Playing With Fire

++++++++++



"I donwanna go," Kelly drawled, pulling the pillow over her head, blocking out Jason's voice trying to get her up.



"It's pointless," Jason shrugged. "She's got to be the most stubborn person I know."



"Care if I try?" Carrie said.



"Alright," Jason nodded, walking out of the room. "You have ten minutes."



Carrie walked over to the bed, climbing under the covers. She sat up, leaning back against the headboard, and Kelly's arm immediately found her waist as she snuggled into her side. Carrie laughed, rubbing her bare back.



"You know you're acting a bit divaish right now?"



Kelly bit Carrie's side playfully.



"Hey now," she laughed. "Don't start something you can't finish, friend."



"I don't wanna get up," Kelly groaned, ignoring the friend comment.



"And why is that?"



"Because."



"Because, you're nervous?"



"Maybe."



"About Oprah?"



"Maybe."



"Kell," Carrie lifted her chin so that she was looking up at her. "You've been on Oprah before. Why are you nervous now?"



"I was nervous then too. I mean, hello, I've got to talk, and millions of people are going to be watching."



"Well, actually," Carrie said patiently. "Only the studio audience will be watching. It is pre-taped, isn't it?"



"Well, yea, but--"



"So, you'll be fine. Besides, people love you in interviews. You're always cute and dorky and funny and sexy all in one, without even trying or realizing it."



Kelly laughed, "Ha, sexy. Sure."



Carrie shook her head, "You're hopeless."



"I'm honest."



"You're still nervous?"



"Yea."



"Are you going to get out of bed?"



"I'm nekked."



Carrie's heart stopped. She looked down at Kelly, and sure enough, she lay wrapped in the white sheets and nothing else.



"You ok?" Kelly asked, worriedly.



"Way to give a girl a heart attack," Carrie replied, trying to control her breathing, and look anywhere but at Kelly's exposed back, but she was failing miserably.



Kelly looked up at her curiously.



"You seriously are hopeless," Carrie smiled, using every ounce of self-control she had just to not touch the girl.



Kelly stuck out her bottom lip, giving her puppy dog eyes. Carrie licked her lips subconsciously at the pout. She couldn't tear her eyes away from Kelly's perfectly inviting mouth.



"So, I'm gonna...you're gonna...I'm gonna..." Carrie struggled.



Kelly giggled, "You're going to step out, while I put some clothes on."



"Yea, I mean, unless of course, you need help," she replied slyly.



"Getting dressed?"



"It could be dangerous."



"I've been getting dressed by myself since I was three."



"And from the pictures I've seen, the clothes never managed to stay on."



Kelly sat up, her eyes wide, "How'd you see those?"



Carrie shrugged innocently, "A reporter doesn't have to reveal her sources."



"You're a singer."



"And you're a nudist."



"Maybe in your dreams."



"Yea," Carrie nodded honestly.



Kelly felt her cheeks burn, "I-I gotta get dressed."



"Ok," Carrie shrugged, climbing out of the bed. "But it's nothing I haven't seen before. You were such a cute kid."



++++++++++



"You don't seem nervous anymore," Carrie pointed out as their car pulled around the back of the Harpo studio's building. Kelly was practically bouncing with anticipation.



"Cause it's freaking Oprah," Kelly pointed out.



Carrie raised an eyebrow, "So, what was all that business this morning?"



Kelly shrugged, "I wanted five more minutes of sleep."



"I swear," Carrie sighed as all of the got out of the vehicle, placing on her sunglasses, and pulling down her baseball cap.



"Is that my hat?"



"Yea."



"So why the incognito?"



"Cause I'm laying low."



Kelly nodded, pretending that that had explained everything perfectly.



+++++++++++



"Thank you again for coming up here for this," Reba smiled as they walked back to Kelly's dressing room after the interview.



"Please," Kelly laughed. "I'd go across the world to perform with you. Besides, it was fun."



"So, how's everything going? We haven't talked in a week or two."



"It's going well," Kelly smiled.



"So, how long are y'all in town for? I thought we could all go grab something to eat."



"I'm not sure, actually," Kelly said, opening the door to her dressing room. Her eyes fell on a blonde figure, curled up on the sofa, her cap pulled low over her eyes.



"Who's that?" Reba asked with a laugh.



"Carrie," Kelly smiled, her heart melting at the adorable sight before her. "She stayed up late with me last night to help me get through some radio interviews. Poor thing, I would have told her to stay at the hotel if I had known how tired she was."



"Carrie? Underwood?"



"Oh, yea," Kelly laughed. "She's staying with me right now. She's been having a lot of trouble with Clive, and she needed a place to get away from it all."



"Well, that's sweet of you."



"Wait, let me get her up," Kelly said. "She'd kill me if she knew you were here and I didn't wake her to say hi."



"No, don't wake her," Reba said. "Why don't y'all join us for dinner, tonight? Narvel and I found this great place last time we were here. Really low key. You're going to love it."



"Alright," Kelly nodded. "We'll see you then," she smiled, giving the redhead a hug and watched as she walked out of the dressing room, closing the door behind her.



Kelly walked over to the sofa, sitting next to the sleeping figure. Kelly gently pulled the hat back, to get a better look at the blonde. She didn't have the sunglasses on anymore, and was sleeping soundly.



"Carrie," she called gently, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's time to wake up sweetie."



