Crocodile had never been a man tohesitate.
Not in war. Not in business. And certainlynot when he wanted something.
So when he strode into Sineka's room that morning, cigar balanced between his fingers, expecting to find her lounging in bed or seated at her vanity, he hadn't expected to be greeted byemptiness.
His golden eyes narrowed.Where the hell was she?
Exhaling a slow curl of smoke, he scanned the dimly lit space—the untouched sheets, the half-empty glass of water on the bedside table, the faint lingering scent ofjasmine and smokethat always clung to her.
Then, from the other side of the room—the faintest rustle of fabric.
The closet.
Crocodile stepped forward, his heavy boots barely making a sound against the marble floor as hepushedthedooropenwithout warning.
And then—
He went still.
For the first time in avery, very long time, somethingcaught him completely off guard.
Sineka stood before a grand, floor-length mirror inside thewalk-in closet, her back partially turned to him, hairstilldampfrom her bath, cascading in heavy, inky waves down her spine.
But that wasn't what stopped him.
No, it was what she was wearing.
Or rather—whatlittleshe was wearing.
She was dressed inblacklaceandsin, the kind of lingerie that no woman wore by accident.
A sheer,delicatebralette, thin enough to be utterly useless in terms of modesty, the intricate floral patterns barely covering thetauntingswellofherbreasts. Her stomach was bare, the soft curve of her waist leading down to an equallyscandalous piece of lingerie, high-cut lace panties, hugging her hips like an invitation tobe touched, gripped, devoured.
Long,golden earringsdangled from her hands, as if she had been selecting jewelry when he hadinterrupted.
Her face—bare of any makeup,untouched, natural—was reflected in the mirror, dark eyes flicking up as she noticed him standing there.
She didn't gasp. Didn't shy away.
Shesmirked.
Andthatwas what undid him.
Because sheknewwhat she was doing.
Sheknewwhat she looked like.
Sheknewthat she had just become the mostirresistible, wicked temptation the world had to offer.
And she was enjoying every second of it.
Crocodile inhaled slowly, his cigarlongforgotten, still smoldering between his fingers.
"Are you going to keep standing there, or do you need an invitation?" Sineka murmured,smoothassilk, turning fully now to face him,owningthemoment.
His control snapped.
Crocodilemoved, closing the distance between them in a single,lethalstride, and before she could blink—
Hisgoldenhookslid under her chin, tilting her head up.
She exhaled softly, lips parting just slightly,as if daring him.
"You really have no self-preservation, do you?" he muttered, voice low,gravel rough.
Sineka's smirk deepened. "If I did, I wouldn't be here, would I?"
Fuck.
He didn't let her have another second of control.
Crocodile'sfreehand—his real hand—gripped her waist, fingers slidingoversilk,overlace,overskin, until he had herpinnedagainstthemirroredwall, the cold glass pressing against her back.
Sineka's breath hitched, but hereyes burned with challenge.
Good.
He liked herdefiant.
Liked hertaunting.
Because it made it all the moresatisfying when he finally broke her.
Crocodile's fingers trailedlower, past the lace of her bralette, brushing over thedangerous strip of bare skinbetween her ribs and thewicked lace hugging her hips.
"You dress like this," he murmured,tracingthe delicate waistband of her lingerie, "and expect me to ignore it?"
Sineka let out a softlaugh, though it was shakier than before. "I was just getting dressed."
Crocodilechuckleddarkly, his lips grazing the shell of her ear.
"You don't dress like this when you want to beleft alone, woman."
She shivered.
Andhe felt it.
Felt her breath stutter. Felt her body tense—anticipating, bracing, wanting.
He smirked against her skin.
"Are you going to fix that sharp little mouth of yours," he murmured, lips trailinglower, closer, "or do I need to do it for you?"
Sineka's fingersclenchedagainsthischest, gripping the fabric of his coat.
And then, in thewickedest, most sinful voice imaginable, she whispered—
"Makeme."
Fucking hell.
Crocodile's restraintshattered.
His mouth crashed against hers, andit was war.
Teeth, tongues, heat—his hands gripping her hips, her fingers threading through his hair, pulling him closer, deeper, hungrier.
Sineka gasped into his mouth whenhis hook caught the lace strap of her bralette, pullingjustenoughto exposemore skin, more sin, more temptation.
He felt herarch, felt herpressagainsthim, heat meeting heat,breathless,reckless,lost.
This wasn't soft. This wasn't sweet.
This wasdevouring.
And Crocodile wasfinally, fucking tasting her.
Hedragged his mouth down her throat, sucking, biting, leavingmarks that would last, because if she was going to look like this—
She was going to look likehis.
Her head tipped back against the glass, a sharpmoan escaping her lips, and Crocodile growled,lowanddark, drinking in the sound like agoddamnvictory.
She was losing.
And sheloved it.
His fingersslidlower, just under the lace of her panties,pressing, teasing, coaxing a shudder from her.
"Crocodile—"
His name was barely a breath.
Adesperate, ruined thing.
He smirked.
"Say it again."
Her nailsdug into his shoulders, eyes hazy, lips swollenfrom the way he hadclaimedher.
"Crocodile," she whispered again,breathless, undone.
