Paranormal Friends with Benefits

by Jasmine Wylder

  Jonathon smirked as he put his arm around her. Samuel rolled his eyes and walked away, muttering about poorly veiled intentions. When Jonathon took her back to their room, though, she laid down on the bed and shook her head when he dimmed the lights to a suggestive level.

  “I’m serious. I’m pooped out.”

  “Oh.” Jonathon hid his disappointment and crawled onto the bed beside her. “Do you want to cuddle, then?”

  Maggie nodded. “Maybe being pregnant is having more of an effect on me than I’ve realized. You know it’s been almost a month since we last had sex.”

  “No, it wasn’t that long. Remember when Summer nearly walked in on us because she peed the bed?”

  “That was the last time, and it was a month ago.” Maggie made a face. “Maybe we can get Camille and her mates to take the kids to a park or something tomorrow? If we volunteer to watch Frankie, we can put him down for a nap and get a little something-something ourselves. I’m usually not that tired during the day, right?”

  Jonathon kissed her. He retrieved her suitcase and pulled out a floral nightgown and passed it to her. “Don’t feel bad because we’re not having sex all the time. You’ve got a little person inside of you, Maggie. That takes a lot, even from a badass warrior woman like you.”

  “I suppose.” Maggie sighed as she changed, then held her arms out to her mate so he would come join her. “It just sucks.”

  ***

  A very full bladder saw Maggie awake a little after dawn. Not crazy early, but with a little while to spare yet. After relieving herself, Maggie crawled back into bed beside her toasty-warm mate and gazed at his face with a smile. So much had happened in the last year, she could hardly believe it. It was only a few more months before they were going to have their wedding. After some discussion, both of them decided they wanted it big and bold. The Elders had asked for permission to cover all the events in some sort of tabloid, and the two of them decided that they would allow it because if they didn’t, the Elders would have covered the events anyway and not given them any money.

  It was bizarre to Maggie to think that she and Jonathon were something of celebrities these days. Nothing crazy, of course, but enough to keep them on their toes. The kids were unaffected by it, though, which was all that Maggie could ask of it.

  She ran her fingers over Jonathon’s bare chest, remembering the conversation they’d had the previous night. It was true enough that things had slowed down between them, sexually. It was a disappointment for her, but at the same time, it only reaffirmed that they were a good pair together. Their relationship was based so much on things other than sex, she was sure they’d make it work if they never got to have sex again.

  However, sex was still something she really, really liked.

  “Jonathon,” she whispered in his ear, then nibbled at his neck. “Jonathon, are you awake?”

  “Hmm… no…”

  “Not even if I took off my clothes and told you I want to suck you off?”

  Jonathon cracked open an eye. “Okay, I might be awake for that.”

  Maggie giggled. “Thought you might.”

  “What time is it?”

  “Early enough to get some in before the kids wake up if you’re willing to go fast.”

  “Okay. I can work with that.”

  Maggie laughed as she kissed down his neck. She moved the blankets off of him, tracing the hairs below his belly button and working her hand down to his cock. Jonathon lay there, seeming all too willing to let her take care of him for once. Maggie smiled as she kissed his nipple, loving the way his torso twitched under her touch. She stroked him through his boxers, feeling him swell with desire for her.

  This was something she was never going to get tired of. Seeing the way his body responded to her. Lifting her eyes to his and finding love, lust, passion and a connection deeper than any she had ever had before. Deeper than she had ever thought possible. It wasn’t just that she was lucky to have him. She knew they both were, despite their flaws, lucky to have found this. She was so, so very grateful that they’d made it this far. That they had been able to overcome so much for each other.

  “I love you,” she murmured as she trailed her kisses down his torso. His abs flexed and shivered beneath her. She always loved that dance he did as she gave him pleasure.

  “Love you, too.”

  Jonathon propped his head up with his arm and grinned lazily down at her as she pulled his boxers down and off. His thighs were strong, muscular, and she took a moment to explore his body with her hands before she kissed his hip. Jonathon let out a soft moan. He kept his eyes on her, the lust burning in them. Maggie expected him to turn her over at any moment, as he usually did, and insist on giving her pleasure first.

