Surrendering To the Dragon (Welsh Dragon Book 1)

Chapter One

Amelia

 I rolled my bottom lip under my teeth, scraping off the lip gloss I had just reapplied in the car. It was a nervous habit. One that I had thought I had outgrown, left somewhere in my youth. I didn’t get nervous anymore. At least I hadn’t until that phone call.

That’s why I was here, staring into my wine glass and trying not to let my feelings show on my face.  Which I was obviously failing at if the pitying stares of the restaurants other patrons were anything to go by. Did they think I had been stood up by a date. The though quirked my lips into a smile. If only things were as simple as being stood up. A no show date wouldn’t change my life, a phone call from the Oracle would. It would change it forever. If the old bat was asking for a face to face meeting and not just checking in like she did once or twice a year then something had gone horribly wrong. And s**t had hit the proverbial fan. s**t of course being my life and there was nothing I could do to change it. If the oracle wanted a face to face, which meant she wanted me to do something then there was no way I could even refuse her. Not unless I wanted her to steam roll my life. And she would do it. No one said no to her, no one would dare, and I wasn’t about to be the first.

I sipped the wine in front of me, at least my Friday night had alcohol and after the week in the office I had had I needed the cool crispness. It wasn’t quite vodka and lime, my usual drink of choice but I needed my wits about me.

The phone buzzing in my bag pulled me out of my daydream, or was that day nightmare? And I reached down for it, using my fingerprint to unlock it and answer who ever had messaged me. If it was work related, I was going to kill my assistant first thing Monday. I had made it perfectly clear that I wasn’t to be disturbed this evening. If there was one thing the Oracle hated more than the word “No” Then it rudeness. That’s why my phone had been placed in my bag at my feet and not on the table next to my hand. Where it should have been.

It wasn’t my assistant; in fact, it was nothing to do with work whatsoever, but it was not something I could deal with right now. I had enough on my plate without having to molly coddle upset ex boyfriends.

I wasn’t even sure ex-boyfriend was the right word. We had dated casually, had never been exclusive and the fact he seemed to be more interested now we had officially split was alarming. Guys liked the chase, I guess. I didn’t. I liked knowing exactly where I stood, and I didn’t have any patience for games.

“Amelia?”

I jumped I couldn’t help it, the wine in my hand sloshed over the side and onto my fingers. I hadn’t heard her arrive.

“Have you been waiting long?” She was looking at the half empty glass with her disapproving grandma look on her wizened face and I had to bite my tongue to stop from telling her that half of the contents had sloshed over my fingers. I didn’t of course. I did wipe my wet hand along my skirt as I stood though, leaving a damp patch the length of my thigh as I stood to give her the hug she was waiting for.

Today it seemed she was playing the lovable grandmother card; it was an act she had mastered over the years. She looked the part, blue grey hair, the laughter line around her too pale blue eyes. At first glance she had every one fooled, but it never lasted long.  Her gaze was just a little too intense, her tone a little too sharp. People looked away when she caught them looking at her. It didn’t matter what you were, human, witch or shifter. When she turned those eyes on you, you lowered yours.  I was no different, as she held me out at arm’s length,

“You have lost weight” It wasn’t a question, more a statement of fact. “You should really start looking after yourself a little better Ami”

I nodded, not trusting my voice just yet.  She was being too nice. Something was up.

“Have you ordered yet?”

Goosebumps erupted on my arms. Something was wrong. Every fiber of my being was screaming at me to get out of there.

Run Ami.

“No, of course not. I am looking forward to having a relaxed meal with you” I tapped my nails on the tablecloth and rolled my lips under my teeth again. At this rate I would need some kind of lip balm, they were going to be so dry and cracked.

“Well I am sure he won’t be much longer and then we can order”

He? I lowered my brows. She hadn’t said anything about anyone else joining us.

“Now, now Amelia don’t give me that look. I am sure you and David will get on fantastically” She made a show of ignoring me totally as she looked over the menu.  This was the same restaurant she had taken me to yearly when I was growing up and she knew the menu by heart.

“So how are you, after your most recent break up?”

“How?” I didn’t even finish the sentence. Of course, she knew. She had eyes and ears everywhere.  If I thought being an adult, with a successful career was enough to stop her meddling then I was wrong. So very very wrong.  “I am fine” I flipped the phone off the table and into my lap as it buzzed again.  “It was a mutual decision”

“Really Ami, lying is such an ugly trait”

I snapped my mouth shut, as a wave of unease washed over me. The man who stepped up to the table was impossibly tall and his well fitted shirt did nothing to hide the bulk of his shoulders. He was the one who had been making me feel uncomfortable.

Shifter.

There was no doubt in my mind.

“Fantastic can I have a vodka lime please” I plastered my face with my signature smile.  The one that had won me more campaigns than anyone else in the office in the last twelve months. His eyes brows shot into his hair line as a smile played at the corner of his mouth and I couldn’t help but quake under his to bright eyes.

Shifters were the worse.

And dragon shifters were the worst of the worst. There couldn’t be any doubt what flavor of shifter he was. No other species made my skin crawl quite like a dragon did.  They were just too much.

Too big.

Too handsome.

And if this one was anything to go by, too c**k sure of themselves. Why was he looking at me like that? Was I meant to be swooning at his feet?

“Oh Ami” The oracle stood and gave him a hug, looking abnormally small against him. Yet he lowered his eyes the same as we all did.

And I could do nothing but sit there with my mouth open. What the hell was she thinking inviting a dragon to dinner. Especially top a dinner with me of all people.

“Ami, this is David” She motioned that I was to greet him, her eyes daring me, and I felt my chair scrape back.

“No, just no” I was shaking my head as I bent to gather my bag from under the table and I could feel his eyes on me as I bent.

“Ami” Her voice held a note of warning this time.

“It’s nice to meet you Ami”

“I’m sorry but I have to go” I took a step as if to brush passed him.

“Sit back down Ami” The kindly old grandmother was gone. Her power was like nettles over my skin, but I found myself sitting. Hands clenched into fists at my side. How could she make me do this? She knew my past better than even I did and yet she expected me to sit here and make small talk with a man who literally made my skin crawl?