Hegroaned,losing himself in the taste, the feel, the way she was completely his.
And this was just the beginning.
The world outside the closetdidn'texist.
There was onlyCrocodile, onlyhishands, only the wayhe had her trapped between him and the mirrored wall, silk and lace doing nothing to stop him fromtouching, teasing, breaking her down inch by inch.
Sineka waslosing.
And the bastardknewit.
Hisfingers, rough andwickedlyskilled, slid throughslick, heated softness, pressingdeeper, strokingplaces she had never let anyone else touch.
Shebit her lip, hard, trying toholdback, but then—
Crocodile'shook caught the thin strap of her bralette, dragging it down, baring her to the cold air.
She let out a sharpgasp, shivering as the chilledmirror pressed against her bare chest—a stark contrast to theheatof his body behind her.
The sight in the reflection wasruinous.
Herbreasts,bare and soft against the glass, the delicatelace of her lingerie barely covering anything, herthighs trembling, herlips parted in helpless pleasure—
And behind her,Crocodile, fully clothed, golden eyes gleaming withpredatorysatisfaction, his hookresting at her side, a silent promise.
Fuck.
Herback arched instinctively, pushing her hipsdeeperagainst his fingers, letting himpress higher, reachdeeper—andshit, he was hitting something that made her knees nearly buckle.
She choked on awhimper, nailsscrapingagainsttheglass, leaving faint smudges behind.
Crocodile'sfree hand gripped her hip, holding her steady, not letting her escape.
"You're already shaking," he murmured, voicegravelandsmoke, his breath hot against herexposed neck.
Sinekabit back a sound, trying to find somethingsharpto say, butnothing came—
Not when hethrustdeeper, dragging his fingersslowly,deliberately, stretching her, making herfeel every inch.
Shegasped, her forehead pressing against the glass,humiliatedbyhoweasilyheunraveledher.
Thecold of the mirror, theheat of his body, the way hehandled her like she was his to ruin—it was too much.
Too much, too much, too much—
And then—
Knock. Knock.
A soundsonormal,sooutofplace, that it barely even registered at first.
"Boss."
Daz Bones'flat, professionalvoice filtered through the heavy wooden door."Stussy's on the line."
Sinekafroze.
Crocodiledidn't.
Hedidn't pull away, didn't stop, didn't let her catch her breath.
Instead—
He went deeper.
Herbody tensed, a choked, mortified gasp escaping her lipsas she barely stopped herself frommoaningoutright.
Oh, fuck.
Crocodile exhaled,completely unbothered, stilldeep inside her, still working her towardsomething uncontrollable.
"I'll be out in a minute,"he called to Daz, his voicecompletelylevel, as if he wasn't currentlyfingering her into ruin against the mirror.
A pause. Then—footsteps retreating.
Thank fucking god.
Sineka exhaled in relief—only to let out a soft, wrecked sound when he curled his fingers again, hitting that spot so perfectly it nearly broke her.
"Crocodile—"
Hislips brushed against her ear, his tonesilk and command."Be quiet."
Shebit down on her knuckle, shaking, her body begging for release, for more, for everything.
Crocodile smirked against herbareshoulder, watching her through the mirror.
"Pathetic."
Hishandtightenedonherhip, holding her still as hedraggedherbackontohisfingers, making sure shefelt every movement, every stroke, every inch.
"You were so smug earlier."
Sineka let out ashuddering breath, utterly humiliatedby how easily heowned her body.
His voice waspurearrogance, dark and amused."And now? You're already close. So fast. Like a desperate little thing."
Shewantedtofightback, wanted tosnap something sharp and cutting—
But herbody betrayed her.
Because shewasso close.
Sofucking close.
Herhips moved without her permission, desperate for more, chasing theheat pooling low in her stomach, chasingrelease.
Crocodilefelt it, saw it, knew it—
And he smirked, completely in control, completely cruel.
"Come, then."
Hiscommand shattered her.
The moment hisfingers pressed deep, slow, relentless, shebrokeapart—
Herback arched, cheek pressing against the cold glass, mouthparted in a silent,ruined gaspaswaves of pleasure wracked her body.
It wasso fast.
Too fast.
AndCrocodile knew it.
Hissmirk deepened, watching her through the mirror,utterly smug, completely satisfied.
Sinekapanted, her entire bodyflushed,shaken,ruined.
Andutterlyembarrassed.
She hadnever—
She hadnever fallen apart like that before.
Not thatquickly. Not thathelplessly.
Crocodile finallypulled his fingers from her, dragging themdown her thigh, smearing her slickness against her skin—a brand,aclaim, somethingfilthyandinescapable.
Then—without breaking eye contact—
He lifted his fingerstohismouth.
Andlicked them clean.
Sinekanearly fucking died.
Still breathless,still trying to recover, sheglaredat him."You bastard."
Crocodile simply chuckled, completely smug, adjusting his coat as he took aslow step back,his goldenhook trailing along her thigh one last time.
"Get dressed."His voice waslow, amused, and still fucking hungry. "I'll deal with you later."
Sinekashuddered, her legs stillweakbeneathher, and Crocodilelaughedlowly, clearly enjoying every second of herruin.
Andfuck.
This man was going tokill her.