Sineka lay in silence, her body still warm, restless, unsatisfied.

The silk sheets clung to her bare skin, cool against the heat still simmering beneath her flesh. Every nerve felt too aware, too awake—still tingling with the ghost of Crocodile's touch. Her thighs shifted beneath the covers, pressing together against the ache he'd left behind, sharp and unsated.

Damn him.

Damn him for starting what she hadn't wanted—what she hadn't asked for—only to leave her like this.

Her nails curled into the sheets as frustration coiled low in her stomach.

And worse—

She could still hear him.

The faint stream of water echoed from the adjoining bathroom, distant but undeniable. Steady. Unhurried. The sound of a man who never rushed for anything.

She squeezed her eyes shut.

Forget it.

Forget him.

But the image was already there—unbidden, unwanted—burned into her mind as if painted across the canvas of her thoughts.

Crocodile standing beneath that hot stream of water—broad shoulders taut with heat, muscles carved beneath golden skin, the deep scar slashing across his chest stark beneath the rivulets that streamed down his body. She could almost see it—could almost hear the low rumble of his breath as the heat soaked into his skin, easing the tension that never quite left his frame.

Her breath hitched.

A slow pulse of heat curled low in her belly, traitorous and undeniable.

Damn him.

Damn him for leaving her like this—for making her ache with want she couldn't banish.

Then—

The water stopped.

Silence fell, thick and heavy in the air.

Sineka stilled, her breath caught somewhere between her chest and throat as she strained to hear the faint rustle of movement—the shift of feet against marble, the soft brush of a towel against skin—

And then—

The door creaked open.

Her pulse spiked.

She kept her eyes shut, barely slitting them open beneath her lashes—

And—

Oh.

The bastard.

Steam rolled from the doorway, curling through the air in delicate wisps that clung to the heat of his skin. His hair—still damp—fell slightly tousled against his brow, darker where the water had soaked through. Droplets clung to his shoulders, trailing down the hard lines of his chest, over the deep scar that cut through muscle and bone, catching faintly in the grooves of his abdomen before disappearing beneath the towel slung loosely at his waist.

And the worst part?

The absolute worst part?

He didn't even glance at her.

Didn't pause to see if she was awake or if her gaze lingered, heated and helpless, against the bare expanse of his body.

He simply crossed the room with the same unshakable presence, each step deliberate, unhurried—as if being bare before her meant nothing. As if she wasn't still burning beneath the sheets from the memory of his hands.

Gods, she hated him.

Her breath hitched as he dropped the towel with careless ease, the silk sleep pants gliding up his legs with infuriating slowness—every movement unhurried, controlled, a man perfectly at ease with the body she couldn't stop staring at.

Then—

He climbed into bed.

The mattress shifted beneath his weight, the silk sheets sliding against his skin as he settled beside her, his arm resting behind his head. The faint glow of the bedside lantern caught the curve of his jaw, the faint sheen of water still clinging to his collarbone, the cigar balanced between his fingers as if he hadn't just spent the last hour unraveling her control with merciless precision.

As if none of it mattered.

As if she didn't matter.

Sineka's nails dug into the sheets.

Oh, hell no.

The game was not over.

Not until she won.

Slowly—deliberately—she shifted beneath the covers, letting the silk slip from her shoulders as she rolled toward him. The faint glow of candlelight traced over her golden skin, catching on the faint sheen of moisture still clinging to her collarbone, highlighting the curve of her waist, the rise and fall of her chest.

She heard it—the faint hitch of his breath.

Subtle. Controlled.

But there.

Good.

She wasn't done playing.

Not yet.

He was solid strength and quiet arrogance—power incarnate, even in rest.

And yet—

She had his attention now.

Sineka felt it in the stillness that settled between them, thick as midnight fog. The faint pause of his breath, the way his fingers stilled mid-motion, cigar hovering just before his lips. His golden eyes—half-lidded and unreadable—dragged over her with a deliberate slowness that felt like a touch all its own.

Good.

She let her leg shift beneath the sheets, the bare skin brushing against his in a gesture that seemed innocent—if not for the deliberate pace, the teasing warmth of contact that lingered just a heartbeat too long.

And Crocodile—

The bastard had the audacity to smirk.

"Still awake, woman?" His voice had roughened slightly, that low, sandpaper rasp curling through her veins like heat beneath her skin.

Sineka shifted onto her side, propping her chin against her palm as her gaze swept over him—slow, languid, deliberate. Her lashes lowered just enough to cast shadows against her cheekbones, lips curving faintly at the corners.

