The Girl's Guide to (Man)Hunting

by Jessica Clare

  She remembered their make-out session in the closet all those years ago. She remembered her previous boyfriends, unable to bring her to orgasm, who’d eventually given up on satisfying her in bed when she remained cold and unable to respond. She remembered buying a vibrator just because she’d been so frustrated, and it had helped, but it was nothing like…this.

  Holy shit.

  One thing was clear—she totally had to do this again.

  SIX

  W

  ell, fuck. Dane hitched his pants around his hips again, trying not to look over at Miranda. It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours and he’d broken his word. The first piece of tail that had come swinging at him, and he’d gone after her with grabby hands.

  Colt and Grant were going to kill him. Murder him dead and bury him in the woods. And he’d deserve it. He scrubbed a hand over his face, thinking hard. It just wasn’t fair. Of all the women they’d decided to rope in for their little scheme, did it have to be Miranda? And did she have to look as good as—no, better than—she had in high school?

  He glanced over at her, where she remained propped up against the tree. She hadn’t moved. Waiting to gloat at him? He pulled his shirt down over his pants and studied her face.

  Miranda wore the most blissed-out expression he’d ever seen. Her mouth hung open slightly, her lips curved into a smile, and she stared dreamily out into the forest. Her clothes were still on the ground, her naked breasts bare in the moonlight. She’d propped her arms up over her head and simply leaned against the tree, as if she needed time to contemplate everything.

  That was unexpected. The sight of her languid smile made his body surge with lust again, and he felt the urge to reach over and pull her away from that tree and against him, and see if he could make that contented look change to one of desire again.

  But he couldn’t. She was off-limits. Clenching one fist to rein himself in, Dane waited for Miranda to say something. And when she didn’t move, he took the initiative. “Well?”

  Those blissful, sleepy eyes turned to him, and she gave him a satisfied look. “Well, what?”

  “What now?” He scowled at her. Was she going to run to Colt and Grant and tell them that he hadn’t been able to keep it in his pants after all?

  She blinked, then looked at him, really looked at him for the first time. “Right. We’re done here, aren’t we?” She tugged her long hair over her breasts and bent over to pick her shorts back up.

  “We need to talk—” he began.

  “No, we don’t,” she said cheerfully.

  “What about your bite?” he said.

  Her gaze moved back to his mouth and she looked confused—and turned on—for a moment. Hell. His body hardened in response.

  “You said you were bitten…?”

  “Oh!” Her expression changed, and he could have sworn she was blushing in the dark. “That’s right.” She looked up at him, sheepish. “I lied.”

  He’d guessed that. “So it was all a plot to drag me out here into the woods and have sex with me?”

  She tied the laces on her shorts and gave a throaty giggle as she put her shirt back on. “Sort of. Yeah. I guess it was, wasn’t it?”

  “And that’s why we need to talk about this. I need to know what you plan on saying to the others—”

  She yawned, patting her mouth delicately. “I’m not going to tell them anything. That would ruin any fun we plan on having this week.”

  Fun? This week? Did she intend for them to do this again? He stared at her in surprise. So this wasn’t some sort of trap after all? Or was it, and he just couldn’t seem to figure it out?

  Miranda moved away from him and gestured to the camp. “I’m going to head back now. You hang back a few minutes, and then follow me in so it doesn’t look like we were together.”

  He said nothing.

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake,” she said, then moved back to him, grabbed the front of his shirt, and pulled his mouth down against hers for a quick, hot kiss. Her tongue flicked against his, and then before he could react, she pulled away again. “Like I said, we’re not telling anyone about this. All right?”

  And then she walked away, leaving Dane behind her in the woods, dumbfounded and staring.

  What the hell had just happened? Had she just used him? For sex?

  That…was unexpected.

  * * *

  Always a light sleeper, Miranda stirred awake before the others. The sun was just beginning to purple the edges of the sky. After she’d returned to her solitary shelter, Dane had paced around camp. She saw that he’d bunked down with the rest of the men in the shelter, his body slightly apart from theirs. The others still snored.

