The Mark of Cain (34 page)

Because Inac had slept on the side of the mattress
near the middle of the large tent—it could sleep eight—and she was now halfway
sitting up, she glanced over at Tracker, giggling when she saw him. He was
out
.
He was sprawled out on his back, the top of his head on the floor of the tent
with his mouth wide open and part of his white T-shirt falling to show his
bellybutton free of fuzz—she didn’t think he had any chest hair. He just wasn’t
manly enough. Of course, Inac didn’t seem to have any either and he was
definitely
all
man….

“What’s so funny?” Inac asked, opening his eyes.

“Track,” she said, gesturing at him with her head.

Inac looked over and chuckled himself. “Yeah. I woke
him up by accident when I went out to get air. We started talking and didn’t
get back to bed for a while.”

“So you two are becoming friends?”

He shrugged, not committing himself to his answer.
“Maybe.”

She couldn’t contain her joy. Usually, when she
would talk about Track, Inac would seem a little sour, but today that was gone.
Maybe Inac couldn’t admit it to himself, but she was pretty sure that the guys
didn’t hate each other quite so much anymore.

He placed his hands on her hips as he flashed a
naughty smile. “Should we continue from yesterday? Tracker doesn’t look like
he’ll be waking anytime soon.”

“As much as I would love to, no,” she replied, hair
falling into her face and down onto Inac’s bare flesh.

He looked like a hurt child for a moment. But, true
to Inac’s character, he hid it quickly, shutting it deep inside where
he
probably couldn’t even sense it any longer.

“Why not? Does my breath stink?” he joked; a tribute
to just how good he hid his emotions.

“Not that I can tell. In fact, it probably smells
better than mine.”

“Then why not? Because Tracker’s right there?”

“No. Because you wanted to
continue
.”

“Okay…?” he said, making an elaborate gesture with
his hand that made her think of medieval knights.

“Meaning that you wanted to start exactly where we
left off. But we left off the farthest I’m willing to go.”

Comprehension dawned on his face. “Ah. And the word
‘continue’ implies that we would go farther than that?”

“Exactly.”

He chortled at her. Tucking one side of her hair
behind its respective ear, he asked, “Well then, would you like to start over?”

“Now
that
, I would love to do,” she said as
she lowered her mouth to his.

A few kisses in, he gently rubbed the bottom ball of
his tongue piercing along her lower lip. He must be folding his tongue with his
teeth to do so because she didn’t feel his tongue at all. It felt nice, sending
shivers down her spine. It also made her want more.

She lightly put the tip of her tongue into his
mouth. When she pulled it out, she nibbled his bottom lip, knowing that was the
button that would make
him
want more. She knew she was playing with fire
but, for some reason, she just didn’t care. His kisses and caresses always
seemed to make her this way; where she no longer cared about the consequences
of her actions. Especially when he was grabbing her bare thigh the way he was
now—she’d bought some really cute boxer shorts to wear to bed while camping
instead of her usual nightgowns that would be too easy for Inac to move aside.

She was right in knowing that he would begin losing
control. In all honesty, he was someone who always seemed to be on the verge of
losing it. He always seemed to do what he wanted when he wanted. Maybe she
should be more like him….

He grabbed her and rolled her over, moving his mouth
around her neck in desperation. His hands were everywhere, even places she knew
they shouldn’t be. He was single-handedly checking her for breast cancer below
her tank top…literally…and she
liked
it.

It was when his mouth was slowly making its way
toward that hand, leaving a burning trail of kisses in its wake, that Tracker
made a very loud snort, causing her to jump.

She couldn’t help it when she began giggling at how
badly it had scared her, which pretty much shattered the mood. It seemed to
have done the same for Inac because he laid down again and pulled her close
until she was resting her head on his chest.

“Leave it to Tracker. Even in his sleep…” he
grumbled as he helped her resituate her shirt so that it was once again
covering her.

He
might be upset, but
she
was silently thanking God. What was it about Inac that made her toss aside
things that had been important to her all her life? She had now gone much farther
than she had ever wanted to go before marriage.

It was odd; she really should feel like she was
going to Hell. It just felt so
right
with him. Like they were soul mates,
if there was such a thing. She felt like she was here only for Inac. Like her
life hadn’t begun until he’d come into it. Like she was here to help him. He’d
obviously had a very difficult life that made him put up as many walls as he
had. But those walls crumbled when they kissed. She could see it in his eyes.
Maybe that was why she let him go so much farther with her than she would have
gone with any other guy….

Even still—right now—when she looked up, her chin on
his chest, she could see in his eyes that his iron walls hadn’t yet been
refortified. It was the perfect time to say something about her feelings for
him, but she couldn’t do it. The words just wouldn’t come out. She was worried
that he would shut down; that maybe she was just reading something into it
because she was a woman. Crystal told her time and time again that, for women,
intimacy was a bonding mechanism but, usually for men, it was just about the
physical aspect of it.

But if it was only about that for Inac, then surely
he would be with a girl like Crystal. A girl who was more than willing to go as
far as you could without even having to go on a date or be on a first name
basis. She was notorious at the club….

Her cheek back on his chest, she had just about
gathered the guts to tell him how she felt when Track mumbled, “Thanks for not
making me wake up to kissing.”

“Well you’re a few minutes too late for that,” Inac
said with a smile in his voice. He was probably trying to get under Track’s
skin…like usual.

“Then I’m glad I was exhausted ’cause I’m usually a
light sleeper.”

