Jane awoke to the smell of coffee brewing. She stretched, disoriented to find herself on the couch instead of in her bed, until the events of last night came rushing back to her. She glanced down at herself, noting that the blanket normally on the back of the couch was tucked around her. Kurt must have covered her. After she'd fallen asleep on him.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Kurt greeted with a warm smile as Jane ventured into the kitchen, looking adorably tousled. He could see she was nervous, and he hurried on, hoping to forestall an apology. As far as he was concerned, there was no need. "I hope you don't mind that I'm fixing omelets for breakfast. I'll clean your kitchen, I promise."

"No need," Jane assured him. "You're cooking, so it's only fair I clean up." Her heart warmed at his thoughtfulness. No guy had ever cooked for her before—no guy had even gained entry to her place since Oscar—and judging from Kurt's confidence as he moved around the kitchen, he was an excellent one.

"We'll do it together," Kurt compromised, welcoming any excuse to spend more time with Jane. "I was going to make us pancakes, but your cupboards are sadly bare," he informed her. "I'm going to have to take you grocery shopping after I fix your door. Or I won't be able to cook you dinner tonight."

"Kurt, you don't have to—"

"Yes, I do," Kurt interrupted. "I'm fairly certain that it was Gord who brought the mouse in here, so cooking you a nice meal is the least I can do to make up for the fright he gave you." Gord was sitting nearby with Arliss, watching him intently in case he dropped a morsel, and he scowled at his cat. "I'll find a way to keep him at home, I promise."

"I don't mind," Jane said softly. Well, at least not if he checked his gifts at the door—or better yet, further away—in the future. "Really," she assured Kurt as he cast her a disbelieving look. "He's a sweet cat. And I think it would break Arliss's heart if he didn't get to see him anymore." And it would give her an excuse to see Kurt frequently.

"Gord's too," Kurt agreed as he studied the pair. "But I don't want him sneaking out to come over here. Like you said, anything could happen to him." And he didn't ever want to have to explain to Sarah how her beloved cat got killed on his watch. "I guess we'll have to work out some kind of . . . joint custody agreement."

"Custody agreement? You mean, like they're our kids or something? Shouldn't we wait until after the marriage breaks up for that?" Jane teased. Her face flamed as she realized the implication of her words. "I mean—"

"Yes," Kurt said simply.

"Yes?" Jane repeated dumbly. She could hardly breathe at the tender look in his eyes as he held her gaze steadily. "You mean . . . you think . . . you want to . . ."

"Get married? Yeah. I do." Kurt couldn't believe he was saying this to a woman he had known less than two days, but no decision had ever felt more right. He knew in his bones that Jane was the right woman for him. "If you'll have me."

Jane took a deep breath. "I will." It was a huge leap of faith for her, given her history, but she didn't think she'd find a man she could trust more than Kurt if she spent her entire life looking for him. "There are things you should probably know about me—"

"I know everything I need to know about you already, Jane," Kurt told her. "You're smart and funny and beautiful inside and out, and I can't believe some lucky guy hasn't snatched you up long ago."

Oscar had tried, but he'd turned out to be simply a toad, rather than the prince she was looking for.

"Don't get me wrong," Kurt continued. "I want to know everything about you, but nothing you tell me will change my mind about marrying you." He flashed her a lopsided grin. "You've been mine since the moment you jumped into my arms to get away from that mouse."

His. She liked the sound of that. And he was hers. "So, umm . . ." Jane gazed at him shyly. "How do you want to do this? I suppose we should call our siblings, although it might be tough for me to get in touch with Roman right now, since he's Special Forces. And set a date. And . . ."

"Fine," Kurt agreed to put a stop to her rambling. "Friday works for me, if it's good with you."

Jane gaped at him. "Friday? That's only two days away. I don't think . . . Can we even get married that quickly?"

"We can if we get the marriage license by tomorrow afternoon," Kurt informed her. "There's a twenty-four-hour waiting period." He had learned all about it recently when a client's eighteen-year-old daughter ran away to get married. "Since you're taking the day off and my caseload is light right now, why don't we go get the license this afternoon? That way we could both take off on Friday and spend the whole weekend together." Preferably in bed.

"What about your sister?" Jane asked, stunned to realize she was considering this. She'd assumed they would have some time between the engagement and the wedding to get to know one another better, but surprisingly enough, it didn't concern her. They could get to know one another as easily as husband and wife as an engaged couple. "Won't she be upset about not being there?"

She'd just be thrilled that he had found someone to share his life with. Once she met Jane and realized that he hadn't rushed into marriage with someone . . . unsuitable. "I'll tell her that we decided to make it just the two of us since your brother can't be there. So. What do you say?"

This was crazy, but Jane felt the last of her fear that this was too fast fade away completely as she met Kurt's warm gaze. There was no way she could say no, not when he was looking at her with such hope in his eyes. She took a deep breath. "Yes. I say yes."

The next forty-eight hours were a whirlwind of activity. Kurt fixed her door while Jane did the breakfast dishes, and she admired his handiwork as they headed out to get their marriage license. "I hit the jackpot with you," she teased him as they drove. "I'm gaining a cook and a handyman. I definitely think I'm getting the better end of this bargain."

Kurt grinned over at her. "Nah. With you as the future Mrs. Weller, I'm going to be the envy of every guy who meets my smart, funny, gorgeous, sexy-as-hell wife. I'm definitely coming out ahead in this deal." He froze as he realized that they hadn't discussed the last name issue. They hadn't discussed a lot of things.