"So are you."

The cigar rolled between his fingers, faint embers glowing as he tilted his head slightly, golden eyes meeting hers with a gaze that never hurried—never rushed.

And yet—

Oh, she could see it now.

The hunger beneath the mask.

The faint tension in his shoulders, the slow rise and fall of his chest, the way his eyes darkened by a shade—not enough to break his composure, but enough to betray the heat buried beneath it.

He wanted her.

But pride would never let him yield so easily.

Not yet.

So she would make him.

Her hand moved slowly, fingers skimming over the pillow that separated them—dangerously close to his face, his jaw, his throat.

"You left me unsatisfied, Desert King."

Crocodile chuckled low in his chest—a sound that vibrated faintly against her skin.

"I left you wanting," he corrected, voice smooth as steel beneath velvet. "Not the same thing."

Her smile sharpened at the edges.

"Cruel."

His smirk deepened. "Always."

Her breath whispered out slow and deliberate, her fingers finally skimming along the hard line of his jaw, rough with faint stubble beneath her touch.

He didn't stop her.

Didn't move.

Just watched—letting her play her game with the patience of a predator waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

She let her nails trail downward—light, teasing—the faintest pressure along his throat, the solid plane of his chest, where heat and muscle coiled beneath skin.

Lower.

Crocodile's smirk faltered—just slightly—muscles flexing beneath her touch as if his body betrayed him before his mind could stop it.

Good.

Sineka leaned in closer, lips barely brushing his ear, breath warm against his skin.

"You wouldn't leave your queen in such distress, would you?"

The faint inhale through his nose—the faintest tremor of breath—

And then—

Without a single word—

He moved.

Faster than she expected.

A sharp shift—

A blur of motion—

Silk tangled against her skin as her back hit the mattress, breath stolen from her lips as Crocodile loomed above her.

Heat radiated between them, the faint scent of smoke and spice threading the air as golden eyes burned into hers—no longer unreadable.

His smirk curved slow and dangerous, sharp enough to cut.

"You want my attention, woman?"

That voice—low, roughened, threaded with something darker—something that threatened to break past the restraint still holding him back.

Sineka swallowed, pulse fluttering fast and shallow beneath her skin—

And her body betrayed her.

Her legs shifted beneath him, parting slightly—just enough—

And Crocodile—

Oh, he noticed.

His smirk widened, eyes gleaming with the promise of something she might regret provoking.

And then—

He moved lower.

Sineka's breath hitched, fingers curling against his shoulders as his mouth traced the curve of her throat—slow, deliberate—like a man who intended to savor every inch.

Stubble grazed her skin, heat and sensation winding tighter with every slow kiss, every faint graze of teeth that teased without ever biting too hard.

Sineka's fingers slid into his hair—

But Crocodile caught her wrist.

Pressed it back against the sheets with a strength that didn't need force, his grip firm without ever bruising.

The air between them thickened, electric with anticipation as his breath skimmed lower, slow and deliberate against her collarbone.

"Impatient?" The faint amusement threaded beneath the heat in his voice burned against her pride.

Sineka's jaw tensed, pulse hammering beneath her skin as she bit back the urge to beg.

"Hardly."

Crocodile chuckled softly, his mouth pressing against her skin—

A slow, open-mouthed kiss, heat and silk and something dangerously possessive.

His teeth grazed lightly—just enough to tease—just enough to warn—his tongue flicking out in a slow taste that sent a sharp pulse of heat straight through her.

Sineka gasped, her fingers tightening against the sheets as sensation shot through her in sharp, breathless waves.

Crocodile moved lower—tracing a path along the curve of her shoulder, the valley of her chest—the slow drag of lips and teeth against skin that left her breath coming faster, harder—

Then—

Cool metal slid along her waist, slow and deliberate—the faint bite of steel against heated skin as his hook skimmed the curve of her hip, contrasting sharply with the heat of his mouth—

Sineka's breath stuttered—sharp and involuntary—

As his lips closed over her breast.

Slow, deliberate heat—

A slow flick of his tongue—just enough to tease—

And then—

He sucked.

Hard.

Sineka gasped, breath breaking apart as sensation shot through her sharp and fast, her back arching involuntarily against him. Nails scraped against silk, her thighs twitching as heat pooled low and hot, winding her nerves tighter with every slow pull of his mouth.

Crocodile hummed against her skin—low, satisfied—the vibration sending another pulse of pleasure through her as his teeth grazed lightly, just enough to leave her trembling without ever breaking skin.