  This time, however, he lay still and let her do as she wished. She toyed with him for a while, until, remembering that they didn’t have much time, she took him into her mouth. Sucking hard and soft and alternating how she touched him, she soon brought him to a point where his hands were clenched in the bedsheets and his head was thrown back to the pillow. His breath came between moans of pleasure and Maggie had to work to keep from smiling and breaking her seal on him.

  “You are magnificent,” he breathed as she eased up a little. “Okay, it’s my turn to give you—”

  “No,” she said, putting a firm hand on his belly. “No, this morning is all about you.”

  “But you—”

  “This is what I want.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him until he was laying back down, a grin on his face and excitement in his eyes. Maggie made sure he was comfortable before she straddled his legs, pressing them together. She started her job again, bringing him back to a point of trembling and grunting. His hips rocked, though they couldn’t get very far with her holding him down. She rubbed herself on one of his knees, splayed out at an awkward angle so she could stimulate her clit while she pleasured him.

  “Maggie,” he moaned, reaching for her. His hand tangled lightly into her hair. “Maggie, please.”

  “Ooh, am I making you beg?” she purred.

  Jonathon puffed out some smoke. “I’m about to burn up here.”

  With a grin, Maggie shifted her position. She was slick with desire, turned on more by Jonathon’s moans of pleasure than anything else. She stroked him another few times with her hand until Jonathon buckled with a muffled cry of her name.

  Maggie giggled, but she was done teasing him. She eased herself down, guiding him inside of her. As usual, the feeling of him filling her up, stretching her out, was so good she had to moan herself. She took a moment to get used to him inside of her, resting her hands on her hips as she sank down fully. Jonathon grunted, his hands moving to cover hers. He licked his lips, breathless as he stared up at her.

  She knew what he was waiting for. Slowly, making sure that her movements were even and smooth, she started moving. Rocking her hips back and forth, grinding herself against him. Heat built in her core, moving quickly through her body thanks to the marvelous conductors that were pregnancy hormones and increased blood flow.

  “You are magnificent,” Jonathon groaned again.

  “You’ve said,” Maggie mumbled, flushing with pleasure in her body even as she glowed with the compliment.

  She continued to rock and grind, lifting herself occasionally for Jonathon to thrust into her. Soon enough they were both panting and crying out. Maggie leaned backward for a better angle. Her hands braced herself on the bed. Jonathon sat, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her deeply as they both finished at the same time.

  Spent, they collapsed back onto the bed, kissing and stroking each other eagerly.

  Once they untangled themselves from each other, Jonathon kissed his way down her body until he reached her stomach. There, he pressed his ear to her belly and gazed up at her with such adoring eyes that it took her breath away. How had she ever been blind to the love that was in them? How could she have waited so long to tell him how she felt when it was so clear
that he felt the same way?

  It wasn’t as though it was just her, either. Camille had told her plenty of times that Jonathon loved her. Maggie had just never been brave enough to dare think her sister was right.

  “I can hear his heartbeat,” Jonathon murmured. “It’s so soft. I didn’t think babies had such soft heartbeats, even before they were born. I thought I’d be able to hear it without having my ear right against your stomach. But it gets drowned out in everything else, you know?”

  “I know. I wish I could hear it, but even when everything else is quiet I just hear my own. Do you think he’ll look more like you or me?”

  “You, I hope. Only with my dimples and masculine jaw.”

  “All the other kids have your dimples. He probably will, too.” Maggie stroked her fingers through Jonathon’s hair. They had a few names picked out but didn’t know exactly what they were going to call this baby until they saw him in their arms. Maggie wanted so badly for that to happen, it was like an ache in her arms. “Only four months left.”

  Jonathon kissed her naval. “Four months. I was actually thinking about that. It’s going to be awfully close to the wedding.”

  “Wedding won’t be for like, a month after.”

