The Girl's Guide to (Man)Hunting (6 page)

Dane checked the equipment in his backpack one more time, determined not to stare at Miranda as she sauntered back to the small group, her rounded hips swaying in a completely seductive motion that had his cock erect. Hell. Five minutes into their inaugural class and he was already in trouble. Of all the women in the entire world, Miranda had to be here in his class.

Approaching him. Kissing him, her intentions clear.
I wanted to see if maybe we could pick up where we left off.
The woman had packed herself an entire bag full of lingerie for a weeklong survival trip in the woods, an obvious signal of her intent. And…damn. He pictured Miranda’s curvy figure in a particular pair of ruffled panties, sitting in his lap at the campfire…

Then he promptly put it out of his mind, thinking of other things. Unsexy things, cold showers, anything to get his mind
back in the game. He couldn’t let a pretty flame from his past distract him from his job.

His eyes narrowed. Unless…that was why she was here. Maybe Miranda had volunteered to tempt him, bait for a very sexy trap.

She didn’t seem like the type to sign up for a weeklong outdoor excursion, he thought, looking over at her smiling, too-cheerful face. Maybe Colt and Grant had set her up to be in his group. Colt had been awfully chummy with her back during the introductions. He remembered seeing the two of them in a conversation, and Miranda had laughed. The sound had scraped on his already ragged nerves, and he’d barked Colt’s name to drag him away from her. When Colt had come back, he’d teased Dane.
Now it’s gonna be extra-hard for you to keep this soldier at ease
, he’d said, and patted the front of Dane’s pants. He’d tried to deck the guy in response. Still regretted missing.

Maybe she was in on this with Colt. Grant, too. Maybe they’d pulled out the sexiest girl in Bluebonnet and had hired her to come to the training class to test his willpower. Maybe they didn’t trust him to keep his dick in his pants like they said they did. That certainly made more sense than anything else he could think up.

And it pissed him off.

Dane watched Miranda smile at the other men, her hand playing with the high neckline of her T-shirt. He frowned. She wasn’t exactly dressed like a seductress. For one, her shirt was modest to the point of puritanical. For two, she didn’t wear a bit of makeup, and her hair was simple—long, straight, and smooth. Not that she needed makeup to look good—her fresh skin and
pretty brown eyes had smiled at him in a way that reminded him he hadn’t had sex with a woman in a very long time.

Well then, if Miranda was a plant to test his willpower, it was one test that Dane intended to ace. They’d kissed, but that had been a mistake. He wouldn’t let it happen again. Time to get down to business.

Miranda toyed with the collar of her shirt, a nervous habit from years past. At her side, Pete smiled at her in a way that seemed a little too friendly. He kept looking over at her and grinning, and she gave him a faint smile back because what else was she supposed to do? Ignore him? She wondered, briefly, if he had seen the waterfall of lingerie that had cascaded out of her pack when Dane turned it over, and she cringed. It’d be even worse if he’d seen her come on to their instructor and kissed him.

That would make this week really, really awkward.

“So have you ever been camping before?” Pete asked her as Dane moved back toward the group. “I have to admit, I didn’t expect to see a pretty girl here on the team, but it’s a welcome surprise.”

Keeping the polite smile on her face, Miranda turned back to Dane, trying not to show her irritation. “I don’t see why it’s so unbelievable that a woman wants to go on a survival trip. I was in Girl Scouts. They do camping, though not quite like this.”

He chuckled at her in a condescending way. “Well, get ready for the ride of your life.”

She glanced over at Pete. “Why? Have you done one of these trips before?”

Pete flushed a little. “Oh. Uh, no. I’ve just heard that it’s going to be a crazy week, that’s all.”

He seemed so very uncomfortable at being put on the spot that she gave him another smile to make him feel better. So far Pete seemed to be a lot worse with people than she was.

In the distance, the blue team began to hike into the woods, angling away from the enormous wooden cabin that served as the lodge and headquarters. Dane turned back to his team, clapped his hands together once, and rocked on his heels. “Are we ready to begin?”

She noticed he didn’t look over at her. Instead, he made eye contact with every man on their small team and then swung away before his gaze could reach hers. Miranda bristled at that, twisting the red bandana around her wrist. Plenty of time to win him over. Lots and lots of time to seduce him. She just needed to be patient.

