“I’m just pointing out the obvious, Van Gogh.”

“Pfft!” I blow out in amusement, forced to lift my gaze. “Van Gogh?! Really?”

Stryder rolls his eyes toward the sky, his lips cutely puckering to one side. “Nah! He never had the privilege of painting such a handsome character.”

“Wait…” I sneer. “Don’t tell me you met the man…”

“Ah! So you were listening to my lesson about history that day?”

I purse my lips and nod sheepishly. Even though I’d been feigning nonchalance, I’d heard about the many historic figures the dragon shifters had met throughout their lives.

“I’m good at acting,” I lament with a casual shrug.

“I’ve gathered that much,” Stryder titters, rearranging his position as he sighs. “I wonder what part you’re gonna play next.”

When he says that, it’s just in time for me to paint a particular human aspect of the dragon shifter. Stifling my urge to giggle, I look up and bite on the tip of the brush handle while ogling him.

“How about the part where I need to figure out which brush to use to depict the texture?”

Stryder catches where my gaze lingers, and his tummy visibly tightens. “How do you plan on finding out?”

“Hm…” I remove the paper from my lap, safely setting it aside on a rock and using the brush stand to keep it in place. Standing up, I meet Stryder’s curious eyes and slowly stroll forward. Pressing a finger on my chin, I pretend to give it some thought. “I’d need to test the texture with my hands. Get a feel for it, you know?”

Stryder rolls over onto his back and bends an arm under his head. While his gaze heats up and darkens, his manhood grows erect on his belly. Licking my lips in anticipation, I step between his legs and crouch.

Laying on his belly, his hard cock twitches where the pulsing vein running the length of the shaft is mapped out. With my bottom lip tucked between my teeth, I tentatively reach out and stroke my fingertips across his velvety length.

His tummy tightens again, his Adam’s apple bobbing when he gulps. “D-did you get what you n-needed?” he croaks, his body trembling when I brush my fingertips over the swollen crown.

“Not quite…” I muse, exploring the tip with the tip of my forefinger. A droplet of precum escapes the tiny slit, so I gather it with my fingertip and spread it in a circle over the smooth head. “If I want to get this right, I’m gonna have to be thorough.”

“H-how do you plan on doing that?”

“Some things need to be palette tested,” I murmur, leaning all the way down until his cock is in front of my face. When I blow warm air over the shaft, Stryder sucks in a breath through gritted teeth.

He looks down at me, reaching out and carding his fingers through my hair, removing it from my face so thoughtfully. I smile sheepishly, maintaining the eye contact as I wrap my fingers around the base and wrap my lips around the head.

“Hmmm…” he mewls, throwing his head back. “That feels so good, baby doll.”

His words of praise serve as encouragement to slide my mouth as far as I can until he touches the back of my throat. His moans sound like music to my ears, and I drink them up the way I drink his salty-sweetness from the precum leaking at the top. Bobbing my head steadily on his cock, his fingers tighten in my hair to guide me into a quicker pace. Stryder looks up again, his eyes glossed over with such heady lust, he appears to be on the brink of tears.

I’m prompted to keep going, forming a vacuum with my mouth and flattening my tongue to get as much of him inside me. He loses the grip in my hair, grabbing fistfuls of grass as he slowly bucks his hips, thrusting into my mouth.

I’m so wet right now, that I have to clamp my thighs together, craving his touch but needing to see this through. I need to taste all of him, and with a sturdy groan, he makes it known that he’s about to come.

“Please…. Olivia… Oh, gods!”

Running with the thrill of having him beg for mercy, I use my free hand to stroke his scrotum. The sack tightens underneath my touch before he grunts and grabs my head with both hands. Hot ropes of cum lather my throat as he spills his seed inside my mouth. When he’s done and his body melts to the ground beneath him, his chest heaving rapidly, I pop my lips off him. He watches me as my throat works to swallow his manly essence before he reaches out and grabs me to his chest.

He tastes himself on my tongue when he kisses me, the raw act mimicking the way he had me tasting myself before. When he pulls back, panting, he stares deeply into my eyes and rasps, “It’s your turn, now.”

Chapter 15 - Stryder

Staring at Olivia’s face as she sleeps, this time, I’m not compelled to run away like a coward. Perhaps it has to do with my inner dragon having reunited with my being. I feel strong again, sure of myself.

Sure of Olivia, too.

I think I’ve finally come to terms with having her as my mate. Though we haven’t discussed it yet, I’m sure she’ll agree to remain on the island.