  “Yes, but that is still close. Don’t you think maybe we should postpone the wedding? Give you more time?”

  Maggie shook her head. “Vampire, remember? I’ll be fully healed a day after giving birth. I don’t need more time than a month. And if we do wait longer than that, you know what’s going to happen?”

  “What’s going to happen?”

  “My boobs might shrink. Then my dress won’t look as good.”

  Jonathon burst into laughter. “Here I am, thinking that you might need more time to bond with the baby without worrying about wedding details and you’re thinking about how your boobs will look. When they’re gorgeous no matter what size they are, and you’ll be breastfeeding, so they won’t shrink.”

  “You don’t know that,” Maggie shot back.

  “I don’t, huh?”

  “No, you don’t. And I’ve got you and Camille to help with the wedding stuff. I want to be your wife, Jonathon.” She cupped his face with her hands and kissed him. “I don’t want to wait any longer than we already have.”

  ***

  Legoland was fun but exhausting. They spent the next day having just a quiet, relaxing day without any big things happening. Mostly they read books and did various crafts. Summer had decided that she wanted to be a Lego artist and spent the whole day designing what she was going to build.

  That night, they cooked hot dogs over the fire in the back yard while the world darkened around them. Ronnie ran around their chairs while Ned fussed over a stain on his sleeve and Summer stared into the flames. Jonathon lounged next to Maggie, who was holding Frankie while Samuel, Camille, and Wayne all cuddled together on the other side of the fire.

  “I have something to say,” Summer said. She stood up and waited for everybody to look at her. “Ronnie, pay attention I have something to say.”

  Ronnie kept running.

  “Ronnie!”

  Jonathon sighed. “Summer, just tell us, okay? Ronnie probably won’t understand anyway.”

  Summer pouted for a moment before she straightened again. “I am going to be a dragon soon. See?”

  With that, she released a puff of smoke from her mouth. Jonathon sat straighter, his eyes widening. For a long moment, even as the others all congratulated her and told her how awesome it was, he couldn’t speak. Summer was already producing fire? His children were growing up so quickly. Even with another one on the way, he suddenly saw it all laid out. They’d grow up, they’d get married, they’d have kids of their own.

  And the future was so beautiful that he was just completely overwhelmed by it.

  “That’s amazing, sweetie,” he finally managed when he brought himself back to earth. “We’ll start doing training on how to control your shifts and fires right away. Just you and me.”

  “I want to come, too,” Ned exclaimed.

  Ronnie jumped up and down waving her hands. “Me too!”

  “You can both have the training when you start to shift,” Jonathon assured them.

  “Awwww!” Ned folded his arms and pouted. “I want to do it now!”

  Jonathon and Maggie glanced at each other. She nodded at him, her message clear. Give him something else to hold onto right now.

  “You and I will do other stuff, just the two of us, bud,” Jonathon promised. “Ronnie, too. But you can’t do training until you become a dragon. And—”

  “Me dragon!” Ronnie shouted.

  She launched herself at the fire. Jonathon lunged forward, leaving Maggie yelping. He leapt over the fire, reaching to push Ronnie away. Wayne had already snatched her out of the air, though, and pulled her back tightly into his arms. Ronnie squirmed and screamed. All the adults were wide-eyed, and Camille had a hand pressed to her mouth.

  “Is she okay?” Maggie asked, her voice high-pitched.

  Jonathon dropped to one knee. He checked his little girl over, grateful to find that Wayne’s quickness had stopped her from being burnt. A well of anger rose in him, and he fought to keep it down. He knew that yelling wasn’t going to do any good. Ronnie needed to understand why what she did was wrong. Yelling at her would probably only result in her trying to fling herself into the fire again!

  Jonathon picked her up, ignoring her screaming in his ear, and walked back to the porch. There, he set her down on the step and knelt before her, so they were eye level.

  “Daddy, I wanna be a dragon.”

  “That’s not how it works. You don’t go near the fire; it will hurt you. Even Daddy can get burned, and he’s already a dragon.”

