Page 32 of Better Watch Out

Because unfortunately, it is.

“Fine. It’s not like you haven’t seen it anyway,” I mumble, forcing myself to shove my sweatpants down to my ankles before I step out of them. Instantly I shiver, and Fletcher grabs a blanket off the back of the couch that he spreads out on the floor in front of him.

“Do you need me to turn the heat up for you?” He watches as I rub my arms, but I shake my head slowly. I know the temperature is fine in here, and that I’m only cold from my nerves and being outside this morning. It feels so vulnerable and strange to be naked in the middle of the living room, even though I know we have no neighbors and there’s no chance of anyone coming up here with the snow the way it is and more piling on.

"Come here, princess.” Fletcher reaches out his hand, gripping my arm and gently urging me over to stand in front of him. And then he just…stops. With me standing in front of him and gazing down at him with wide eyes, he just stares up at me, his eyes wandering from my face downward.

It’s unnerving, embarrassing, and makes me feel strange. I can’t help shifting my weight, unable to keep still under his look. “Can you not do whatever you’re doing,” I mutter petulantly, studying the fireplace. “This is weird.”

“Well you might want to get used to it. You’ll be like this for a bit. Turn around and sit in front of me.” I don’t expect that, but I’m grateful to sink to the floor on the soft, fluffy blanket with my legs curled up under me. Fletcher pulls my hair back from my face, his touch making me flinch with expectation. That only earns me a soft chuckle from the blond, and he reaches out to trail his fingers down my jaw. “You’re all right. I’m not goingto hurt you. This isn’treallya punishment. I wanted to do it, anyway.”

“That somehow doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence.” But I let him maneuver my arms behind me, leaning forward when he urges me to. It doesn’t take long for me to realize what he’s doing, and I try to move when I feel him start to wrap the lights around my wrists, securing them together. “Wait. They’ll burn, and?—”

“I’m not new at this or careless. These are LEDs, guaranteed to have no heat in them. Just sit still for me.” That kills any argument I might have, and I try my hardest not to fidget as he secures the lights around my wrists before looping another segment of them around my upper arms, just over my elbows. The lights are tight enough that I can’t move much, but not enough to hurt me. I even have a little bit of wiggle room, just in case I need to move slightly to relieve a cramp.

“These are a bit too awkward to be fancy with,” Fletcher explains while he works. “And I think he’d appreciate them even if I just wrapped them around your pretty throat.” His fingers brush over my neck when he says it, like a silent promise. But he just wraps them loosely around my chest, under my breasts in a way that makes the lights slide against my skin. It’s a strange feeling. One that makes me wiggle and flex under him, but somehow that doesn’t seem to bother him.

“You could’ve asked. Or warned me. Or, I don’t know. We could’ve put these around the tree in the garage,” I offer, when the silence becomes too heavy. It’s strange that as he goes, his touch and the feel of the lights becomes almost relaxing, and I finally stop flinching every time he touches me.

“I could’ve. You would’ve said no. Almost done, by the way.” This time he gets down on the floor with me, kneeling in front of me. But he hesitates, to my surprise. He justlooksat me again, surveying me now that I can’t wrap my arms around myself.Well, at least I can still press my knees together to hide a little bit from him.

Though he seems to know that’s what I’m thinking. “Sit back for me and put your knees up in front of you, princess.” He waits for me to do it, not seeming to really mind that I hesitate and try to find some reason to argue with him.

But I can’t find any that he’d care about. I finally do what he says, my toes curling against the blanket. Fletcher leans forward and runs his hands up my calves, then wraps the lights around my left calf and thigh, keeping them pressed together as he does. “And lean forward a little…” I have no idea what he’s doing, though it feels like he’s looping the lights around the strands at my wrists again for some reason.

Then he does the same to my other leg, so that I couldn’t unbend my legs much if I wanted to. It’s then that we hear a thump and a curse from above, and both of us glance up the stairs.

“Guess I’m finishing just in time.” Fletcher’s grin turns wicked, and he secures the strands around my other leg before getting back up to sit behind me once more on the couch.

“I don’t get the point of—” My words are cut off when he snugs the strands up, and the way he’s wrapped them around the lights on my wrists forces my thighs open so that I can’t close them. “Fletcher!” I yelp, indignation and shock sending heat to my face. “What thefuck?!”

“Don’t be so surprised.” Lastly he wraps the lights around my throat a couple of times, then drapes the loose end over my shoulder. “There. All done up for him. Too bad I don’t have a bow for you, but maybe next time.”

Next time.

Why in the world would there be a next time? From the corner of my eye I see him fish out his phone and typesomething, and then he’s pulling me back against the couch, not giving me any stability or way to hide myself whatsoever.

“This had better be good.” Boone’s cranky words echo down the stairs, and I groan, closing my eyes for all of three seconds before I can’t keep them shut anymore.

“I was going to…” he trails off when he sees us, with Fletcher petting my hair and me all tied up in Christmas lights. “Oh.” He nearly falls off the bottom step, and stumbles across the living room to stare down at me. “I…yeah, this is definitely good.” His eyes flick to Fletcher’s and the blond gets up, stepping around me to lean in and kiss Boone on the cheek.

“Just for you, gorgeous boy,” he growls, nipping his lip. “Don’t keep her there for too long, though. She’ll get stiff. And we take care of what’s ours in this family.”

That shouldn’t have me shivering for reasons other than being cold, but it does. Boone sinks down in front of me on the floor, eyes wandering over me like he can’t decide where to look. But then he focuses in on how my thighs are held open, staring at me until I’m squirming, trying to press my knees together without success.

“You can play with her, you know.” Fletcher sinks down into one of the recliners, crossing one leg over the other and resting his chin on his hand. “I didn’t do this so you’d just look.”

“I know, I know.” Boone reaches out and grabs the loose end of lights that are like a leash and tugs me upward just a little. “Fuck, this is amazing. You’re so hot, snow bunny. And you.” He turns, grinning wolfishly at Fletcher. “You really do know me so well. Love you.”

“Love you, too.” Their easy affection would be enviable if I was trying not to die of embarrassment.

Boone runs his hands up my calves, seeming to marvel over the lights that keep my legs bent at the knee and spread. Then he turns me slightly, whistling when he sees Fletcher’s handiworkon my arms. “How does it feel, sweetheart?” he murmurs, his eyes finding mine. “Do you like being all lit up for me?”

I can’t answer him. I don’t knowhowto answer him when I’m pretty sure my brain is short circuiting at the moment. So I look away, only for him to chuckle and drag my face back to look at him. “Oh no, baby,” he teases. “You don’t want to be a brat with me right now. Can’t you see how easy it would be for me to punish you for it? After all…” He traces a finger up my slit, making me gasp.

“There’s nowhere for you to go and no way for you to hide from me. So tell me how it feels, snow bunny.”

“I-it’s embarrassing,” I whisper. “I mean…I just feel like I can’t go anywhere or do anything or?—”

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