Sineka hadalways prided herselfon maintaining her composure.

Butthis—thiswas something else entirely.

The moment the maidsswept into the room, their heads politely bowed, their handsfull of silk nightgowns, perfumes, and combs, Sineka had beenreadyto let them do their usual duties.

But then—Crocodile kept stripping.

Not subtly.

Not discreetly.

No.

The bastard did itso naturally, sounbothered, as he strode toward hiswalk-in closet,bare-chested, undoing thebuckle of his beltas he walked.

And that's when she realized—

Any maid who happened to look up at the wrong moment would get a full fucking view of his ass.

Sineka's eyetwitched.

Absolutely not.

The man couldcommand a criminal empire, but couldn't bother to have a shred ofmodesty?

Her mouth opened, voice sharp andunapologetic—

"Out."

The command wasquick, effortless, absolute.

Every maidfroze.

Some blinked. Othersstiffened, their eyes flicking betweenher and the half-naked warlordstill unbotheredly moving toward his closet.

Sineka inhaled,recovering swiftly, and with thesmooth confidence of a queen, she smiled.

A slow, feline, knowing smile.

And then—in a voice dripping with pure, unshakable amusement—she purred,

"I won't be needing you tonight. I'm sure my soon-to-be husband will be more than happy to prepare me."

Thesharp inhale of a maidwas heard.

Thenot-so-hidden giggle of anotherfollowed.

And Crocodile?

Hestopped walking.

Paused.

Like someone hadjust played a move he hadn't expected.

Sineka turned her headjust slightly, just enough to catch thelook on his face—

Andoh.

Oh, she hadalmost won.

Hisgolden eyeslocked onto her,glinting darkly, somethingslowly shifting behind them.

She hadsurprised him.

Not just that—she hadchallenged him.

Andfuck, she had enjoyed it.

Themaids scurried out, a few of themwhispering among themselves, their excitement barely contained. The door clicked shut, leaving themalonein the heavy silence.

Sinekatook her time, turning over onto herstomach, draping herselfacross the plush silk sheets, herbare legs lifting in the air, swinging lazily, girlishly, as if she hadn't just said something utterly scandalous.

Her arms folded beneath heras she rested her chin atop them, golden eyes glinting with pure,playful seduction.

She watched him withlazy, smug triumph, her smile slow andwicked as sin.

"Something wrong,dear?" she murmured, tilting her head, feigning innocence.

Crocodile'sjaw tensedfor half a second—before his smirkslowly returned.

"You think you're clever, don't you?"

Sineka smiled,all teeth, all knowing confidence.

"Oh, I know I am."

Andjust like that—

The gamehad shifted.

Crocodile hadnever been an impulsive man.

Everything he did wascalculated, controlled, deliberate.

Butthis woman—this damn woman—

Had a way oftilting the scalesbefore he even realized they had moved.

He had planned to ignore her littlegame, to let hersquirm first, to make herregret teasing him so boldly in front of the maids—

But then—

Then, he turned.

Andsaw her.

His breath came out slow, measured, as he took inthe sight before him.

Sineka.

On his bed.

Draped across silk like a goddamn offering.

Hergolden skin glowed in the dim light, the delicate straps of her silk robefalling slightly off her shoulders, exposing theheavy curve of her breasts, herbare thighs teasing glimpses of something sinful beneath the fabric.

And thoselegs—long, smooth, lifted lazily into the air, swinging playfully as if she wasn't the most tempting fucking thing he'd ever seen.

And hereyes.

Dark. .

She waswatching him, waiting, her lipscurled into a slow, knowing smile—

As if she wereinviting him to devour her.

Fuck.

For the first time in a long, long time—Crocodile almosttook the bait.

His fingersitchedto grip her thighs, todrag her beneath him, toruin that smug little smileuntil she couldn't even think about teasing him.

But instead—

Instead, hesmirked.

Slowly.

Deliberately.

He exhaled anotherslow stream of smoke, flicking the last remnants of his cigar into the tray before he moved.

