Good Game (The System, #1) (69)
My eyes are instantly assaulted by the bright morning light leaking in through the windows as I walk into the living space. God, Aleks’ blackout curtains must be worth a fortune if they stopped this from coming into his bat cave.
Jackson has his back to me in the kitchen, his black hair tied in a half bun, sweatpants slung low on his hips. I’m surprised to see a large black tiger tattoo spilling down his back. His muscles contract and ripple as he cooks what smells like eggs on the stove. The guy is absolutely ripped. I have a feeling if he turned around, he would be sporting an eight-pack or something.
I don’t want to startle him, so I throw out a tentative, “Morning.”
He twists his head around and smiles at me. “Morning, just getting some brunch ready. Figured you all could use it after the night you had.”
My cheeks warm up, and it’s not from the heat of the kitchen. Oh god, they probably all heard us having sex. They were right here in the living room. Only a couple feet away.
He smirks at me. “I was more so referencing the fact that you all skipped out on dinner, but I guess you probably need the energy for other activities as well.”
“Right. Dinner.”
Shit, I haven’t texted anyone since my disappearing act. I pull my phone out of my purse only to see that it’s dead. Double shit.
I spot a charging cable hanging from the island and plug it in before standing next to Jackson. He opens the oven and pulls out a small tray of bacon. The scent wafts through the kitchen, and my stomach growls. I’m not even the biggest fan of bacon, but something about the smell just tells your body it’s time to eat. It’s a comforting smell, bringing back memories of early childhood mornings by the beach in the summer. Jackson tongs the strips into a dish that has a variety of cooked eggs in it before covering it with a lid.
“Can I help?”
I hate that I’m just standing here, doing nothing.
“Sure. Can you grab some condiments from the fridge and put them on the island? I already have the plates set up there. I’m just going to get the waffles ready, and then we’ll wake up the sleeping beauties.”
“Wow, waffles? You’re going all out.” I pull open the fridge and start pulling out various condiments from the side compartment. It’s more stocked than I would expect for a guys’ fridge. There is actual food in here, not just energy drinks, beer, and take-out boxes.
“Trust me, it’s not like this every weekend. I like to leave them to fend for themselves occasionally. It humbles them.”
“Hey, now, don’t lump me in with Parker. At least I can cook for myself. Parker starves if there’s no food.”
I turn around, drinking in Aleks’ disheveled form. He is just wearing a pair of gray sweatpants, tattoos on display and nipple piercing glinting in the sunlight. I lick my lips.
“My eyes are up here, babe.” He winks.
I scoff, turning back around. I locate a bottle of maple syrup in the back of the fridge along with some whipped cream and smile triumphantly.
Aleks comes up behind me, looping his arms around my waist.
“You look sexy in my shirt,” he whispers in my ear. It sends a shiver down my spine. “Even sexier knowing there’s nothing underneath.”
“Sorry to disappoint but I’m all covered up. There was a set of clothes left for me.”
“Tsk,” he lets go of me, “Sydney.” He reaches around me, pulling out some milk and chocolate syrup, and plops them on the table before skirting around me to fiddle with an elaborate espresso machine.
I sit on a stool at the island, observing Jackson and Aleks. They are fit as hell, all lean muscles and tight asses. This entire apartment is full of attractive guys. If anyone knew The System were this hot under their masks, they’d have a heart attack.
Aleks parks himself next to me at the island, handing me a cup of coffee.
“Sorry, we don’t have any creamer. Jackson and I are the only ones who drink coffee, and he likes it black.”
“Then how do you like it?” I’ve only ever seen him drink mocha lattes.
Jackson deposits a plate stacked with fresh, crispy waffles in front of me, and I light up at the smell, my mouth watering. “Oh, you’re about to find out. And I’m going to apologize in advance for the absolute atrocity you’re about to see.”
He walks off, banging on a door in the hallway next to the kitchen, barking at Parker to wake up. All the while, I watch as Aleks pours himself half a glass of milk, squeezing in the chocolate syrup and mixing it. It seems like he is just making chocolate milk. Then, I watch as he pours two shots of espresso into it, stirs, and takes a sip.
His sip is obnoxiously loud, and he looks right at Jackson. “Yum.”
“Okay, that’s not that weird.” It’s just a shoddy version of a mocha latte if you think about it. Like the Dollar Tree version.
“God, you two are made for each other, then.” Jackson takes his seat at the end of the island, next to Aleks. “This guy has the biggest sweet tooth.” He juts his thumb into Aleks’ shoulder before plating breakfast for himself from the array before us.
“I don’t like all sweets, I just like chocolate,” Aleks volleys back, snatching up the waffle Jackson was in the process of picking up. Jackson swats it out of his hand, and the waffle goes slapping onto the marble.