Man in the Middle [Wolf Creek Pack 9] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour ManLove), Stormy Glenn [important books to read txt] 📗

“Yeah.” Taylor was a little stunned that Chase had thought about that and considered it enough to buy him something healthy to eat. He just expected Chase to buy him a fast-food burger and some fries, maybe a Coke or something. He didn’t expect such consideration.

He dug into his fries as he watched Chase settle down at the table and eat his food. He smiled when Chase ate two burgers, one right after the other. Chase had fries as well and a juice. By the time Taylor polished off the last of his food—which he was amazed he ate all of—Chase was leaning back in his chair, rubbing his stomach.

“Full?” Taylor asked and then drank down the last of his juice.

Chase chuckled. “Yeah, those were some pretty big burgers.”

Taylor gathered up his garbage and stuck it into a bag, and then he sat back on the bed, not sure what to do.

“Lie down and get some rest, Taylor. I’m going to hop in the shower. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

Taylor nodded and scooted down on the bed, pulling the covers up over his body. It wasn’t until he started snuggling down to sleep that Taylor realized he still had a towel wrapped around his hips.

He cast a quick look toward the closed bathroom door and then pulled the towel off and dropped it on the floor beside the bed. He’d grab it in the morning before sneaking into the bathroom, hopefully before Chase woke up.

He pretended to be asleep when Chase exited the bathroom ten minutes later, but it was hard to do when he could hear Chase’s every movement—the squeak of the mattress springs as the man sat down, the shuffle of the covers, even Chase’s deep sigh when he finally stretched out on the bed.

“Good night, Taylor.”

Taylor’s eyes popped open. Chase was looking right at him. He swallowed hard at the glint of lust he could see burning in Chase’s eyes. Since when had the man lusted after him?

Taylor quickly squeezed his eyes shut and tried to shut the image out of his mind. “Good night, Chase.”

Chapter 5

Justin edged past a particularly smelly guy as he made his way to the front counter of the roadside diner and found the only open seat. He was starving. He was also starting to feel a little light-headed and knew if he didn’t get something to eat soon, he’d get sick.

He felt like he had been on his feet forever. It had been easy enough to sneak out of town, but once he had, he didn’t know where to go. He had spent a majority of his life having all of his actions and time dictated to him. Now that he was free of the Teacher, Taylor filled up his day.

Well, Taylor and thinking about Chase.

Now that he was all alone, he didn’t know quite what to do.

One thing at a time, maybe that was the way to do things. Right now, he knew he needed to eat, and then he needed to take his medication. Taylor was always harping on him about taking his medication.

“What can I get you, honey?”

Justin glanced up to see a platinum-blonde woman standing in front of him, snapping gum between her teeth. Her outfit, if it could be called that, was pink with a little white apron, and her name tag said Flo. Her makeup looked like it was put on with a spackle, as if she was trying to hide years of wear and tear, but there was a glint in her eye that said she was still sharp as a knife.

Justin smiled. “Good evening, Flo. May I see a menu, please?”

The woman cackled. “Oh, aren’t you a sweet little thing.”

Justin’s smile grew. “Thank you.” He took the menu the woman held out to him and flipped it open. Grease, grease, and more grease. There wasn’t an appetizing thing on the menu. Everything seemed to be filled with grease and deep fried. Gross. The menu even boasted of fried cheesecake. This place was a heart attack waiting to happen.

“Do you have any fruit?”

“Sorry, honey, these boneheads only eat meat. Besides, if these guys can’t shoot it or fuck it, they don’t want it.”

Well, that was fairly nauseating.

“I’ll have whole wheat toast and a glass of orange juice, please.” Justin gave the woman another smile as he handed the menu back.

“Is that all ya want, honey?”

“I can’t eat deep fried foods, ma’am. They don’t agree with my stomach.”

The woman stared at Justin for a moment, and then a smile covered her face, one that Justin felt was real. “You just wait right here and let ol’ Flo fix you up.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The man sitting next to Justin began to chuckle. Justin turned and glared at him until he stopped and turned away. He smiled back at Flo. “I apologize for his rude behavior, ma’am.”

Flo’s eyes widened, showing off their deep-blue color. And then she reached over and smacked the man on the head with the menu in her hand. “Behave yourself, Rufus, or I’ll kick your sorry ass right on out of here.”

Flo walked away. Justin could feel the man sitting next to him staring at him. He pointedly looked the other way. He didn’t want any trouble, but he truly disliked rude people. It never hurt anyone to be a little nice.

“Here ya go, honey,” Flo said as she set a tall glass of orange juice down in front of Justin.

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“Your food will be right up, honey.” Flo patted Justin’s hand before walking away again.

Justin heard the man beside him snort loudly as he reached for his juice. He tried to ignore the man, really he did, even when the man bumped in to him so hard that his juice spilled over his hand. He chalked it up to an accident.

When it happened again, Justin carefully sat his juice down and scanned the dingy diner for