Playing With Fire

+++++++++



"Still haven't made up?" Ashley asked, joining Carrie on the sofa in the living room as she watched television with Jason.



"You and Kelly were fighting?" Jason asked, turning to her.



"We're fine now," Carrie replied.



"Then why such the long face?" Ashley asked.



"Did Kelly tell either of you that Jeanne called her Saturday night?"



"No," she replied, as Jason shook his head in agreement.



"Well, apparently she did...and she apologized."



"Kelly?"



"No, Jeanne."



"So, that's why she doesn't like the idea of Jeanne sending those photo's."



"What photos?" Jason asked.



Ashley rolled her eyes, digging through the stack of magazines on the coffee table and tossing one to him.



His eyes widened as he looked down at the cover. He quickly tossed it away. "You think my mom sent those in?"



"She's the only person that knew about them and had access to them besides us."



"Kelly doesn't think it's her because of the apology," Carrie added.



"You seem skeptic," Ashley noted.



"About Jeanne not sending the pictures in or her apologizing?"



"Both."



"Then yea," she nodded. "I mean, this apology...the timing just seems off, especially with the pictures coming out."



"What's on your mind Jay?" Ashley asked, watching as he glared at the table where he had tossed the magazine.



"If my mom sent those pictures..." he shook his head. "That's just sick and twisted."



"What if...what if she did send them in, but now that they've come out, she's realized how wrong she is for it. Maybe that's why she apologized?"



"You think?" Carrie replied doubtfully.



"It's probably the best outcome of this situation that we could hope for," she frowned.



Carrie nodded.



"You don't believe her apology," Ashley stated.



"I just have a bad feeling about this," Carrie shook her head. "But I mean, you know Jeanne better than I do, obviously, so what do you guys think?"



"Innocent until proven guilty right?" Jason looked at the two of them hopefully.



Carrie sighed, but agreed, "Kelly really wants her mom back in her life. I can see that. So I'm seriously praying I'm wrong about this."



"Me too," Ashley nodded.



++++++++++



Kelly could feel her lips moving slowly with the soft pair that was pressing against them before she even started to wake. She felt a cool hand slipping under her t-shirt, nails running up her sides. She moaned softly as one of her legs wrapped around theirs, drawing them closer.



"Feeling better?" Carrie whispered, pulling back a little.



Kelly nodded, not even bothering to open her eyes as she leaned forward for another kiss.



Carrie smiled, gladly giving it to her. She felt Kelly's hands slipping under her own shirt, smoothing over her stomach. She pulled back just enough to allow her to take it off for her. She slid the Texan's off as well before wrapping her arms tightly around her, drawing her close. She loved the feeling of Kelly's body pushing into hers with each breath she took.



Carrie brought a hand up to her cheek, "How'd you know it was me? I could've been some crazy person."



"You think I don't know how you feel?" Kelly questioned with a light smile as she finally opened her eyes. "You think I don't know the exact amount the bed sinks down every time you lay next to me? Or the way you smell like the sweetest flowers? Or the way you kiss me so unbelievably delicately when you think I'm upset?"



Carrie smiled back, running a thumb over her cheek, "You had a good nap?"



"Yea," she replied, pulling her even closer, their noses touching. "I'm sorry for getting so upset, and for not telling you why."



"I'm sorry for not telling you about the pictures, and for not telling you how I feel when I'm hurt."



"We had a fight didn't we?" Kelly asked, her eyes closed, her nails slowly running down the back of Carrie's arm.



"Yea...I kinda stormed out, didn't I?"



"Yea...promise me you'll never do that again."



"I promise," Carrie replied.



Kelly sighed deeply as Carrie tilted her head up, kissing her forehead. "You know, what's always good after a fight, don't you?"



"Mmhmm."



"Make up sex," Kelly laughed quietly.



"I knew there was a reason I loved you," Carrie replied, her hand running down the Texan's side and waist, over her hip and down her thigh before moving back up.



"Care?" Kelly opened her eyes once more.



Carrie looked at her expectantly.



"Go slow...ok?" she gazed back at her nervously.



"Anything you want," Carrie smiled before kissing her.



++++++++++



Kelly wrapped her arms tightly around Carrie as she lay with her, the blonde country singer, resting against her shoulder.



"You ok?" Carrie asked at the sound of her sniffing.



"Yea," Kelly replied shakily.



"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Carrie asked, pushing herself up enough to look down at her. "Are you ok? Why are you crying?"



"You."



"Me? Did I...did I hurt you? I mean, did I do something wrong?"



"Care," she laughed softly. "Happy tears."



"Happy tears?" Carrie smiled slowly.



Kelly nodded.



"Wow. I get happy tears. I must be pretty dang good then."



Kelly nodded again.



"Good," Carrie replied. "Because all I want is for you to just feel...everything."



"Which you are very, very good at," she smiled.



