"Oh," I said, more than a little relieved that he hadn't browsed through my mind pulling out bits of whatever information interested him. I hadn't forgotten Ophelia's warning that the blue dragons were noted for their psy-chic abilities. "I suppose it does make sense, then."

"Also," Fiat said with the Italian version of the Gallic shrug, "I browsed through your mind pulling out bits of information that interested me."

"Stop that!" I yelled, jumping up to my feet. "Stop barging into my head! You're not allowed to do that."

"But,cam," he protested, pulling me back onto the couch next to him, his arm draped casually over the back in the first position of that ole-time move guys have. "It was so easy! You did not-have even one mind guard up to keep me from your thoughts. I assumed you must want me to read them."

"What's a mind guard?" I asked suspiciously, slump-ing away from his arm.

He shrugged again. "It is the barriers someone such as yourself puts up to keep people from her mind."

Instantly I envisioned a high brick wall surrounding me, a brick wall without doors.

"No," Fiat shook his head as he took my hand in his, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles. His hands were so cool, they seemed to leach the heat from mine. "I can still get in because you have not sealed your mind from me."

Rats. He was right. The walls were open above. I re-arranged my mental picture to form a tall tower with shuttered windows that I could open or shut. I shut them all, and immediately I was aware of the brush of his mind against mine as he tested my new barriers.

"It was not wise of me to say anything," he smiled a bit ruefully, his ringers still rubbing over mine. "Now I have done myself out of the pleasure of visiting such a charming mind, but these things, they are best not done so easily."

I said nothing, too worried that if I dragged my atten-tion from keeping the shutters in my mind closed, he'd be able to breach my defenses.

Fiat leaned forward, his fingers a cool whisper as they danced along my cheek. "It is the thrill of the chase, you understand,cara. If the quarry gives up too easily, there is no pleasure in the hunt."

I mentally arranged iron bars to hold the shutters closed, pulling my hand from Fiat's as I said, "I don't suppose we could do this without all the sexual innuendo and hunter double-talk, could we? Because I've had a long day, and my demon is outside peeing on who knows what, so if we could skip all the seduction bit, I'd be grateful."

He laughed and withdrew his fingers from my face, leaning back against the pillows with an almost feline grace. It was then I noticed he was also dressed in blue, but a blue that had an intricate black pattern swirled through both the shirt and matching pants. "I hope Drake appreciates the mate he has been granted."

"I doubt he does, but that's neither here nor there. Um … do you think someone could let Jim—that's my dog—in?"

Fiat's eyes narrowed. He pushed briefly at my mind. "Why do you need your demon?"

I smiled. 'Trust me, I don't need it, it's a big pain in the—it's a big pain."

He pushed at my mind again. "Then why do you want it to be allowed into my home?"

I broadened my smile until it positively radiated inno-cence. "Not for any nefarious purpose. It's just that it's forever getting itself into trouble, and I don't like the thought of what it's up to out on the streets without me."

Fiat watched me silently for a few seconds. "Very well, it is done. Now, what payment will you give me for granting your request?"

My smile faded. "Boy, you dragons really do know how to drive a bargain. I offer you my gratitude, Fiat. I appreciate you allowing Jim into your home. If that will satisfy you—" His face was an unmoving mask, but he didn't say no. "—then can we get to business? I wanted to speak to you about a business proposition."

His heavy blond eyebrows rose in surprise as he waved a languid hand toward me. "Business?Cara, I am intrigued. Please proceed."

I had to watch my step here, or else I might not find myself leaving the dragon's lair at the end of our meeting. "I know of the location of an object that Drake covets. It's bound in gold," I added, just to make sure I had his attention. I needn't have worried, his eyes were glittering with avidity. They dropped to my breasts. His nose twitched. I heaved a mental sigh and pulled up the gold chain, exposing the jade dragon. Fiat's eyes darkened at the sight of it. "This isn't the object I'm talking about, this is a talisman given to me. As you can see, it's not very valuable, not worth stealing."

"Drake might not have thought so, but I do not agree," Fiat murmured. I quickly tucked the talisman away, a lit-tle worry of fear skittering down my back at the danger-ously flat tone in his voice.

"Regardless, the object I have in mind is worth a great deal more. It's priceless, you might almost say."

"What is it?" he asked, his voice sharp even though his body was relaxed.

I shook my head. "I can't tell you what it is, only that Drake is desperate to have it, and I'm the only one who knows where to find it."

"Why are you offeringme such a prize?" Fiat asked, his fingers lazily tracing a serpentine pattern on a pillow. "Why do you wish to keep an item of worth from your mate?"

"I'm offering it to you because you're the only other wyvern in the area." Fiat stiffened at that. I hurried to smooth over the insulted look that flashed through his eyes. "But more important, I want the object to be

safe, to be in the possession of someone who is strong enough to keep Drake from getting it, and from everything I've heard, you are."

His body relaxed as he inclined his head in a graceful gesture of acknowledgment, his fingers stroking the vel-vet pillow in a way that was extremely sensual. "It is true, what you say. I am very powerful. But I still do not un-derstand why you don't want your mate to have this mys-terious object, and since you have withdrawn access to your thoughts—" I felt him brush against my mind again, but my shutters held tight. "—I must ask you to explain."

I stood up, taking a little stroll around the room and admiring the objects Fiat had chosen to display on the oc-casional tables and walls. There was less gold scattered about than at Drake's house, and more of an emphasis on very old paintings, but still, the furnishings and artwork screamed serious collector. "My reason-for keeping it from Drake is my own. I just want reassurance that if I tell you where to find the object, it will be safe in your lair where Drake can't steal it back."