"No," she said after a moment's silence. The elevator doors opened on Drake's floor. I hesitated, wanting to ask her more but not wishing to ruin the easy friendship we seemed to have fallen into.

"Do you know of other Guardians who have? Since they arrived here, I mean?" I asked, grabbing the elevator door right where the electronic eye could see my hand. The door bucked in an attempt to close.

She shook her head. "Aisling, I feel I must warn you. To succumb to the lure of an incubus is a very dangerous thing."

"Dangerous? Dangerous how?" The door bucked again. I stepped in front of it. "The ones I've met seem a little pushy, but not dangerous in any way." Unless they wanted to sex you to death, that is.

"They can be dangerous in that women who resort to calling incubi to fulfill their sexual needs quickly lose the taste for mortal men. They can be satisfied only by incubi. They crave only their touch. They do anything to have them, eventually going so far as bartering their souls. That is how an incubi gains in power—he lives off the souls of the women he enslaves."

"Wow. I had no idea—"

She touched my shoulder gently as the door pushed against my back, trying to shove me out of the way. "I tell you only because it's evident you've been spending time with an incubus. I don't want to see you fall into that trap."

How on earth did she know I'd been with an incubus? Was there a sign? Maybe if there was, I could track down other Guardians who might know something. "How did you know I've spent time with an incubus?"

She smiled a sad little smile. "You smell of incubi smoke."

"Oh." That wasn't going to be very helpful. I couldn't go around smelling every woman at the conference. "Thanks for answering my questions. I appreciate it."

I stepped away from the door, allowing it to close.

"Good luck with the investigation," she said just before the doors met.

Why was it that everyone there seemed to know what was going on before I did?

Chapter 20

The lights were dimmed in the living room of the suite. Jim's blanket sat in forlorn emptiness next to a couch. The doors to Istvan's and Pal's rooms were closed. The door to Drake's room, however, was enticingly open, golden light spilling out, drawing me to it like a moth. I entered and closed the door, frowning at the bed. It had been turned back, but it was empty of dragons. A little splash from the bathroom had me heading that way.

"I would think that a creature that spends so much of its time playing with fire would avoid water," I said as I entered the huge bathroom.

It was done in black stone tile, the walls, floor, and countertops all glistening in ebony beauty. The usual appliances—sinks, toilet, bidet, and a glass-block-encased shower big enough for two—were present, but they were anything but utilitarian. Drake, who I was beginning to suspect was a true romantic at heart, had lit at least two dozen candles and scattered them around the bathroom. The light from them flickered and danced on the warm, moist air, their faint scent mingling with a familiar spicy smell. Dominating the bathroom was the large sunken bath with steps leading up to the edge that had intrigued me the first time I'd seen it It could probably fit at least ten people into it. Drake lolled around in the water, his dark hair wet and slicked back showing the widow's peak that always made my stomach clench, a book in one hand, a goblet of a familiar dark red liquid in the other.

"Water is the green dragon's element," he answered, setting the book down on the shelf nearest him. "We find comfort in it."

"So that's why you chose to seduce me in that dream pool," I said, strolling over to kiss him. His lips were as hot as the fire that I knew was captured within him, sparks of it showing in his eyes. I eased back, wanting to take it slow, slow enough to make him burn for me the way I did for him. "You taste like dragon's fire."

"The dream was not of my making, Aisling." He handed me the goblet. I took a small sip of the heavily spiced beverage, trying as I always did to identify the various elements before the punch it carried turned into an inferno. There were cloves, and cinnamon, and a dark, heavy wine .. . and fire. Lots of fire. It was a drink dragons preferred, but most mortals were unable to drink it without risking damage. I had quickly taken to it. Drake told me later that the fact I could drink it was one of the signs that indicated I was his mate. "Mmm. Good year. Nicely spicy without setting off the fire sprinklers like that last bottle did."

He said nothing as I handed him back the glass, but I recognized the took in his eyes. My body did, as well, immediately urging me to throw myself into his arms. I turned my back on him and sauntered over to the counter to fetch a sea sponge. "Would you like me to wash your back?"

"I would greatly enjoy whatever you feel in the mood to wash," he said, his eyes glowing bright even in the candlelight. He set the glass down carefully, then draped both arms over the flat ledge around the perimeter of the tab, looking like some exotic, potent sultan waiting to be attended by a harem girl.

"Mmm." The light in the emeralds glittering on my dress couldn't match the desire in his eyes, the very sight of him wet and naked immediately stirring dark, secret parts of my body. My hand slid down the front of the dress, drawing his attention to my breasts, then the curve of my hip. "I wouldn't want to get this lovely dress wet, Perhaps I had better take it off."

"Perhaps you had," he said, and I smiled over the roughness of his voice. With a great deal of wicked intent I set down the sponge and reached behind me with one hand to slowly pull down the zipper. Drake's gaze flickered between my face, my breasts, and the reflection of flesh being exposed in the mirror as the zipper parted.

The two thin, emerald-encrusted straps that held up the bodice slipped down my shoulders as I gave a delicate shrug. Drake's eyes snapped back to my chest as the bodice gaped "You do the striptease for me?"

"Well, I do have to take the dress off. I suppose if you want to interpret such a mundane action as a striptease ..." I let my fingers trail across the curve of my breast before giving a little wiggle, the dress immediately sagging down to my waist.

"It is good. You will continue," he ordered, his voice thickening. He was sitting up straight in the tub now, his hands clenching the edge, his lips curved in a soft smile, the lines of his chest and arms hard and tense.