  She stretched in her bunk, feeling incredible physically…and incredibly torn emotionally. She was a bit sore between her legs and her palms were scratched up from how hard she’d gripped the tree last night, but…her body felt alive and the blood sang in her veins.

  And it was all due to that bastard Dane, which was why she was a little torn at the moment.

  She’d slept with her worst enemy. Told him her biggest secret—that she couldn’t have an orgasm with a man. Just blabbed it and left herself completely vulnerable to him. It was an uneasy feeling. Part of her hadn’t expected to get so caught up in the moment. She’d suspected it would end up like every other sexual encounter she’d ever had: She’d come on to the man, they’d kiss, and when it progressed past kissing, her body would turn off like a switch and she’d spend the next ten minutes waiting for him to be done and faking an orgasm. But last night? She hadn’t had to fake anything. He’d caught her off guard and had knocked down all her defenses.

  And she’d come. So incredibly hard that it had nearly made her see stars. Miranda wasn’t sure if she should be happy that she’d had such intense sex, or devastated that she’d responded like a wanton to a man she professed to hate. She shouldn’t be upset about that, though, right? She was on this trip to be strong and aggressive and take charge of her life…and to ruin his.

  So she’d used him a little last night. It was payback, in a sense, for the way he’d destroyed her reputation. And so she got an utterly amazing orgasm out of it—the first one that hadn’t involved her vibrator in nine years. So what?

  She didn’t regret it. In fact…she wanted to do it again.

  Using a man for her needs had been so very gratifying. There’d been no emotion involved, just animal attraction. Even this morning, she knew that any rational woman would be riddled with guilt, but, she admitted to herself, her guilt was not nearly as great as that pleased part of her that had enjoyed herself, enjoyed using Dane, and wanted to do it all over again.

  After all, she had an entire week left in this class. Why not enjoy herself? Explore what Dane’s body had to offer, and then discard him like yesterday’s trash once she’d gotten her revenge?

  It sounded good to her. A little mercenary, but she didn’t care. After all, it was her life. She was going to take something for herself, damn it. So she didn’t have her camera with her. She’d have a week of naughty, illicit fucking, and top it off when she got back home and exacted her revenge. Sounded good to her.

  Feeling a bit wicked this morning, she moved to Dane’s side and lay down next to him, a mere few inches away from his face. Miranda stared at his sleeping features. His mouth was parted slightly and the lines of his face were eased, making him look younger than his twenty-seven years. Her gaze skimmed the scars on his face—one on his nose just above the break, the small one through his eyebrow, and a longer one slashing across his chin and up to his lip. She was so close she could see the stubble on his face. It wouldn’t take much for her to lean over and kiss him awake.

  So she did, because she was all about taking what she wanted this week.

  His mouth was relaxed against hers, and she felt the stubble of his cheek graze against her smooth skin. She kept the kiss gentle at first, pressing her mouth against his lightly, sucking on his lower lip and tasting its softnes
s. His lower lip was full and it gave him a slightly pouty look that she’d gone wild over as a teenager. She’d loved tugging on that sultry lower lip with her teeth, and she remembered that he’d liked it, too. She did it now, heat curling through her body when she felt his tongue brush against her mouth as he awoke and responded to her kiss. He was kissing her back.

  Encouraged, she let her tongue stroke into his mouth, at first coaxing and then bolder. His mouth relaxed against hers, and her tongue swept inside, tangling against his. When his tongue touched hers in return, the stroke hard and sure, her nipples tightened with pleasure at the sensation.

  His hand tangled in her hair, and instead of kissing her back, he pulled her away. His expression was dismayed. “Miranda?”

  “Hush,” she said, tracing a finger along his jaw and leaning in for another kiss. Kissing Dane had been a delicious experience. She hadn’t wanted to enjoy it, but…she had. Quite a bit. It was further proof that no matter how awful a person Dane was, she was attracted to him. The moment she’d placed her lips on his, her body had immediately flared with need. It had been a long time since she’d been in a relationship with a man—since college. And she was suddenly keenly aware of the lack and seemed to want to make up for lost time.

