would obey. But instead, she found herself responding, her lips parting, her body leaning into the kiss.
Derek deepened it, his fingers sliding up her sides, memorizing her curves not with a soldier's precision but a man's reverence.
She gasped softly against his mouth.
He's learning, her mind whispered. He's adapting.
Lexi broke the kiss finally, breathless, her smirk shaky but still present. "You're not supposed to do that," she murmured, trying to regain her composure.
Derek's expression didn't change much, but his voice came softer, almost human now. "I thought you wanted me to, Mistress."
Her heart thudded. She tilted her head, eyes narrowing. "And what if I didn't?"
He lowered his gaze slightly, his hands retreating back to her hips but still resting there. "Then I stop."
The simplicity of his answer sent a strange thrill through her. He wasn't defying her. He wasn't even claiming anything. He was… trying. For her.
Her smirk curved back, slower, more dangerous. "And what if I do want you to?"
He met her eyes for the first time without lowering his head. "Then I continue."
Something shifted inside Lexi then. For days she had been the puppeteer, the predator, the one holding all the strings. Now, for the first time, she glimpsed the possibility of a partner — or a weapon that could think.
Her fingers slid back into his hair, tugging lightly. "Show me, then," she whispered.
Derek obeyed, but differently now. He didn't wait for her to place his hands or guide his lips. He moved with a slow, careful confidence, kissing her deeply, his hands sliding up her back, drawing her closer.
It wasn't passion like Nathan's, full of fire and chaos. It was something colder, steadier, but no less consuming — like a storm building under still waters.
Lexi's breath hitched. She could feel her control slipping, but instead of stopping him, she leaned in, testing how far this new Derek would go.
Minutes passed like that, a slow, dangerous dance. Derek never pushed too far, never moved without gauging her reaction. Every touch, every kiss was a question, and she found herself answering each one with a shudder, a smirk, a soft sound she hadn't meant to make.
When she finally pulled back, her lips were swollen, her pulse wild. She stared at him, her fingers still tangled in his hair.
"You're changing," she said softly, almost to herself.
Derek's voice was calm but softer now, like velvet over steel. "I exist only for you, Mistress. Even if that means learning how to please you."
Lexi swallowed hard. Her smirk returned, but it was shakier, tinged with genuine excitement. "Careful, Derek. You're starting to sound almost… human."
His gaze held hers, and for a heartbeat, she thought she saw a flicker of warmth there. Not desire — not yet — but loyalty sharpened into something deeper.
"I am whatever you need me to be," he said simply.
Lexi slid off his lap slowly, steadying herself as her feet hit the floor. Her hands trembled faintly, though she hid it behind a lazy stretch.
"Well," she murmured, smirk curling at her lips, "looks like my little experiment worked after all."
Derek stood when she gestured, returning to his post by the door. He looked unchanged — still her perfect knight, still silent, still waiting.
But Lexi knew better now.
Inside that soldier's shell, something had awakened. Something that wasn't entirely hers to command.
And she… liked it.
A dangerous thrill shivered down her spine as she glanced over her shoulder at him. "Good night, Derek."
He inclined his head slightly. "Good night, Mistress."
As she slipped beneath her sheets, Lexi pressed her fingers to her lips, still tingling from his unexpected response.
For the first time in a long time, she didn't feel bored.