  “Wanna be a dragon!”

  “You just have to wait,” he said, keeping his voice low, calm, but firm. “You can’t be a dragon just yet. When you get older, you might be one then. Right now, you scared Daddy, Mommy, Uncle Samuel, Uncle Wayne, Aunt Camille, Summer, Ned, and Frankie. We’re going to go back to the fire, and you’re going to say sorry and sit with Daddy, okay?”

  Ronnie folded her arms and hunched her shoulders.

  “Ronnie, do you understand?”

  Reluctantly, she nodded.

  The adrenaline finally running out of him, Jonathon gave Ronnie a hug and brought her back to the fire, where she said sorry, kissed Frankie, and settled down beside him. She gave the fire a longing glance, but with Jonathon’s arm around her, she couldn’t make a break for it again. The adults were all still nervous from the brush, but Ned and Summer got over it quickly.

  “Mommy,” Ned said, looking at Maggie, “is our new brother going to be a dragon or a vampire?”

  “We don’t know that, yet. We won’t know until he’s born or maybe later,” Maggie replied. “He might be a vampire or a dragon or both or neither. That’s what the big surprise is going to be.”

  “I hope he’s a vampire like you, Mommy. Will I be a vampire?”

  Maggie glanced at Jonathon, seeming a little nervous. He smiled his support for her, and she turned back to Ned. “Maybe someday if you decide to be one. But if you’re a dragon like Daddy, it probably means you can’t be a vampire. Some dragons can be vampires, but usually, it’s not like that. Not when you’re born a dragon. Do you understand?”

  Ned frowned a moment and scratched his nose. “No.”

  “It’s like this, little man,” Wayne said as he leaned forward. “You have brown eyes and Frankie has blue eyes. That’s the way you’re born. Some people are born with one brown and one blue eye, but that’s not very common. But if you’ve got brown eyes, you can’t just pull one out and turn it blue, right?”

  Ned giggled. “Yes, I can! I’ll use a spoon.”

  Jonathon snorted in laughter. “A spoon? Where did you hear that?”

  “Spoons are perfect for taking out eyes, ‘cause they’re like ice cream.”

  Ronnie bounced against the seat, her eyes light
ing up. “Ice cream! Ice cream!”

  Wayne laughed as he stood. “Guess we need to get ice cream now.”

  “Yeah!” the kids agreed enthusiastically.

  They mobbed Wayne even as Maggie shook her head. She glanced at Jonathon—she had told them earlier that they didn’t need ice cream. Jonathon leaned in close and whispered in her ear. “I could use some ice cream myself. Do you want chocolate?”

  “No. Cherry.” She bit her lip, looking embarrassed and guilty, but all Jonathon did was laugh and kiss her.

  It was perfectly fine to change your mind every once in a while. Of course, these days Maggie had been changing her mind about a lot of things… She swatted his arm like she could hear his thoughts. He kissed her again. This one was longer, more lingering. He slid his hand into her hair, combing his fingers through it.

  As he and the kids followed Wayne into the house, Jonathon held Summer’s hand in one hand and Ned’s in the other while Ronnie ran back and forth between the porch and them. Time was passing. Every year seemed to fly by a little faster. He was so grateful that he had so many years to look forward to. His kids, his mate, his family.

  The future, as far as he could see, held nothing but bright hope. Just so long as he always kept his courage, always kept his family near. He may have made some terrible mistakes in the past, but the fact was… he was forgiven. Maggie had forgiven him, and he needed to forgive himself.

  All he could do was look forward, plan to be better, and never lose the courage to chase his dreams. Because one day, he knew that the world was going to be a better place for everybody. His children were going to have brighter futures because of his choices. He and Maggie… together, they would make everything a little brighter.

  *****

  THE END

  Thank You!

  Thank you so much for reading ‘Paranormal Friends with Benefits’!

  Hopefully, you enjoyed reading my book as much as I did writing.

  I would appreciate if you’d be willing to share a review that allows me to continuously improve my books and motivates me to keep writing.