Page 43 of Kingly Bitten

“So it’s about your arrogance as a male,” I translated.

He leaned down to press his lips to the corner of my mouth. “No, Doctor. It’s about your ignorance as an inexperienced human.” He nuzzled my nose and sat up. “We’ll reassess later. Right now, I need you properly fed and alert.” Rolling off the bed, he held out a hand for me. “Come, little genius. It’s time for you to prove your worth once more.”

We took another shower together, this time without the pleasurable ending. But he’d lost his boxers, allowing me to see every inch of his masculine form.

Perfectionwas an understatement.

I expected him to guide my hand or mouth to the protruding part of his body, but all he did was give it a few lazy strokes with a soapy hand and finished lathering off the rest of his sculpted form. Then he rinsed and repeated the actions against my skin.

Afterward, he wrapped a white towel low around his waist, allowing the water droplets to cling to his upper body and thick, dark hair.

Then he swathed me in a similar fashion and tugged me into the dining area of the suite. Two plates of eggs waited for us. Mine had tomatoes, onions, and peppers cooked into the scrambled mess. It was much less decadent than our last meal, allowing me to properly digest it.

His eggs were slathered in some sort of yolk-colored gravy and layered over slices of ham.

Eggs Benedict, he’d called it.

My stomach had twisted at the sight, denying his offering of a taste.

Afterward, he dressed in a pair of black slacks and a dark button-down shirt. Then he handed me a white button-down and instructed me to wear it like a dress. I did, the fabric touching my thighs, and followed him barefoot out of the suite.

We didn’t walk far, only going a few doors down and into a similar space with a living area, a dining table, a kitchen, and a bedroom off to the side.

Maybe this entire floor was made of single-suite residences.

“Well, it’s about fucking time you emerged,” a deep voice drawled as the vampire with dark hair and caramel-colored eyes walked into the room.

He wore a pair of dark pants and nothing else. Behind him was the female—Tracey—who had delivered all the decadent food earlier. She curtsied to Jace the same way she had greeted him then. He kissed her on the cheek, also similar to their previous embrace, but this time my stomach flipped at the sight.

I frowned, not understanding the reaction.

“Calina required a lesson in respect,” Jace murmured. “She understands better now.”

My frown deepened. “I had no idea vampires suffered from fragile egos.” The words left my mouth before I could catch them.

Jace faced me, his eyebrows rising to his hairline. “What did you just say to me?”

Well, now that I’d spoken my mind, I might as well keep going. “Vampires are supposed to have excellent hearing, but I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised by your defect, considering everything else.”

The vampire with light brown eyes whistled, then looked at Tracey. “Scurry away, kitten. I don’t want you drenched in another human’s blood.”

She gave me a look of dismay, then left the suite with abundant haste.

I met Jace’s seething gaze and debated apologizing. But I wasn’t quite sure how to phrase it because my statements weren’t necessarily wrong. He didn’t act at all like a normal vampire. And his penchant for testingtheoriesconfused me as well.

The door opened again almost immediately with a third vampire stepping into the room, his presence regal and alarmingly familiar to Jace. A female with pale features framed with dark hair followed him.

Human, I realized immediately. The way she clung to the suit-clad male told me she belonged to him, too.

He took one look at the scene and arched a dark brow, his sharp green eyes intense. “Did I miss something important? Your little mouse practically ran down the hall on my way here, barely bowing as I passed.”

“Calina was just in the process of insulting King Jace,” the one with the Southern accent informed him, folding his arms. “Said he’sdefective.”

That wasn’t exactly what I’d said, but close enough to the truth.

Jacewasdefective for a vampire. He didn’t do anything like I anticipated, and he’d wasted time trying to prove his male prowess instead of interrogating me.

Unless that’d been his method of persuasion, a way to convince me to cooperate. In which case, he should have used his leverage when he had it.