Playing With Fire

++++++++



Carrie's hand froze midway to her lips to apply lip gloss as Kelly walked through the door in a silk robe, her make-up done, and the front part of her blonde hair pulled back as the rest fell in loose curls. "Wow."



"I'll tell Ashley you like her work."



"Kell, you don't need make up to look beautiful...trust me, I've seen you naked," she grinned. "You're naturally gorgeous."



Kelly rolled her eyes as she hopped onto the counter top.



"Is that what you're wearing?" Carrie asked hopefully.



"No," she giggled. "I'm just not allowed to put the dress on until right before we go. I always mess it up."



"Too bad. Maybe you can put the robe back on later tonight...just for me."



Kelly blushed slightly as Carrie kissed her.



"So how does it feel?"



"Amazing..." she replied breathlessly.



"Not the kiss," Carrie laughed, squeezing her knee gently before going back to applying her own lip gloss. "I meant now that the tour is over, how does it feel?"



"I'm not sure. I'm pretty bummed about it being over. I'm gonna miss being on stage with Reba."



"You do have your world tour coming up, though," she pointed out.



"Yea, I'm pretty excited to get started on that. You know there's a nude beach at one of the places we're going in Australia."



"Really?" Carrie raised an eyebrow.



"Mmhmm, and I totally think you should go with me."



"Kell," Carrie laughed.



"Or I can just grab a handful of sand, and we can have our own nude beach in the hotel room."



"I like the sound of that," Carrie nodded, trying not to smirk as Kelly took her hand in her own, placing it on her knee.



"So, are you ok with this party?" Kelly asked curiously, slowly guiding Carrie's hand beneath the hem of her robe that had ridden up when she sat down. "I mean, I know you're probably not in a party mood with everything going on."



"No, it's ok. I wouldn't miss this. Besides, it'll be a good distraction."



"Distraction huh?" Kelly asked, guiding Carrie's hand further beneath her robe.



Carrie shook her head with a smile, trying to concentrate on doing her make up. She felt her heart speed up at the feeling of her fingers gliding over the soft skin of Kelly's thigh. She swallowed hard as she realized the Texan wasn't wearing anything underneath her robe. "Aw, hell," she sighed, tossing the lip gloss aside and turning to Kelly, kissing her heatedly.



++++++++++



Kelly's face flushed as Carrie stood behind her, their hands linked together as the country singer whispered in her ear.



"I hope you know I plan on continuing what we started in the hotel room after this party."



"You mean we weren't finished?"



Carrie chuckled, "No, because you see...somehow, once again, we were interrupted by your mother knocking on the door. Not that I don't appreciate kissing you, I was just hoping that there was more I would be able to do to you."



"More?"



"Girl, I was just getting started with you. You can't tell me you didn't notice that huge shower...and the jacuzzi tub...and the big bed with the white sheets. You know how much the site of you wrapped in nothing but white sheets turns me on."



Kelly licked her bottom lip in anticipation.



"Plus, I've got to prove my point."



"You're point?"



"Mmhmm. When I said how beautiful you are naked, you didn't seem to believe me. So I'm just gonna have to show you."



"And h-how are you going to do that?" Kelly asked, her voice husky.



Carrie bit her lip before replying softly, "By giving your body the proper attention it deserves...every single inch of it."



Kelly couldn't hold back the soft moan that escaped.



Carrie smiled, tilting her head down to kiss her shoulder.



"I'd like to make a toast!" Reba announced, drawing everyone's attention to where she stood on the small stage.



"A toast?" Carrie lifted her head. "This is kinda a fancy party."



"Shh," Kelly giggled, pulling the country singer's arms around her waist as she leaned back into her.



Carrie smiled at the realization that Kelly wanted her to hold her. She kissed her temple, loving that despite how long they'd been together, she still got a kick out of the little things.