"Sensitive, aren't you?" he murmured against her skin before sucking again—slow and deliberate—each pull of his mouth dragging her closer to breaking apart.

Sineka bit her lip hard, refusing to yield—

Not yet—

Not when he was still teasing—

Crocodile released her with a sharp pop—golden eyes dark and amused as he took in the flush of her skin, the uneven rise and fall of her breath—the faint tremor in her thighs as they pressed together beneath him.

And then—

Lower.

Sineka's breath caught—sharp and unsteady—

Realization flashing in her eyes a moment too late—

Her voice came rough, breathless—half-defiant beneath the haze of heat.

"You wouldn't."

Crocodile's grin burned against her stomach—slow, wicked, unrepentant—

The cool curve of his hook slid lower—dragging faintly against the inside of her thigh—

Holding her open—

"Watch me."

Sineka's breath hitched, her body tensing beneath him, anticipation thick in the air as Crocodile's mouth ghosted lower—

A dangerous descent.

His hook kept her thighs parted, the cool metal a stark contrast to the heat of his hands, his lips, his breath fanning over bare, aching skin. Each slow inhale dragged over her nerves, deliberate and devastating, making her thighs twitch against his hold.

"You tempt fate, woman," he murmured against her skin, his voice roughened by smoke and something darker. "Do you think I'll show mercy?"

Sineka's fingers curled into the silk sheets, her pride battling the undeniable ache coiling low in her stomach. Her pulse pounded against her ribs, but she still met his gaze, golden eyes sharp despite the heat clouding them.

"I don't beg."

Crocodile chuckled—a low, gravel-rough sound that vibrated against her skin, curling through her like smoke.

"Not yet."

And then—he touched her.

A slow, lazy drag of his tongue along the inside of her thigh. Deliberate. Methodical. Letting her feel every second of the slow, devastating burn.

Sineka sucked in a sharp breath, her thighs trembling against his hold. But she bit her lip, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a sound.

Crocodile hummed against her skin, amused by her silence.

"You're still holding back?" His hook pressed just slightly against her inner thigh—a cold, metal reminder of the power he wielded. "Let's see how long that lasts."

Another kiss—higher this time. Closer. Heat ghosted against her core, and her nails scraped against the sheets as she strained to keep still, to keep control.

He didn't grant her the chance.

His mouth claimed her with slow, deliberate purpose—hot and unrelenting, a sharp contrast to the cool press of metal still holding her open beneath him.

Sineka gasped, her back arching off the mattress, her fingers tangling in his damp hair before she could stop herself. Heat shot through her in sharp, electric pulses, winding too fast, too tight, her breath breaking in shallow, uneven gasps.

And Crocodile—the bastard—knew it.

His grip on her thighs tightened as he dragged her closer to the edge with every slow, wicked stroke of his tongue. Her pulse pounded beneath his lips, her skin slick with sweat, her body caught between wanting more and fearing how easily he could undo her.

"You're trembling." His voice ghosted against her skin—a low murmur between kisses. "How much longer can you last, Sineka?"

Her nails dug into his scalp, but she bit back the broken moan rising in her throat, refusing to give him that victory.

Crocodile's smirk grazed her skin.

"Stubborn," he muttered against her heat. "But not unbreakable."

And then—

He sucked hard, his tongue curling with wicked precision, dragging her over the edge so suddenly she cried out, her body jerking beneath him as pleasure shattered through her in sharp, unbearable waves.

Her thighs clenched against his shoulders, her nails scraping against his scalp as she gasped for air, but he didn't stop. Didn't relent.

Crocodile dragged every last tremor from her body, letting her feel the full weight of his control until she could no longer fight the ragged sounds breaking from her lips.

Only then did he pull away, slowly—purposefully—letting her feel the loss of his heat as the air hit oversensitive skin.

Sineka's chest heaved, her pulse still thrumming beneath her skin, her body limp against the sheets. Her mind struggled to catch up, to reclaim the control he had so effortlessly stolen.

But Crocodile—

Crocodile only rose above her, slow and deliberate, his golden eyes half-lidded, the faintest glint of triumph curling behind the hunger still burning in their depths.

Sineka swallowed hard, her pride clashing with the sharp pulse still lingering deep in her bones.

She had been playing a dangerous game.

And she had lost.

Crocodile leaned down, his lips brushing the shell of her ear, the heat of his breath curling against her skin.

"Careful what you start, my lady." His voice was low, rough with smoke and heat. "Because next time—"

His smirk grazed her skin.

"I won't stop until you beg."