Millions to Spare by Barbara Dunlop

Author:Barbara Dunlop
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2012-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Four hours later, death was beginning to feel preferable to spending another minute in the bouncing Jeep under the broiling desert sun.

Julia was half-asleep—or maybe she was half-delirious from thirst and heatstroke—by the time Harrison stopped the Jeep and killed the engine. She groggily blinked open her eyes. They’d long since run out of water. Dust had scratched her eyeballs raw. It had seeped into her hair, her clothing, her very pores.

Harrison lifted his sunglasses and parked them on top of his short, dark hair. “Are you all right?” he asked in a voice that sounded as raspy as hers felt.

“Great,” she answered, bracing her hands on either edge of her bucket seat and easing her body upright. “Where are we?”

“Khandi Oasis. I doubled back.” He pocketed the keys to the Jeep in the breast pocket of his dust-streaked dress shirt. “It should take them a while to find us.”

“How long’s a while?”

“Hopefully, forever.”

She tried to smile at his joke, but her dry lips felt as if they might crack.

She glanced around at the collection of white huts and square buildings set amongst coarse grasses, thorn trees and palms. “Is there a hotel here?”

“Not exactly,” said Harrison, setting the brake and reaching for his door handle.

“A tent?” she asked, getting less particular by the second. If it was out of the sun, out of the wind and had any kind of a beverage available, she was in.

“I have a friend here. He may have a cottage we can use.”

Julia breathed a sigh of relief. “Lead me to him.”

While she pawed at her door handle, Harrison rounded the front of the Jeep to help. He held out a hand while she straightened her reluctant legs. They were decidedly weak as she rolled to her feet.

Then the world began to buzz and spin.

“Uh-oh,” Harrison’s voice was hollow and distant, and she felt his arms close around her.

She woke up on her back, in a cool room, with a fan turning lazily above her. As she blinked her way back to reality, bright fabrics came into focus against stark, white walls. Woven baskets and hammered silver dotted the tables in the room, while bentwood, rattan chairs were interspersed with vividly colored rugs.

“Welcome back,” came Harrison’s soft voice, and she turned her head toward the sound.

He smiled down at her. His dark eyes were uncharacteristically warm and kind. She guessed swooning was what a girl had to do to bring out his softer side. Had she known, she could have swooned days ago.

His fingertips touched the cool cloth on her forehead.

“Thirsty?” he asked.

“I guess I passed out.”

“That you did.”

He slipped an arm beneath her shoulders, propping her up while handing her a glass of water.

She took a few sips of the tepid liquid. “Is there air-conditioning in here?”

“They use it sparingly.” He took the glass from her hand and let her lie down again. “The settlement has a generator.”

“It feels like heaven.”

He sat back in his chair. “I’m glad you approve. We may be here for a while.

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