"I just wanted to say a major thank you to everyone that has been involved with this tour," Reba explained. "Of course I want to thank my husband, Narvel. This couldn't have been easy as I know both Kelly and I can be hard headed sometimes. We both knew it would be impossible to have fifty songs in a concert, but we surely weren't going to admit that."



Kelly laughed along with the crowd.



"But you fought us, and made sure that in the end it was the best show possible, and it was one that we would love, which we did. And I want to thank the band, both of y'all. You guys and gals have put in a tremendous amount of hard work, learning a whole new regime of songs, and y'all did it flawlessly. We have been truly, truly blessed with the talent level that you guys share, and we couldn't have done this without you."



"I wish I had a glass to toast with," Kelly frowned.



Carrie smiled, kissing just behind her ear, "You taste better than any drink, I've ever had."



"To Melissa...alright, I guess I we can be the three Musketeers."



"Woo!" Melissa cheered a few people away from Kelly and Carrie, causing them to laugh.



"And to Kelly," Reba smiled, finding her in the crowd.



"Don't cry," Carrie whispered teasingly.



"Kelly, you are amazing. There is no word short of that that can be used to describe you. Your talent is on a whole nother level when compared to other singers your age. The songs that you write are absolutely beautiful, and heart-felt. You are one of the most level-headed people I've ever met in this business. Your kindness is unbelievable, and your love and excitement for what you do is so contagious...I feel as if my career has had a rejuvination of sorts, and that's all due to you, so thank you."



"Whatever," Kelly replied, laughing through the tears in her eyes.



"And still as humble as when I first met you," Reba laughed, happily.



++++++++++



Carrie grinned as she caught Kelly's eye from across the room. The party had started to clear out, and they hadn't been able to spend a moment together since Reba had swept her away earlier to speak to a few important people that had wanted a moment with her. A few people soon turned into a lot of people that all wanted to talk to the bubbly Texan. Carrie couldn't blame them though as she winked at the shorter girl. She was the only person she wanted to talk to as well. Plus, she could tell from the way they kept locking eyes that the things she had said earlier about what they would be doing later that night really had an affect on the other idol.



"Hey girlie," Ashley smiled sitting next to her.



"Hey," Carrie smiled. "Where'd you disappear off to?"



"Went talk to Jason and Jill and Kate. This thing is starting to slow down, you want to grab your girl and we'll head to a bar?"



Carrie looked at her skeptically.



"We're not gonna stay long. Just a couple drinks," Ashley assured. "It's this really hot place that we've been hearing about since we got here this morning."



"Alright," Carrie smiled, catching Kelly's eye once more. Nothing like prolonging something to make it more pleasurable in the end.



++++++++++



"So how long are we staying here?" Kelly asked, looking around the packed club, wanting nothing more than to be alone with her girlfriend in their hotel room.



"Just long enough for one round," Ashley promised.



"Alright, I got 'em."



"No, let me," Carrie cut in.



Kelly frowned.



"You can pay me back if it makes you feel better," Carrie smiled.



"No, it's ok," Kelly replied, her smile matching the other blonde's as she kissed her quickly before walking over to the bar.



"Wipe the goofy grin off your face," Kate teased, pushing her playfully.



"Shut up," Kelly laughed. "You'd be grinning too."



She raised an eyebrow.



"Well, you'd be grinning," Kelly corrected, turning to Jason.



"Definitely," he nodded, finding himself watching Carrie out of the corner of his eye, much like he always did for Kelly, making sure nobody bothered her. He raised an eyebrow as a guy and his group of friends slinked up behind her, making it completely obvious as to what they were after. He continued to listen to the conversation of the four girls next to him, but kept his eye on the blonde at the bar.



+++++++++++



"Hey," Carrie heard a guy's voice behind her. She ignored it, waiting for the bartender to bring her drinks back. She heard a couple laughs. Great, she thought to herself, he has friends.



"Hey," the guy repeated.



Carrie turned away slightly, brushing him off. His friends laughed again.



"I'm sorry," the guy said, tapping her shoulder. "I don't believe we've met."



