Despite his black skin, there was no denying that he was incredibly good-looking. In fact, she believed in the depths of her heart, that he was too handsome.

Can such a perfectly masculine face exist? What sculptor carved this man? How is it possible…?

Strong jaw, strong nose, cheekbones that were well-defined but not sharp enough to cut your fingers. Brilliant gold eyes which were currently half-curved in a teasing smirk as the man enjoyed her ogling. Eyebrows that were full and elegantly placed on his face, as if begging for the tender touch of a woman to trace.

His lips had a bit of thickness, making them appear tempting for sucking and nibbling, instead of the narrow and thin shapes she was used to seeing. His black hair framed his face in soft waves, coming to rest halfway down his back. His body was definitely not a disappointment either!

Even as the man grinned widely, his lips separating in a small snort of amusement, the nameless young woman found herself helpless to the sight.

Her body swayed unsteadily, resisting her attempt to rise to her feet and appear stronger than she currently was. It didn't help that half of her mind was fully engrossed in eating up the tasty treat before her eyes.

Stepping forward, the man calmly and casually pulled her into his arms. Using his hands, he forced her body to lean into him fully. Lowering his head, he breathed in deeply, which caused the young woman's face to turn bright red in shame.

"S, sir, you are being much too forward! I do not know you and yet you would hold me so?" She tried to struggle away, her heart beating wildly in her chest at the intimate manner the man was touching her.

He had one hand at the small of her back, pressing her stomach squarely against his groin area, considering their height differences. The other hand was cupping the back of her neck, firmly ensuring that she had to look up at him.

His lips twitched in amusement. "Sweetling, I have not even begun being as 'forward' as I plan. If a simple hug like this has got you panicking, you're going to faint when we get to the fun part."

Eyes widening to the point that her vision began to blur and her head pounded violently in protest, she cried out in agitation. "You are naked! Release me at once!"

A brief, stunned moment of silence took over before the man began to laugh richly. "Naked?" he repeated in disbelief.

His gaze lowered, taking in his dark brown trousers with gold lining at the edges and ends, the only article of clothing he had on. "Trust me, you'll learn fast that shirtless is a whole lot more than naked, sweetling," the man purred confidently.

He watched her blushing face with a pleased smirk; as if he was finally gaining a prized treasure after a long trial. "...Yes, I quite like you flushed, breathless, and bothered. Too bad we can't take it any farther at the moment."

"Guards!" It was a bit of a longshot, considering she was not certain they would even show. But anything was better than being forced, especially considering the situation.

A single brow lifted in curiosity before the man removed the hand from the back of her head. After giving it a lazy flick at the wrist, he yawned in boredom. "Alright, enough of that nonsense. No one is going to be forced against their will."

Sucking in a sharp breath at the man's words, she stared up at him in surprise. "...It feels as if you know exactly what I am thinking."

Lips twitching in a short laugh, the dark stranger grinned. "That would be because I do."

Pointing a finger to his forehead, he gently pressed his index finger against her own temple. "We've got a direct link, thanks to one of your past offerings. I can't control your mind, but you granted me the right to be privy to your thoughts whenever I wish. Remember? What was it again...stopping a war?"

All the blood drained from her face as fear washed over her, drowning her to the point that her breathing grew too fast. The broken rib in her chest pierced her left lung because of the agitation in her breathing patterns.

In a flash, she experienced the absolute terror of death swooping in ruthlessly to claim her life.

Without even blinking, the man transferred his touch from her head to her chest, pressing his hand firmly, not minding the fact that he was half-crushing one of her breasts.

In less than a second, all the pain in her chest ceased. Her broken rib, her pierced lung, everything returned to normal.

Death was nonchalantly shoved back, forced to retreat empty-handed.

The young woman's eyes grew wider, the fear never leaving, though now for a different reason.

Eyeing her critically, the man sighed tiredly. "They really did a number on you, sweetling. Here, let me just go ahead and make all of this disappear."