“I have a few rules before we move into the woods,” Dane began. His hands moved to his hips and he stood before them, legs apart and arms akimbo, larger than life. “For starters, this is not going to be an easy trip. We’re going to be doing a lot of hiking. Some swimming. We’re going to learn how to make traps and tie knots. We’re going to fish for our dinner and forage what we can’t find in the streams. We’re going to learn to build shelters and how to start and maintain a fire. It’s going to be very cold at night and very warm in the daytime. You’re going to sweat. You’re going to get dirty. And if you’re a little too fancy-pants for this sort of thing, it’s best that you leave now.”

Miranda watched Dane curiously. Did he…did he just blush when he said the word
fancy-pants
? His gaze slid over to her, and then back away again, and she felt a surge of triumph.

He was thinking about
her
panties
. She let a smile curve her mouth. Well, now.

“Most of all, we’re going to learn what it’s like to work as a team.” He turned to them and started to pass out PowerBars.

Three were handed to Miranda, and she stared down at them, then at the canteen that was handed to her. It didn’t look like much water.

“Those are all of the supplies you’re going to have this week,” Dane announced. “The first day’s meal and drinks are on me. The rest is up to you.”

One person groaned. It might have been Pete.

To Dane’s credit, he ignored it and continued speaking. “We’re going to assign partners for this week, and sometimes you and your buddy will pair up for challenges. Are you with me?” At their nods, he gestured. “Now, each of you pick a buddy and let’s get going.”

Pete turned and gave Miranda a hopeful look.

Well, why not. Miranda gave him a thumbs-up and an awkward smile in return. He looked the least woods-capable, and she could always hope he would bail early, leaving her with no choice but to buddy up with Dane.

“All right,” Dane said when they were standing next to their partners. He pointed at the two older men that had teamed up. “George and Jamie will walk at the front of the line. We’re going to do this single file, since it makes things easiest. Next will be Steve and Will.” He gestured at the other male-male team, and then finally at her and Pete. “Pete and Miranda can take up the rear. Miranda, you in front of Pete, since that’s safest. Call out if you two start to get left behind.”

“I know how to walk,” she said in a bristling tone, offended.
God, the man really was a jerk. “Just because I’m a girl doesn’t mean that I’m incompetent.”

“No, of course not,” Dane said. “You’re right. You take up the rear. Pete, you walk in front of Miranda.”

Well, that wasn’t exactly better. She suspected that she was getting stuck with end-of-the-line duty so Dane wouldn’t have to look at her. Figured.

“All right, let’s go.” Dane waved them forward and then turned, beginning to march through the trees. He pulled out a satellite phone, murmured something into it, and then shut it off.

One by one, they fell into place behind him. Miranda picked up the rear, her light pack bouncing against her shoulders as they walked. The ground was uneven and a bit rocky in places, and pebbles scattered under their feet.

“Now, one thing I should warn you guys about this ranch,” Dane said, glancing back at them as they walked. “Five years ago, this ranch was the biggest emu farm in the South before the owner died and the assets were sold off. The emu were moved to different breeders, but there’re one or two still trotting around on the property. Just warning you in case you run across one this week.”

One of the businessmen—Miranda thought his name was Steve—stopped. “What the heck is an emu?”

“Big, giant bird,” Dane said casually. “About five feet tall. Kind of like an ostrich, but with a nasty temper. Just be on the lookout.”

“You mean to tell me that you’ve got overgrown birds out here?” Steve sputtered. “Are you even sure that’s safe?”

“Not sure if it’s safe,” Dane drawled. “But there’s not a lot that’s ‘safe’ in the wild, if you catch my drift. You’re here to learn
how to take care of yourself in the wilderness, and maybe that includes a lesson on emu-avoiding, maybe not.” His big shoulders braced and then he began to jog up an incline. “Come on, let’s pick up the pace. We’ve got a long way to go tonight before we hit the area I’ve designated for our camp.”

They had no choice but to follow their leader. One by one, they followed Dane up the incline, Miranda’s sneakers sliding on the gravel a little.

“You all right back there?” Dane called.

“I’m fine,” Miranda called back, her tone a little strained. This was already getting tiresome—she could walk just as well as any of the men. “Don’t you worry about me.”