“As I found out last night.” The vibrations along
her cheek from him speaking was an interesting feeling. Before she could think
too deeply on it, though, he started to move, lifting her head and setting a
pillow under it.

“Where are you going?” she asked—she didn’t want him
to let go of her ever again.

“To check on breakfast. I started it cooking before
you woke up.”

He leaned down and gave her a small peck on the lips
before leaving the tent unzipped behind him—probably so it could air out. It
was absolutely
sweltering
in there as the material trapped the sunshine
in it like an oven to bake them from the inside out.

She smiled at Tracker, who grinned lazily back at
her. She then lifted her sleeping bag and patted the spot next to her.

“Come here so we can talk.”

He crawled over, doing as she’d asked.

Once settled next to each other, both on their sides
to watch one another, she said, “Mmm. It’s like old times, isn’t it?” There had
been times in the orphanage when he had been upset so they would lay on her bed
and go to sleep. Most everyone had done that. She had been the one everyone
went to when they needed comfort. And, because she had been given her own room,
it had been the perfect way to have private talks. The other kids had opened up
to her about everything. At first, the priests and nuns had tried to stop it,
but soon they’d learned that it was platonic and seemed to keep the kids from
having angry outbursts. Besides, it had always been in daylight with the door
wide open.

“Yeah,” Track said with a wistful smile. “Do you
ever miss everyone?”

“Every day. I always wonder how they are. I feel bad
because I haven’t called them all summer.”

“Since meeting Inac?” he asked, almost as an
accusation.

“Since before him. I just took too much on this
summer.”

They lay quiet for a minute, Hara lost in memories
of those left behind. She hadn’t been able to go back to visit since spring
break. Eventually, Tracker spoke, breaking the silence.

“So…how serious are you two?”

She bit her lip as she contemplated her answer. “I
don’t know. There are times when I think we’ll become serious, but other
times….”

“Other times, what?”

“He’s just so closed off. He really has a difficult
time opening up. Until he stops being so secretive, I don’t think we can move
forward. But, at the same time, I kind of just want what I can get. And he
sometimes
opens up. Maybe becoming serious and showing him how much he’s loved
unconditionally…” she said, shrugging.

“But sometimes you need to love
with
conditions, Hara. You’re too good a person. You’re too trusting.”

“Maybe…but Inac won’t hurt me.”

Tracker didn’t believe her. His eyes told her that
much. They also lacked his usual hostility when she talked about Inac. Instead,
they held only pity.

“Inac said that you two talked last night after he
woke you up? What did you two talk about?”

Yup. There it was. Pity. But also fear and sadness.

“Just guy stuff,” he answered. But he had never been
able to lie to her. And, right now, he was trying to do just that.

“Well, at least you two seem to be getting along.”
She wasn’t going to call him on it. He would tell her the truth eventually.

“I guess so….”

“I’m glad. You two are really important to me. It’s
been difficult for me to have you guys dislike each other. I appreciate that
you’re at least trying.”

“Hara, I just want you safe and happy,” he said, his
voice cracking. “You’re important to me, too.”

She gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“Thanks. I appreciate that. And, if you ever feel
like I’m not giving you enough attention now that I’m seeing someone, don’t
hesitate to tell me. Because I love you and just want
you
to be safe and
happy.”

“Then, for old time’s sake, can you just hold me and
tell me everything’s gonna be okay?” he asked with tears in his eyes.

She smiled and pulled him into her arms, tears in
her own eyes now. “I swear to you Tracker, everything’s going to be
wonderful
.”

***

“How much farther?” Hara asked. It was their last
night in Yellowstone and Inac had kidnapped her to take her on a hike for just
the two of them. But that had been
hours
ago….

“We’re almost there.”

“Almost
where
?” They were totally in the
middle of nowhere. Inac had rented a helicopter that he’d flown himself, taking
them to a meadow somewhere high in the mountains, and they had been walking on
what Inac called a “game trail” ever since. Even though the only day they
hadn’t hiked much was when they’d gone to see Old Faithful—they’d had to hike
to the hot springs they’d relaxed in the day before—she didn’t mind it. She
just worried about them getting lost.

He smiled back at her. “A place off the map. I doubt
the park rangers even know the place we’re going to.”

“So what happens if we get lost or hurt?”

He shrugged. “We die.”

“What?!” she shrieked, stopping her climb through
the thick pine forest—or whatever kind of needly trees they were. It was so
thick that she couldn’t even see the sky.

He started laughing. “I’m kidding. Don’t worry; I
spent a lot of time up here when I was younger.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I set up camp in this amazing cave and spent
months here. I know this land like the back of my hand.”

At least that made her feel better. She was wrong
when she’d thought him to be a city guy. The past two weeks had changed her
mind. Here, in the forest, he just seemed so
exhilarated
.

A few minutes later she heard a musical sound. Maybe
rushing water?

“Is that a waterfall?”

He grinned from ear to ear. In a teasing tone, he
said, “That it is. You’re so smart.”

A couple turns later and the thick trees opened up
into one of the most beautiful waterfalls she’d ever seen. Well…it was
technically the
first
one she’d ever seen in person, but still….

“Oh Inac…” she said with amazement, looking at the
five foot wide waterfall full of rainbows. It not only had rainbows, but the
thick scent of the cool water also overtook her senses.

With a broad smile that spoke of just how pleased he
was that she felt as he did here, he said, “I know. Totally worth the hike,
don’t you think?”