Back to her.

Toward the bed.

Toward thosedamn legs.

And as he walked, his fingers went to hiswaistband,to the button of hispants—

And unfastened it.

Not fully.

Not enough to rid himself of them.

Justenoughto let the fabric loosen, justenoughto reveal the sharp, cut lines of hisV, the way his body dipped into somethingutterly sinfulbeneath the fabric.

Sineka'slazy swinging legs froze.

Her eyes flickeddown—

And thenback up to his face.

He smirked wider.

.

He saw the moment herbreath hitched, the moment sherealized she had just lost control of the game.

And then, without another word, heclimbed onto the bed.

Over her.

Hisknees sank into the silk sheets, hisshadow swallowing hers, his presenceall-consuming, unshakable, inescapable.

Sineka turned herhead back fully, golden eyes meeting his, stillsmug but now laced with heat.

She had started this.

And now?

Now,he was going to finish it.

The moment Crocodile'smouth crashed onto hers, the game was over.

Or maybe—this was the real game.

Aslow, consuming warwhereevery breath, every movement, every surrender and resistancemeant something.

His kiss wasnot gentle.

It wasnot careful.

It waspossessive,all-consuming,a claim rather than a question.

Sineka'sfingers curled into his shoulders, her bodyarching into him, herlegs instinctively wrapping around his waist, pressingflush against himas if she could already feelthe dangerous heat building between them.

Crocodile smirked against her lips,tilting her chin upwith the sharp edge of hishook, deepening the kiss, draggingevery soft moan, every sharp breath, every delicious little sound from her mouth.

And then—he moved to her ear.

His voice,low and sinful, brushed against her skin.

"Let me prepare you, my lady."

Sinekashivered.

Crocodile exhaled slowly,dragging his mouth lower, brushing his lips along the shell of her ear, whispering words that would normally be spoken by aloyal maid tending to her lady at night.

"Shall I undress you, my lady?"he murmured, his fingers alreadyslipping beneath the delicate silk of her robe.

"Shall I help you out of these heavy burdens?"

Hishands moved slowly, deliberately, peeling the fabric from her shoulders,exposing the golden skin beneath, the soft curves, the parts of her he had yet to claim.

Sineka's breath wasuneven, her body betraying her as her robe slipped further—

And then—

Withone final tug, he pulled the silkfully from her body.

It slid from her likewater, pooling onto the bed insoft, delicate waves, leaving herbare beneath him, her skinflushed, exposed, beautiful.

She should have beenembarrassed.

She should have feltshy, covered herself, tried to regain control.

But instead—

Shelet him look.

Let himdevour her with his eyes, let himadmire what was his to ruin.

And Crocodile?

He took histime.

Then—without warning—he scooped her up into his arms.

Sineka gasped, instinctivelygripping onto him, her handsfisting into his chestas he lifted hereffortlessly, hisbare forearm flexing beneath her thighs.

"Crocodile—?"

He didn't answer.

Didn'tacknowledgehersmall, startled protestas he carried herstraight into the adjoining bathroom, his stepsmeasured, unhurried, his gripfirm.

The bathroom wasall marble and luxury, the smooth surface of thecountertops cool against her heated skinas he sat her down beside thesink, herbare thighs pressing against the polished stone.

Crocodile turned from her, moving toward thelarge freestanding bathtub, his fingerstwisting the tap, letting thewarm water rush in, the temperaturejust right for the hot Seraphan night.

Thesound of waterfilled the room, steam rising slowly.

Sineka let out aslow breath, trying to collect herself.

Until—

Until Crocodileturned back to her.

Until hestalked back toward her.

Slow. Calculated.

Predatory.

And suddenly—she was alarmed.

Herthighs pressed together, herback straightened, her breathhitching slightly.

Crocodile smirked.

And then—soft, low, teasing—

"What's wrong, woman?"

Sineka inhaled sharply.

"…I didn't think you'd actually do it."

His smirk widened.

"You should know better by now."