Free Slocum and the Spirit Bear (9781101618790) by Jake Logan Page B

his cheeks and brow. “There’s something on you. Did you get any in your eyes?”
    â€œI think it’s in there now,” he said. “In fact . . . damn! It burns.”
    â€œDon’t rub it. You’ll only make it worse.”
    â€œCan you tell what it is?”
    She brought the kerchief to her nose and sniffed it tentatively. “Smells like some kind of sap. No . . . maybe some sort of glue?”
    â€œCan’t be glue. Let me see.” Slocum sat up so he could smell the kerchief for himself. Although he couldn’t tell exactly what it was, the scent sure brought back memories. “That’s what we smelled around those bushwhackers,” he said as he slumped back into the makeshift bed. The scent was weaker than before, but very distinctive.
    â€œStop trying to rub at those eyes,” she said.
    Slocum would have insisted that he hadn’t done any such thing, but felt her fingers wrap around his wrist to pull his hand away from where it had been poised above his face. At that moment, he couldn’t help thinking back to the times when he’d seen Ed doing that very same thing after the ambush. At the time, he’d thought Ed was fussing with a scratch or had gotten so rattled that his emotions had gotten the better of him. But Ed hadn’t been cut in the face and he sure wasn’t the sort to cry like a baby when things took a turn for the worse. In fact, Slocum was starting to feel badly for considering those possibilities where Ed was concerned.
    â€œDo you have a mirror?” he asked.
    â€œSomewhere in here, I do,” she replied with a shrug. “But somewhere in here, I’ve got just about one of everything. What do you want a mirror for?”
    â€œTo see if there’s more of that stuff on my face.”
    â€œI’m not about to root through everything just for that. Sit still,” she told him as she scooted in closer to him. “I’ll take another look.”
    She braced herself with one arm on either side of him and leaned in close enough for Slocum to feel the warmth of her body, the soft touch of her breasts against his chest, and the delicate brush of her hair against his cheek. The more he resisted the urge to kiss her, the more difficult that task became. Finally, he gave in to the urge by placing a hand on the back of her head and drawing her closer so he could press his lips against hers.
    Theresa responded out of instinct. Her arms wrapped around him as best they could considering the awkward way he was propped up on all those folded blankets. Her body pushed in even closer to him and she tilted her head to an angle that allowed her to kiss him even deeper. When Slocum opened his mouth, she was quick to follow suit and the first to slip her tongue against his lips.
    They might have gotten even more carried away if she hadn’t accidentally dug her knee into his aching leg while trying to straddle him. When Slocum turned his head away and grunted in pain, she winced and covered her mouth.
    â€œI’m so sorry,” she said through her fingers. “Did I hurt you?”
    â€œNo . . . just . . . just get off my leg.”
    She crawled off as quickly as she could to sit beside him on a crate of books and papers. Placing a comforting hand upon his chest, she rubbed him and said, “I didn’t mean to. I shouldn’t have . . .”
    â€œIt’s all right,” he said. “I’m the one who started it. Did you see any more of that stuff on me?”
    She laughed quietly. “Actually, I wasn’t looking for it. You startled me and I got a bit swept up. Here . . . let me take another look.”
    When she closed in on him this time, she did so as if she was trying not to break him. Her hands were placed on either side of his head and she examined him with calmer, more scrutinizing eyes. Even then, Slocum couldn’t help taking a