“Oh, I won’t,” Dane called back. “Let’s go, men. And woman.”

And with that, he began to jog into the woods.

That day, Miranda began to have a reluctant appreciation for Dane’s athleticism. They jogged for a bit—mostly to get away from the headquarters cabin and into the wild. Once the lodge had been out of sight for about fifteen minutes, Dane slowed the group to a brisk hike. He led the way, climbing over rocks and brush like he was born to the wild.

The rest of the team followed behind him, much slower and far clumsier. Two of the older businessmen were panting and frowning, but all kept up with their instructor as he skirted them up a dry creek bed, grasping tree roots for handholds. The others followed close behind, and when it came to Miranda’s turn, Pete offered a hand down to her.

She ignored it and clambered up the side of the embankment
on her own. “I’m fine, thanks.” Her voice was crisper than it needed to be, but she was getting irritated at him and it was only day one.

And what a long day one it was. She was covered in sweat—they all were—and tendrils of her hair were sticking to her face, but she was keeping up with the men and that was just fine. Pete seemed to be struggling, his steps slowing as they hiked.

As they walked, Dane began to chat with the students in his group, his voice casual. It had always been easy for Dane to make friends, Miranda remembered, and he seemed right in his element. The men told him about their jobs, their families, and previous hunting trips they’d been on.

When it came to Pete’s turn, he immediately began to brag about his company. “I run Hazardous Waste Games. It’s a billion-dollar company—”

Miranda rolled her eyes and tuned him out as he rattled on about shooters and gaming.

“—but that’s me,” Pete eventually concluded with a grin. “Married to the job unless I can find the right woman to make a new man out of me.”

He grinned back at Miranda, obviously thinking that his business assets made up for his lack of other assets.

She made a face and hoped he couldn’t see it. His chalk-pale face was flushed a florid red, and his hair was stuck to his forehead. Big circular sweat stains had bloomed under his arms, and he was beginning to smell.

He needed a woman to make a new man out of him? It sure as shit wasn’t going to be her.

As if sensing her thoughts, Dane spoke. “What about you, Miss Hill?”

She jerked, startled. “Oh, I’m not interested in finding a husband, thank you. I’m here to learn survival skills.”

The men snickered.

“I meant,” Dane said in a patient voice. “What about you? Tell us about your family.”

“You know my family, Dane Croft,” Miranda said. “My mother, Tanya, runs the local antiques store, and my daddy was a no-good trucker who only showed up every few years. I’m surprised you forgot.” Before he could reply to her jab, she hurried on. “But other than that, it’s just me. No husband, no kids.”

Two and a half weeks and she’d be working at a massive corporation, doing what she was always meant to do.

Everything between now and then wasn’t important. It was just finishing off the story of Old Miranda, the Boobs of Bluebonnet. Soon she’d just be a local legend.

Her eyes narrowed at Dane’s back. A local legend with a really good ending, she decided.

When the sun was high in the sky, the group made it to the area Dane had designated as the first campsite. The men grumbled and joked about how tired they were. Dane had half expected Miranda to complain, but she was the only one on his small team that took the rigorous exercise in stride. Her face was flushed and sweaty, but she remained strong and calm, and he was reassessing his initial thoughts about her. With those bright red bras and silky panties, Dane had thought she’d be a girly girl. Maybe not.

He was sweating, too, his body aching in a good way at the exercise. The weather was perfect. Just cool enough to make the
day pleasant, and warm enough to take the edge off of the night. He inhaled the fresh air and grinned to himself. He was enjoying the time in the woods, even if his team was not.

But then again, it was his job to make them believers, and he had a week to do so. He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket as they rested, mentally going over his notes. This week was more than just survival skills—it was about building teamwork.

Dane was not exactly an expert on teamwork. He’d sucked at it in a jersey, and just because he had survival skills didn’t mean he could make people work together.

Colt and Grant had insisted, though—corporate sponsors wanted practical applications for survival skills, and couching fire-making and shelter-building as team exercises was the way to do it. He’d have to go by their rules. On his crib sheet, he read Brenna’s flowery, bubbly handwriting, the
I
’s dotted with hearts.
Blindfolds for team-building. Make them do tasks together. Rope challenges. Team challenge on day 3.