Page 119 of Craving Carla

“She’s not horrible or anything,” I say quickly. “Just... direct. Very direct.”

“What qualms does she have with our children?” he asks, leaning forward.

I pause, a smile tugging at my lips. I love how he refers to them as “our children,” like it’s the most natural thing in the world. I never thought I’d find a man who would. Even when I believed I didn’t have the fated scent, I’d still imagined having a fated mate, but I assumed I’d have to work to get him to accept my children. Not Amari—he’s been ready for them even before he met me.

“The same problem everyone else has,” I admit with a shrug. “The fact that they’re spiders. As long as we keep them out of her sight, she’s fine with it. But her children love them. The one time my children visited, her kids rode them like ponies.”

Amari chuckles, the sound warming me from the inside out. “What about the children? Have you ever bonded with them?”

“No, not really. The children are mostly focused on their studies at the Academy.”

Amari stands, smoothing down his jacket. “I actually think the idea of the Academy is amazing. I’m excited to visit, to see how things work. While children aren’t in the equation for me, being a vampire, I’d still like to help the youth in our community.”

I smile, touched by his interest. “I’m content with just my spider children,” I say, recalling a conversation we’ve had before. “But I never asked how you feel about it.”

His expression turns thoughtful. “I grieved that part of my humanity a long time ago. If I were human, then yes, I’d want children. But the life of a vampire...” He shakes his head. “I wouldn’t want to raise children in this kind of life.”

“Are you happy being a vampire?” I ask, genuinely curious.

“I’ve made my peace with it,” he says after a moment. “But there was a time when I struggled with immortality—watchinglife progress, seeing how the mistakes from my people shape today’s world.”

I step closer, placing a hand on his arm. “I wish you wouldn’t blame yourself for it. It’s evolution.”

“The guilt will always stick with me,” he says, his eyes distant. “Because it starts with the roots, and I am, in fact, the roots.”

I move closer, and Amari smiles, his hands settling on my waist. “I love it when you try to comfort me,” he says softly. “You’re the calm to the storm in my mind.”

I reach up to stroke his cheek, smiling as he closes his eyes and leans into my touch. When he opens them again, his hands slide down to cup my ass.

I giggle, feeling more carefree than I have in centuries.

“Do you want to talk about last night instead?” he asks, his voice dropping to that seductive register again.

I blush, the memories flooding back. “That was wild,” I admit, looking up at him through my lashes. “I didn’t know it could be like that.”

“You were comfortable with me,” he says, a note of wonder in his voice.

I shrug, trying to put my feelings into words. “Well, you gave me my children back so I could put them to rest. Then Kemnebi showed me all the wonderful things you’ve done behind the scenes. When vampire law says you must not meddle in human affairs, you didn’t just stay back and watch. Sometimes you helped.”

Amari strokes my cheek, his touch feather-light.

I get lost in his eyes, my lips parting slightly. “And... I told you that I loved you.”

Amari closes the distance between us, pressing his lips to mine. This kiss is different from our others—full of love and devotion. His hands cup my face like I’m something precious, something to be cherished.

“When you say it,” he murmurs against my lips, “when you profess your love to me, it’s like hearing it for the first time. The way my heart skips a beat, the way the words render me nearly speechless—I’ll never grow tired of hearing how you feel about me.”

He kisses me deeply again, and I giggle, pulling back reluctantly. “You’ve fed, but now it’s my turn.”

Amari grins down at me. “Can I make you breakfast?”

“Do you know how to cook eggs?” I ask skeptically.

He steals another kiss, then takes my hand, leading me out of the bedroom. I walk ahead of him down the stairs, yelping when he playfully smacks my ass.

“You have many more nights like last night ahead of you,” he promises. “I’m looking forward to all the different ways I can explore your body.”

I pause at the bottom of the steps when I notice a figure on the porch through the window. Amari follows my gaze and smiles.