Carrie kissed her adoringly before laying back on her shoulder. She could feel the goose bumps rising at the feeling of Kelly's nails tracing out her signature on her back. "Kell?"



"Hmm?"



"Tell me how I make you feel."



"Care, I...honestly, I don't know how to describe it."



"What? You? The queen of words, doesn't know how to describe it?"



"It's just..."



"Just what?" Carrie asked curiously.



"I love you," Kelly replied with every once of passion and emotion swirling around inside of her.



"Mmm, I like the sound of this," Carrie smiled. "Keep going."



Kelly laughed softly, "Ok...well, when you kiss me--"



She was interrupted by her phone vibrating loudly on top of the bedside table.



"Ignore it," Carrie directed. "We need our 'me' time. So...when I kiss you..."



"Ok," she smiled. "Well, when you kiss me--"



Her phone started to vibrate again.



Carrie groaned, rolling off of her, allowing her to stretch out to get it.



Kelly frowned as she looked down at the name being displayed, "It's my mom."



"But I wanted to here what you feel when I kiss--" Carrie's voice was muffled by Kelly's lips pressing against her own. She grinned, wrapping her arms around her, pulling her down on top of her, both of them very much aware of the fact that neither of them had an article of clothing on as their legs tangled up.



Kelly's phone started to vibrate again in her hand. She broke the kiss, breathing heavily, "I need to get this."



"You might want to wait until you don't sound like you just ran a mile with a sore throat."



Kelly giggled, willing her breathing to slow, "Better?"



"You so want for me to make you feel again," Carrie teased at the sound of the Texan's raspy drawl.



"Is it that obvious?"



"Probably only to me."



"Good," Kelly nodded, answering her phone as it continued to vibrate. "Hello?"



"Kelly?" Jeanne replied from the other end. "Hunny, what took you so long? And why do you sound hoarse? Are you getting sick again?"



"No, Mom, I'm not sick. I'm fine," Kelly tried not to laugh as Carrie smirked knowingly beneath her.



"Well, I was just calling to see if you had given any thought to what I said the other night," Jeanne explained.



Kelly sighed, and Carrie tugged her down, kissing her forehead before hugging her close, "Yea, Mom."



"Are you sure you're ok? You're voice sounds a little muffled."



"I'm lying down. I was taking a nap," Kelly explained.



"Maybe you should sit up, dear."



"I'm comfortable," she replied, feeling Carrie wrap her arms around her tightly.



"Ok then. As long as you're happy."



Kelly couldn't help the smile that was forming.



"So, like I told you Saturday, I really want to have dinner with you this week. So I can apologize in person."



"Carrie's allowed to come?"



"Kelly...maybe we should take this slow."



"I'm not the only one you need to apologize too, Mom," Kelly reminded.



"I know. I have a lot of apologizing to do. But I just want to spend one nice dinner with my daughter. It's been far too long since we've done that."



"You're right," Kelly agreed. "Ok. You want me to fly you down?"



"Yes, that'll be fine. Why don't you get me a hotel room, too," Jeanne suggested.



"Nonsense, Mom. You can stay here. We have plenty of extra room."



"I don't want to make y'all uncomfortable."



"You're staying here Mom, and that's final."



"Whatever you want, sweetie," Jeanne replied.



"Ok, so I'm gonna get Jay to send you the flight info and stuff, ok?"



"Sounds good."



"Alright, talk to you soon, Mom."



"You too."



Kelly hung up the phone, burying her face in Carrie's neck.



"You ok?" Carrie asked.



"My Mom's coming see me," Kelly grinned, unable to hide the happiness that was surrounding her.



Carrie kissed the top of her head, frowning, "I'm glad you're happy."



"Things are gonna be great, Care, I promise."



"I know," Carrie replied, rubbing her back. She knew the shorter singer believed what she had said with all of her heart, but whether that was the truth...they would just have to wait to find out.



++++++++++



"Hey," Kelly smiled out of relief, standing from her bed as Carrie walked into the room.



"Hey," Carrie laughed as Kelly pulled her in a tight hug. "You ok? I was only gone for a few hours."



"Yea, I'm just glad you got back before I left to go have dinner with my mom," Kelly replied.



"And why's that?"



"Because I wanted to see you before I go?"



"And why's that?"



Kelly looked up at her innocently.



Carrie smiled, tilting her head down to kiss her. "I swear you make me feel used sometimes," she grinned, pulling away.



"Hey, I could be using you for far worse things than your kisses, Miss Underwood."



"True," Carrie nodded, her hands locked behind the Texan's back. "I seriously lucked out with you."



Kelly raised a playful eyebrow, "I was talking about sex...what were you talking about?"



"Fame and money," Carrie laughed. "And how is you using me for sex bad thing?"



Kelly looked at her thoughtfully, "You know, I'm not sure."



Carrie smiled again, kissing her once more.



Kelly giggled as Carrie tugged on her bottom lip playfully, "Care, I don't want to go to dinner with my mom with swollen lips. It's bad enough the hickey is still visible without make-up."



