Free The Girl's Guide to (Man)Hunting by Jessica Clare

branches and began to show Steve(who had been designated as the shelter expert) how to build a shelter. He tried not to think about the pretty thong or the sweet curves of skin it laced over as he showed Will how to strain water using a waterproof hat. He tried not to think about it when he showed Miranda how to build a fire using the bow method and her long, glossy hair swung over her shoulder as her arms worked. And he really, really tried not to think about the fact that he hadn’t had sex in more than three years.
    But he thought about it anyhow.
    It was like the image was burned into his memory and no matter what he tried to focus on, the vision of it kept rising in his head. Of the soft globes of her ass, pale against the thong, making him think of how she’d look riding his cock, that delicious ass bouncing as he pumped into her. He’d been hot for the teenage Miranda, but the Miranda nine years later was burning a hole in his mind and making his dick primed for sex 24/7.
    Correction
, he thought, his mind going back to that damned thong. Nothing but sex with
her
. No one else.
You’ve been waiting nine years for this. And she wants it—wants you.
    They banked the fire and prepared for sleep. It was early in the evening but the team was drooping and the sun was down. They looked exhausted and tired, and even water and their PowerBars couldn’t perk them up.
    “We’ll call it an early night,” he announced, throwing a heavy log over the fire’s coals, steering his gaze away from Miranda, where she looked slightly sweaty and disheveled and completely and utterly delicious. “Be ready to get going first thing in the morning, as we’re going to change campsites and the real survival will begin.”
    One of the men groaned, but the others got up and stretched, heading to the larger of the two shelters. It was a lean-to with a thick amount of deadfall tossed on the wind-facing side and crosshatched with leaves and branches. The ground had been smoothed and the packs lay underneath.
    “How’s this going to work?” Steve had said earlier. “We have one shelter, six guys, and a woman.”
    They had ended up building Miranda a separate small lean-to a few feet away so she didn’t have to huddle with the men. She went and sat under it, adjusting her pack before lying down on the hard ground and using it as a pillow. As Dane watched, she crossed her arms over her chest and seemed to huddle in, bracing against the cold. She looked small and alone as the other men piled into the larger shelter, and Dane couldn’t help himself—he went over to check on her.
    “You going to be okay over here?”
    “No problem.” She gave him a tired thumbs-up, then hugged her arms close again.
    He hesitated. “If you get too cold, just crawl in with us. We’ll be fine thanks to body heat.”
    “I’d rather not, but thanks for the offer,” she said, closing her eyes to end the conversation. “I’m good here.”
    Dane nodded and went back to join the others. He glanced over at Miranda one last time, but she had her back to him.
    Dane’s offer was the perfect opportunity, Miranda thought as she shivered in her shelter. Sleep wasn’t happening—not with the chill bite on the ground and the fact that she really didn’t haveanything much warmer to wear. This camping trip was an exercise in survival, but the next time she opted to “survive” she’d pack some thermal underwear first. As it was, her light jacket wasn’t helping much.
    The men didn’t seem to have the same problem—she could hear them snoring quietly. Occasionally one would move around, shifting to try and get comfortable. The fire popped, but other than that, the camp was silent.
    It gave her a lot of time to think. And the main thing she thought about? Her battle plan to seduce Dane. The fact that he’d sliced her thong off had thrown her for a loop. He’d seemed interested—really interested—but he’d given her the worst kind of brush-off with that