Free Manhunting in Mississippi by Stephanie Bond Page A

north. But I spent summers here with my grandmother, so I’m considered a native.”
    “Are your parents stil in Westin?”
    Piper sucked cola through a straw, then delivered her stock answer. “I don’t have a father, but my mother lives near there.” Or wherever her current boyfriend wants to lie down.
    “And your grandmother?”
    Just the thought of Gran lifted Piper’s spirits. “She’s stil in Mudvil e.” Gran would like Ian, Piper was sure. Oh, except for one little detail…
    “You must be close to her.”
    “She’s the reason I’m here,” Piper admitted.
    “Ah,” he said, nodding. “The answer to the riddle.”
    “What riddle?”
    He glanced over and made a clicking sound with his cheek. “What’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?”
    Certainly not the most breathtaking compliment she’d received, but his words affected her nonetheless. “Making desserts for you,” she said, striving to keep the conversation light.
    “Touché.”
    She busied herself by taking another fry. “Besides, Mudvil e isn’t that bad.” Unless you’re looking for a man.
    “Oh, I know—I’ve been exploring.”
    She raised her arm and indicated where he should turn. “And did you find us to your liking?”
    He made the turn, then locked gazes with her. “Let’s just say I’ve been pleasantly surprised by my discoveries.”
    Piper glanced back to the road and pressed a finger against her temple, as if she could reorder the thoughts being processed inside. The sexual draw coming from Ian across
    the console resounded almost tangibly. His faded aftershave tickled her al ergy-stricken nose—she was quite sure an untimely sneeze would be forthcoming. A five o’clock shadow darkened his square jaw. The temperature of her crawling skin rose with every chest-expanding breath he took. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears.
    “Feeling better?” he asked, lifting his cup for a drink.
    “Yeah,” she lied. “The food helped.” Piper took another bite, forcing herself to chew slowly and breathe deeply. Hormones aside, she stil had to win this man’s business.
    Then a terrible thought occurred to her. Did Ian Bentley make a habit of traveling around, using his leverage as a powerful customer to engage in extramarital affairs? Did he expect her to sleep with him to get his business?
    “You look like you’re in pain.”
    She swung her head to the side to look at him, and managed a shaky smile. “Oh, wel , I guess I’m tired.”
    “If your pharmacy buddy is correct, you shouldn’t have any problem going to sleep.” He wadded up his burger wrapper.
    Piper held open one of the bags for him to deposit the trash. She definitely felt woozy.
    “He must be a good friend of yours,” he remarked.
    “Who, Gary? I’ve known him for years.”
    “He knows where you live.”
    Was he fishing? Piper kept her gaze riveted on the road. “Turn here. Everyone knows where everyone lives in Mudvil e.”
    She folded two fries into her mouth and chewed during the uncomfortable silence. Final y Piper swal owed and asked, “So, Ian, how did you get into the restaurant business?”
    Ian pursed his lips and shook his head, as if he had nothing interesting to share. “I started flipping burgers for gas money when I was sixteen. It didn’t take me long to figure out who was making al the money. I worked my butt off, sacrificed things most teenage boys want and scraped together enough cash to put a down payment on a franchise of my own about the time I should have graduated from col ege.”
    “You bought a franchise al by yourself?”
    “Nope. My folks mortgaged their house to come up with the rest of the money, and I wasn’t about to let them down.”
    “I assume you repaid their mortgage,” she said dryly.
    He grinned. “About six months later, then I bought them a new home in Daytona.”
    Piper glanced heavenward in the darkening interior of the car. The man was gorgeous, intel igent, rich, hardworking and a good