  If revenge had to involve kissing Dane a lot, then she’d gladly turn herself over to the task. She slid a little closer, trying to take his mouth with her own again.

  His hand remained firmly anchored in her hair, trying to hold her in place. She was trapped an inch away from his face. “Miranda, what are you doing?”

  “Trying to kiss you,” she whispered, her gaze focused on his mouth. It had thinned out into a hard line that she was very tempted to kiss into softness. His confusion just turned her on more. “Let go of my hair and I can get back to it.”

  Instead of doing as she asked, Dane sat up and rolled away. She gave him a frown as he stood up, but it smoothed away when he reached for her hand.

  Miranda placed it in his and allowed him to help pull her off the ground. Immediately he began to tug her away from the camp, into the woods. An excited flutter started low in her belly, her pulse throbbing in all the right places. Were they going to go hide in the woods and have sex again? Could she handle a morning orgasm? She suddenly liked the thought of that very much, and licked her lips in anticipation. Oh boy, could she ever.

  Who knew that her revenge would be so much fun?

  There was a large tree with low-hanging branches at the edge of camp, and Dane pulled her toward it, his hand tight on her own. When they were behind the branches, she reached for him again, tilting her face up to his, a slight smile on her mouth. “Good morning, sunshine,” she said and slid a hand along the front of his chest. Oh yum. She could feel washboard muscles and well-defined pectorals through the fabric of his shirt. Miranda resisted the urge to rub her hand all over his chest and explore his physique.

  He pulled her hand off his chest and frowned down at her. “I think we need to talk.”

  She stiffened. That had not been the response she was expecting. Didn’t most men like a sexually aggressive woman? “What’s there to talk about?”

  “This!” He gestured at her and then at his mouth. “The kissing and the…you know. Last night in the forest.” He dropped his voice and looked over at the campsite to make sure the others weren’t awake. “You and me. What the hell is going on here, Miranda?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Do we really have to analyze it? I wanted to have sex with you to see what it’d be like, and so I did. Satisfied?”

  Dane shook his head, frowning. “Whatever it is Colt and Grant set you up to do, you won, all right? No sense rubbing salt in the wound.”

  That made her flinch. She released his hand as if he were diseased and took a quick step away. “Excuse me?”

  He crossed his arms over his chest, his mouth firming in disapproval. “I know Colt and Grant are behind this. I mean, it’s pretty obvious. Our first week on the job and who happens to show up? My high school crush, looking just as amazing as the last time I saw her, and wanting nothing more than to jump my bones. Convenient, isn’t it?” Dane glared down at her, as if he was cursing the fact that he was attracted to her. His hot gaze raked over her body. “They’re obviously paying you to test my willpower. And it’s obvious that I failed.”

  Her jaw dropped. Her hand went to her collar and she nervously tugged it up closer to her neck. “Well,” Miranda said nervously. “That’s a first.”

  “What is?”

  “I’ve never been called a whore in one sentence, and flattered in the next. I’m not quite sure whether I should be insulted or amused, though I have to admit that I’m leaning toward insulted.”

  He rubbed a hand over his mouth, and it curved in a slow smile that irritated the shit out of her. “If it makes you feel any better, if I weren’t on the job, I’d take you back into the woods again and fuck a few more orgasms out of you.” His eyes smoldered down at her. “Since that’s clearly what you’re here for.”

  The arrogant piece of shit! Did he think she was all over him because someone had paid her money? Her hand clenched even harder. So much for enjoying kissing Dane—all she wanted right now was to kick him in the groin. Hard.

  “That’s sweet,” she said in a dry voice. Her arms crossed over her chest and she gave him an angry, mulish look. “But if you call me a whore again, Pete’s not going to be the only one nursing a bruised jaw. Understand me?”

  “Are you mad at me? I was trying to flatter you. I haven’t seen you in nine years and I have to admit that you look amazing.” Dane’s smile tilted. “Sorry if that offends you.”