"It is?" Carrie grinned proudly.



"Yes," Kelly hit her hand away as she reached up to run a finger over her neck.



"Well that's the point of a hickey, isn't it?" Carrie questioned as she wrapped her arms around the shorter girl once more. "To let the entire world know that you're taken...by a very skillful kisser at that."



"I'm pretty sure they know already."



"Well, maybe I just like nibbling on you," she smiled.



"Care..." Kelly tried to warn with a straight face.



"Or maybe I'm just a vampire," Carrie wiggled her eyebrows.



"Carrie..."



"Yea, maybe I just want to suck your blood," Carrie leaned forward her eyes sparking. "I mean you can't blame me...you just taste so good."



"Care!" Kelly squealed with laughter as Carrie squeezed her arms around her tightly, her lips attacking her neck, her teeth grazing her skin. Kelly squirmed in her arms as she felt Carrie leaving a series of playfully fervent kisses across her neck.



Carrie continued to hold her closely with her right arm, her left hand slipping into the Texan's back pocket, forcing their hips together. She heard the softest of moans escape Kelly's lips in between the laughter. Carrie kissed her way up her neck and across her jaw line before tugging on her ear gently with her teeth.



"I vant to suck your blood," she whispered in her best Transylvanian accent.



Kelly giggled, her face flushing as Carrie continued to press their lower bodies together, "Care..."



"Hmm?" she mumbled against her skin.



"I do have to go," Kelly reminded reluctantly.



"But I don't want you to," Carrie pulled back to look at her with a pout.



"Care," she shook her head, running a finger over the country singer's bottom lip. "I need to go have dinner with my mother."



"I still don't want you to."



"Why not?"



"Because I had a long day," she pouted again.



"I know that, but that doesn't explain why I shouldn't go see my mother."



"Because..." Carrie stepped into her, her voice dropping. "I had a long day."



Kelly's breath caught in her throat at the feeling of Carrie's body pressing firmly against her own.



"Baby..." Carrie urged, tracing the Texan's collar bone with her fingers.



"I...I..."



Carrie could see the inner battle that she was causing the shorter girl to go through reflecting clearly in her eyes. She took a step back, "Sorry."



"We can pick this up when I get back," Kelly raised a hopeful eyebrow.



"Your mom's coming back with you," Carrie reminded.



"We've done it with Jason and Ashley in the house before."



"Kell...it's your mom."



"And she's apologizing."



"Yea," Carrie sighed.



"Care, I'm sorry," Kelly wrapped her arms around her waist. "I know you've had a long day, and I honestly want nothing more than to be with you right now, but I need to do this."



"It's ok," she smiled softly. "My day wasn't that long...I just want you all to myself."



"I'm all yours, Care. You know that."



"I know, I guess, maybe with your mom and everything...I'm just nervous."



"About what?"



"Losing you or you getting hurt, and I know that'll probably upset you because you trust your mom, but it's just that things are so great with us, and everything's right where I want it to be, you know?"



"Having my mom back in my life isn't going to change things between us," Kelly assured her. "You come first, before anybody else."



Carrie looked up at the ceiling with a smile.



"Ok, not anybody else," Kelly rolled her eyes.



"I just don't want him to strike you down with lightening or something because then I'd have to go up there and kick his ass, and nobody wants God to have his ass kicked."



Kelly laughed.



"I think I'm spending too much time around you because that seriously sounded like something that would've come out of your mouth."



"I do mean it though," Kelly looked her dead in the eyes, becoming serious. "You come before my mom. If at any time you feel like something is wrong or off with us, or that my mom is trying to push you away or anything like that, you tell me, alright? I'm not as naive as you guys think. I'm not going into this thing with blinders on. I do remember what she's done, but she's apologizing for all of that, and I'm willing to forgive her for it. Forgive," Kelly repeated. "But not forget."



Carrie nodded in understanding.



"And it really would mean a lot to me if you would do the same. I think it's time we just move past all that pain, and just move on with our lives. Start the next chapter, you know?"



"Yea," Carrie nodded again, brushing the hair out of her eyes so she could see them.



"Thank you," Kelly replied sincerely. She leaned up on her toes slightly, kissing her once more. "I love you."



"I love you too," Carrie smiled, taking her hand as Kelly led them to the living room. She gave it a gentle squeeze before letting it go.



"We'll be back around eight," Kelly informed them, looking over Carrie's shoulder at Jason and Ashley who were watching television.



"Ok...have fun," Carrie replied, giving her one more quick kiss before she walked out.



"So, she's still going to meet her, huh?" Ashley asked as Carrie sat on the couch.



"Yep."



"You tried to convince her not to?"



"I offered sex," she replied bluntly.



Ashley laughed as Jason caught a mysterious coughing fit.



"She really wants this to work out between her and her mom," Carrie nodded.



"She's a big girl," Ashley assured her. "She'll be alright."