Eye of the Beholder

when Lutton moved to Avalon?"
    He felt her sudden stillness behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and saw from the expression in her eyes that she understood.
    "You're wondering if Stewart was here twelve years ago when your father died, aren't you?" she asked gently.
    He looked back out into the night and made himself sound casual. "It would tie up the loose ends. Assuming he's involved in this."
    "I'm sorry, Trask. I don't know when Stewart came to Avalon. All I can tell you is that he's been around for a few years, at least. He said something once about having been one of the original tenants in Avalon Plaza ."
    "When did the Plaza open?"
    "Five or six years ago. I don't know the exact date."
    That told him nothing. "It shouldn't be hard to find out when Lutton arrived in Avalon."
    "No." Alexa hesitated.
    "Now what?" Trask glanced at the room service cart. "Now we eat. Then we go to bed and try to get some sleep while we wait for Strood to call."
    Her gaze went to the doorway of the darkened bedroom. Trask watched her eyes slide quickly away from the shadowy entrance.
    "I'd better go home," she said. "I'll need a change of clothes and other things in the morning before I go to the shop."
    "Let your assistant open Elegant Relic."
    "I promised her a couple of days off after the big rush was over. She said something about going to Tucson to see her boyfriend."
    Trask reached out and took Alexa's hand in his. He ran his thumb lightly over the soft skin on the inside of her wrist and savored the shiver of awareness that went through her.
    "You can stay here," he said softly. "I'll drive you home in the morning in time to take a shower and change clothes."
    In the muted light the depths of her eyes appeared limitless. "It's one thing for you to stay with me at my place. It's another to spend the night with you here in the hotel."
    Anger sparked in his gut. Or was it fear? He wondered. "What difference does it make?"
    "Like you keep saying, this is a small town."
    "Right. And everyone in it already knows about our relationship. Hell, even that phony psychic who read our auras tonight guessed that we were involved in an affair."
    "There is such a thing as discretion," she muttered. "Staying here in the owner's suite with you and walking out through the lobby tomorrow morning in front of your front desk staff and the concierge does not qualify as discrete."
    He tightened his grip on her wrist. "You're making excuses. Why?"
    "Please, Trask. It's been a long night and it's not over yet. I'm tired ..."
    "I said no more excuses. Tell me the real reason you want to leave."
    She glared at him. "Stop arguing with me. This is my decision. If I want to go home, I get to go home."
    He exhaled deeply. "It was that aura reader, wasn't it?"
    "What on earth are you talking about?"
    "She made you nervous."
    "Don't be ridiculous," Alexa said.
    He narrowed his eyes. "She made you nervous about me. About our relationship."
    "Maybe it's time I did stop and think about it," Alexa said carefully.
    "Don't tell me you actually believe in any of that psychic nonsense."
    "No, I don't believe in it. But she did make me consider some aspects of the situation."
    "Such as?"
    Alexa looked out the doors toward the moonlit spires. "Such as how quickly everything has happened between us."
    "Damn. I was afraid of that."
    She slanted him a sidelong glance. "We've both been under a lot of stress."
    "Uh-huh."
    She wriggled her hand until he reluctantly let her go. "Stress tends to magnify emotions. Makes them seem much more intense."
    "Yeah, sure. So what?"
    Irritation glinted in her eyes. "Look, you started this conversation. You asked me to talk to you about my feelings. I'm trying to do that, but I'm getting the distinct impression that you're already bored with the topic."
    "Okay, so I'm not good with this kind of discussion."
    "That's obvious."
    "Maybe I just don't want to hear you say that you don't think our so-called intense emotions are worth jack squat."
    She stiffened. "I didn't say that."
    "Sounded like it to me."
    "I'm trying to inject a little reason and logic into this relationship."
    "Like hell. You're running scared all of a sudden, and it's the fault of that little con artist who said she could read our auras."
    Alexa rolled her eyes. "For heaven's sake, don't blame her. If anyone's innocent in this mess, she is."
    "I ought to find her and demand my money back." He walked out onto the balcony and gripped the iron railing. "Fifty bucks to