  “That’s not the part that offends me,” she bit out. “It’s the part where you keep saying someone paid me to sleep with you.”

  His easy grin disappeared entirely. “You mean Colt and Grant didn’t approach you to…come to me?”

  A sour taste built in her mouth. “I said all of three words to Colt yesterday. I haven’t talked to Grant since high school. Why would they pay me to come out on a survival trip?”

  Dane remained silent for a long moment. “That…wasn’t what I meant. Did they ask you to hit on me?”

  “No!” Her voice raised an outraged octave. “Why would I sleep with you for money?”

  A hand covered her mouth. Dane pressed his hand over her lips, his palm warm. He glanced back at the camp to see if the others had awakened from the sound of their argument, but they slept on. Dane reached over and touched her arm, pulling her closer so they could talk quietly, his hand falling from her mouth. “Miranda…” he began, then stopped, studying her face for a long moment.

  She felt the insane urge to tug at her collar.

  “If you’re not doing this because Colt or Grant put you up to it, then why did you sleep with me?”

  “Jeez, I didn’t realize I was that bad of a lay.”

  His gaze dropped to her mouth. “Not in the slightest,” he said, his voice dipping to a husky tone. His thumb brushed against her lower lip. “But you can’t think I wouldn’t be suspicious of your motives. You packed an entire bag of lingerie for a survival trip.”

  “I told you why,” she said defensively, pulling away. “I wanted to see if I could have a…you know”—she waved a hand—“with you, or if I was totally broken. And now that I know that I can…come”—she still blushed at saying the word—“with a man and not just a battery-powered toy, I’m satisfied. I don’t need you any longer.”

  She was lying through her teeth, of course, to see if he would take the bait.

  “Were you?” he said in a low, husky voice. His gaze remained on her mouth and he brushed his thumb over her lip again, tugging her mouth open a little. “Satisfied with that? Because it was just a quick meeting in the woods, Miranda. If you think that’s the best I’ve got to offer, you’re sorely mistaken.”

  Her knees trembled a little at the thought. “Oh?”

  A slow smile curved his mouth, and he pulled her closer to him. His
hand caressed her cheek and stroked down her neck, playing with the neckline of her shirt. Touching her as if he owned her—possessed her. The thought made her weak. “That was just one tiny little orgasm,” he said. “I bet if you give me the chance, I could make you come two, maybe three times in a row.”

  “Three times?” Her breath caught a little at the thought. She’d read romance novels where the heroine screamed the entire time they had sex, and movies made it look like an hours-long marathon, of course, but her experiences had been sadly underwhelming in that respect. Even her rendezvous with Dane—while mind-blowing in itself—had been a brief excursion. “Is that normal?”

  “It is when you’re in bed with me,” he said softly, and his hand slid down her back, fingers tickling her spine before resting on the small of her back. “Don’t tell me you’ve never had a man lick that sweet pussy of yours for hours, making you come so often that your legs won’t support you any longer?”

  Her legs were having difficulty supporting her body right now. She felt weak, boneless like he described, and the urge to lean against him and sink into his warmth was nearly overwhelming. She realized he was watching her, waiting for her answer, and she shook her head. “It’s none of your business, Dane, but I’ve had plenty of oral sex.” That was a lie. She’d had some, but when it became obvious that she was just uncomfortable instead of enjoying herself, it was quickly taken off the table. After a while, she’d given up on oral altogether. “Lots. So don’t you worry about me.”

  “And no orgasms? I’m heartbroken at the thought. Those must have been some shitty boyfriends.”

  A laugh escaped her throat, and she quickly muffled it again, then gave him a skeptical look. “What makes you think I’m interested in another round, Dane? Maybe I sampled the goods and found them lacking.”

  “You didn’t,” he said confidently. His hand slid back up her spine and he cupped the base of her neck, pulling her close and tilting her head back. “Did you? I bet if I dropped to the ground and kissed that pussy of yours, you’d let me do whatever I wanted to you.”