Carrie's eyes slowly began to open. She looked up at Kelly and smiled sleepily. Kelly giggled at the goofy grin. Carrie became aware of her surroundings and bolted up into a sitting position.



"Whoa," Kelly laughed as the country girl nearly knocked her off the sofa. "Slow down."



"I watched the interview, I swear," Carrie said quickly. "I was watching it on the t.v.," she said, pointing to the tiny television on a chair in front of the sofa. "I was just tired, and fell asleep, but I swear I saw all of your part."



"Hey," Kelly soothed, bringing a hand to her cheek affectionately. "It's all right. I know you watched. And even if you hadn't, it would have been ok."



Carrie gave a half smile.



"But hey, you feel like going eat with Reba tonight?"



"Like the Reba?"



Kelly laughed, "How many people do you know with the name Reba?"



"You hang out with Reba?"



Kelly shrugged, "Yes, and tonight you will be too. That is, if you're not too tired. I don't want you getting sick from overworking yourself because of me."



"No," Carrie smiled. "I'm fine. I'd love to go."



"Good," Kelly said, standing and offering Carrie a hand up. "It's a date."



++++++++++++



Carrie looked into the mirror, Kelly's words still ringing in her ear. It's a date. She hated that phrase. No, hate didn't begin to describe it. She loathed that phrase. She smiled at her own word use, putting on her necklace. It's just, you never know what it means. Was she just being cute? Or, did she actually mean it?



Carrie sighed, applying her lip-gloss. Of course she didn't mean it. What kind of date would it be? Her, Kelly, Jason, Ashley, Reba, a couple of Reba's nieces. Yea, some date. She sighed, pulling down her blue jean skirt some. She smiled, satisfied. Her outfit was flirty, but not flashy, so whether this was a date or not, she was dressed for either one. Her skirt fell just below mid thigh, revealing leg, but not too much. Her pink top was an off the shoulders shirt, that was loose at the top, but fitting at the bottom. Her blonde curls were pulled half up, out of her face.



She bit her bottom lip nervously, something she found herself doing a lot lately. Kelly was really starting to wear off on her.



+++++++++++



Kelly was sitting on the white couch, her knee bouncing nervously. She had no idea what tonight was. All she knew was, she was currently alone in the pent house, waiting for the gorgeous blonde to show. Jason and Ashley had gone ahead of them to keep their reservation. Reba had called, saying that they were running a little late.



+++++++++++



Carrie walked down the hall. It seemed like the longest walk of her life. She entered the living room, to see the back of Kelly. She coughed nervously, making the smaller girl jump up from where she was sitting. Kelly walked out from the couch, looking at Carrie nervously.



Carrie couldn't find the words to speak. There was no word appropriate enough to describe how gorgeous the girl standing before her was. Her hair was in perfectly messy curls with the front pinned back. Carrie's eyes traveled down to Kelly's black halter top with it's plunging neckline. She bit her lip, noting that it tied behind Kelly's neck. She silently wondered just how much of Kelly's back was revealed. Kelly's jeans hung low on her hips, revealing aching millimeters of her toned stomach. The holes in the jeans, and black flip-flops, pulled the outfit together in a very Kelly way.



"So," Kelly smiled nervously, struggling to keep her eyes on Carrie's face and not letting them drift downward. "You ready to go?"



"Remind me why we have to go?" Carrie asked, breathily, not sure which one of them had moved from their spot, but now suddenly very aware of how they were less than a foot away. She could reach out and touch her if she wanted. What was she thinking? Of course she wanted.



"Because Reba invited us, and it would be rude not to," Kelly replied, swallowing hard.



Carrie reached out, taking Kelly's hips in her hands, their eyes never leaving each other's as Carrie's thumbs grazed the exposed skin. She could actually see the breath catch in Kelly's throat.



"Remind me again," Carrie repeated heavily. "Why do we have to go?"



"Carrie," she warned.



But Carrie shook her head, "I don't wanna wait anymore, and I know that you don't either."



Kelly felt her face flush. They were barely even touching, yet her breath was growing ragged. She placed her hands on Carrie's upper arms, slowly sliding them down, hooking her elbows, reveling in the tingling sensation in her fingers. Carrie watched Kelly, watching herself and smiled. Her brow was wrinkled in concentration as she chewed on her bottom lip nervously, her eyes overflowing with emotion. Carrie let her continuous the torturously adorable things she was doing. Her pulse was racing, and she knew that her heart could be heard slamming against her chest from across the universe. The look of innocent curiosity on Kelly's face was almost more than she could handle.



Kelly's right hand slid slowly down Carrie's forearm, wrapping loosely around her wrist. Her thumb smoothed over the upturned underside of her arm, stopping when she found it. She smiled as she felt Carrie's rushing pulse against her finger, feeling her own pulse race just as fast if not faster. Kelly softly lifted Carrie's wrist. Carrie's eyes followed her every move, completely entranced.



Kelly brought the soft skin up to her mouth. She pressed her lips against Carrie's racing pulse, her heart nearly exploding at the feeling of Carrie's rushing blood against her lips. Now she knew why they said the lips were the most sensitive part of your body. The things she was feeling were insatiable. Carrie involuntarily tilted her head back, her eyes falling closed as a soft groan escaped her lips. Before that moment, she would have said it was impossible to be this turned on.