"I don't think I wanted to," Carrie replied, wishing the bartender would hurry with their drinks.



"But don't you know who this guy is?" one of his friends asked.



"Do I care?" Carrie asked, turning even more away from them.



"But he's the Never Again guy!" another one cheered. "He's famous!"



Carrie felt her blood start to boil as she took a calming breath before turning around, "So tell me?" she asked, coming face to face with the guy. "Does it really suck to see her face everywhere?"



"So, you've heard of me?" he grinned.



"Oh yea," she nodded. "I've heard of you."



"Dude, David," one of his friends, tried to cut in, but he shook him off.



"So, how about I buy you a drink?" he raised an eyebrow.



"I'm sorry," Carrie shook her head. "But I've heard the song. Not interested."



++++++++



"Son of a bitch," Jason muttered under his breath as he recognized the guy talking to Carrie, wanting nothing more than to beat the crap out of him.



"What is it?" Kelly asked.



"Nothing," Jason shook his head, pulling her so that her back was to Carrie, making it easier for him to keep an eye on her over his little sister's shoulder. "Just a really hot girl."



"That didn't sound like a hot girl tone."



"Yea, well, you stepped on my foot."



"Oh, sorry," she said, looking down at her feet to make sure they were behaving.



+++++++++



"Aw, now, you can't hate a guy just because of one song," David defended.



"I think it was more than one song."



"Well, if you knew the facts..."



"The facts?"



He shrugged, "She's just a whiney little girl who didn't get her way."



Carrie stood up defensively, her eyes narrowed.



"Dude, that's Carrie Underwood," one of his friends finally piped up.



David's eyes got wide before he smiled once more, "Well, so it is. I'm sorry I didn't recognize you at first. I don't really follow country music."



"I'm sorry I didn't recognize you at first, either. I don't follow losers."



David laughed along with his friends this time, "So...you're the girl screwing my ex."



Carrie's jaw clenched.



++++++++++



Jason's fists tightened at the sight of Carrie clearly growing agitated, and he fought with himself over whether to acknowledge the situation, and have Kelly realize who was behind her, or give the country girl time to settle it on her own.



+++++++++++



"Tell me, is she as bad as I remember?" desperate



Carrie could feel herself starting to shake, "Don't you dare talk about her like that."



"I'll take that as a yes."



"Have you ever heard of a song called 'Chivas'?"



His friends laughed, but David's smile faltered briefly, "Whatever. The girl didn't have a clue what she was doing when I got a hold of her."



"Really? Cause I seriously beg to differ," she grinned.



"She learned from the best."



"There's some things you just can't teach," Carrie shook her head. "Besides, according to the song, you suck."



David took an unbalanced step towards her, "Why do you think she's written so much about me? It's obvious she's not over me. You're just some play thing that she has to get her mind off the fact that she'll never be able to get a guy as good as me."



"Oh, she's over you," Carrie nodded.



"Then why is it my name's she's always screaming at night?"



"Screaming?" Carrie questioned.



David nodded smugly.



"Oh, you mean when she's falling over the edge, and she's so hoarse that her voice pours out as more of a whisper than anything else?" she smiled. "No, I'm pretty sure it's my name. Then again, that's something you'd know if you weren't complete crap."



"Bitch," he spat, placing both hands on her shoulders and pushing her backwards.



+++++++++



"Dick," Jason growled, pushing Kelly towards Ashley. "Get her out of here."



"Jay?" Kelly questioned as Ashley turned to see where he was headed.



"Nope," Ashley shook her head, grabbing Kelly before she could turn around. "Time to go. Now."



"But Carrie--"



"Jason's got her," she assured, hurrying her out of the club, Jill and Kate right behind them.



"Get away from her," Jason demanded, as he reached the bar, hitting David squarely in the jaw.



David staggered back, bringing a hand up to his lip where he could taste blood. He narrowed his eyes at Jason who was now standing in between him and Carrie.



"Back off," Jason glared. "I swear to God, there isn't much keeping me from killing you right now. Hell, I should've done it a long time ago."



"Ah," David nodded. "The big brother. Long time no see."



"And I thought I made it clear that I never wanted to see you around Kelly again?"



"I didn't know she was here."



"So, you mess with her girlfriend instead?"



"Hey, you guys all saw it?" he smiled, turning back to his friends. "She was hitting on me."



Jason pushed him backwards, and he stumbled into his friends.



"Jay," Carrie grabbed his arm from behind. "She wouldn't want this."



"I swear..." he warned once more, shaking his head.



David fixed his shirt, throwing a "Whatever" over his shoulder as his friends pulled him away.



Jason turned around to the country singer who was looking at him nervously, "You ok?"



Carrie nodded.



Jason wrapped an arm around her, "I'm sorry. I saw him, but I didn't want Kelly to see him, so I was kind of stuck."



"It's ok," Carrie shook her head as he guided her out of the club. "I shouldn't have provoked him."



"He's a jackass," Jason replied. "God, I wish I could just beat the shit out of him. If Kelly wasn't who she is, and the story wouldn't end up on the front page of every tabloid, I so would."



"So would I," Carrie nodded.



Jason laughed, giving her shoulders a squeeze as they walked up to girls outside.



"Are you ok?" Kelly asked, rushing to her, taking her face in her hands.



"I'm fine," Carrie assured her.



"Who was that guy?" Jill asked.



"Nobody," Ashley replied quickly. "What the heck was he doing all the way over here?"



Jason shrugged, "No clue."



"What the hell was going on Jay?" Kelly asked, hugging the country singer's side tightly. "You scared me to death."



"Nothing, just not a place we needed to be, that's all."



"Let's just go," Carrie smiled weakly.



Kelly leaned up on her toes, giving her a kiss, "Of course."



+++++++++



"So, are you going to tell me what happened?" Kelly asked as they lay together in the hotel bed.



"It was nothing," Carrie replied, holding her protectively.



"Then what's got you so upset?"



"Kell..."



"Please tell me," Kelly urged. "We promised to always be honest with each other, remember?"



Carrie sighed, "David was at the bar."



"David?"



"Hodges," she said through clenched teeth.



"Oh."



"I'm sorry," Carrie frowned. "We should've told you. I just didn't want to see you upset."



"It's ok," Kelly replied. "W-what happened?"



"He tried hitting on me. That was before I knew who he was. I turned him down. Then I did realize who he was, and we shared a few words. I kindly put him in his place, and he kinda shoved me."



"He what?!" Kelly asked, pushing herself up to look at her.



"It was nothing," Carrie shook her head. "Besides, Jason hit him pretty damn hard, so I seriously doubt we'll have to worry about him."



"I can't believe he laid a hand on you," she frowned, bringing a hand up to touch Carrie's cheek softly. "I'm so sorry."



"It's not your fault," Carrie replied, covering Kelly's hand with her own. "And seriously, I barely felt a thing."



"No wonder you're so tense. Some baggage I've got, huh?"



"That's not what I'm tense about. Your baggage doesn't bother me in the least."



Kelly raised a disbelieving eyebrow.



"I just feel so bad that you had to date a guy like that. That you felt like you needed him in your life, that he was what you deserved because that couldn't be farther from the truth. And I guess I was torn between telling you and potentially hurting you, or not telling you and potentially hurting us."



"I'm fine, don't worry about me," Kelly replied, tracing her thumb along Carrie's bottom lip. "He means nothing to me. You're the only thing that I care about, and the only thing that hurts me about tonight is that he hurt you."



Carrie kissed her thumb softly before pulling her back down, holding her tightly.



"Care," Kelly laughed.



"Just let me...please?" Carrie asked, still feeling the need to protect her.



"For as long as you want," Kelly smiled, snuggling into her and getting comfortable.