"Mrs. Weller," Jane said with a smile that had the tension draining right back out of him. "I like the sound of that." And she rather thought she'd be the one being envied when her single colleagues met Kurt.

"Me too," Kurt said softly. He parked the car and turned to face Jane, taking her hand in his. "Look, I know we haven't really gone about this the normal way, and to other people, it might seem like we're rushing into this marriage, but I need you to know this isn't a whim for me. I'm every bit as sure that you're the person I want to spend the rest of my life with as I would be if we'd dated for years first. I love you, Jane."

"I love you too, Kurt," Jane returned, surprised at how easily the heartfelt words rolled off her tongue. She'd never said them to another man, despite feeling pressured to do so in the past. But it made her certainty now that much sweeter. "And I have no doubts that you're the person I want to spend the rest of my life with."

"Good," Kurt said as he reluctantly let go of her hand. "Then let's go get our future started, shall we?"

They headed into the city clerk's office to apply for their marriage license and less than an hour later they walked out with it in hand. "Where to next?" Jane asked as they got back into the car.

"Jewelry store," Kurt suggested.

"Oh, that's right," Jane said. "We'll need wedding rings. And I should probably shop for a dress while we're out too. Unless you'd prefer I did that on my own," she said at Kurt's surprised look.

"Not necessarily, it's just . . . usually the groom doesn't see the bride or her dress until the ceremony," Kurt reminded her.

Jane shrugged. "We're going together to the Marriage Bureau." At least she hoped they would. The last thing she wanted was to make the drive home as a newlywed alone. "So I think that's one tradition we can dispense with." She didn't put any stock in that superstition anyway. Several of her married friends had seen their grooms beforehand, and most of them were happier than the couples that had abided by the tradition.

"Fine by me," Kurt agreed, and steered them in the direction of a mall with both jewelers and dress shops. They headed to the jewelry store first and had no trouble settling on a pair of simple gold wedding bands, but that hadn't been his only purpose in coming in here. "Can I see that one, please?" Kurt asked the jeweler, pointing to a diamond solitaire engagement ring, and the man handed it to him without fail.

"Kurt, no!" Jane protested. "I don't need . . ." The words died on her lips as he slid it onto her finger, and her eyes grew misty as she gazed down at it. It fit on her finger perfectly, as if it had been made just for her, and she loved it. She never wanted to take it off.

"We'll take it as well," Kurt told the jeweler, and the man gleefully rang up their purchases and wished them every happiness on their special day.

Dress shopping proved to be more of a challenge, since Jane had no idea what she wanted to wear and there were so many styles and colors to choose from, but eventually she settled on a sleeveless pale green floaty chiffon with a row of delicate buttons up the back. Kurt would have to help her into—and out of—it, but judging from the look on his face, that wouldn't be a problem.

Kurt stopped off at a grocery store on their way home, and he showed up at her apartment shortly after five carrying a box that was emanating aromas that made her mouth water. "I hope you like chicken marsala," he said as he carried it into the kitchen.

"It smells delicious," Jane smiled. She grabbed plates and silverware as Kurt poured them each a glass of wine. "I always wanted to learn to cook, but somehow I've never gotten around to it. Maybe you could teach me after we're married."

"I'd be happy to," Kurt assured her. He dished the food, and they dug in, eating for several minutes in companionable silence. "Speaking of after we're married," he said once the sharp edge of hunger had been satisfied, "have you given any thought to where we're going to live?" Their apartments were roughly the same size, but while hers was the homier of the two, his had the better view.

But he would gladly sacrifice that view—and many other creature comforts—for the view he had now.

"I hadn't really thought about it," Jane said with a shrug. She liked her apartment well enough, but she wasn't overly attached to it. She had decorated it to her liking, but even so, it had never really felt like home. It felt closer to that now, with Kurt here, than it ever had, but something was still missing. "My lease isn't up for a few months . . ."

"I've got about six months left on mine," Kurt informed her.

"So that gives us a few months to figure it out, right?" So long as she was with Kurt, Jane would be happy under either roof.

"Definitely," Kurt agreed. One life-changing decision at a time was more than enough. They could settle into married life for a while, see which place suited them best as a couple, before revisiting the issue.

They chatted about a variety of neutral topics over the remainder of dinner, and after they had cleaned up, Jane poured them each another large glass of wine. "I know you said this morning that nothing would change your mind about marrying me," she began, "but there are still things I need you to know about me before we do."

"O-kay," Kurt said slowly. His eyebrows rose as Jane took a large gulp of wine, and he covered her hand with his to keep her from draining the glass. "Relax, honey. I meant what I said earlier. No matter what you tell me, I'm in this for the long haul."

"I was engaged once before," Jane said abruptly. "When I was in college. The rela—the woman who took my brother and me in as kids actually introduced us." They had never been able to confirm whether Shepherd was indeed a relative.

"Did you love him?" Kurt asked quietly, his gaze never wavering from her face.

Jane smiled without humor. "I tried to convince myself I did because I wanted the family I'd never had, but deep down . . . deep down I always knew Oscar wasn't the right person for me. He was the first serious boyfriend I'd ever had, and we had a whirlwind romance. I agreed to his marriage proposal after just three weeks, but I wouldn't set a date or sleep with him like he kept pressuring me to do. I told him I wanted to wait, so he . . . I walked into his place one day and found him in bed with another girl."

Kurt opened his mouth, but Jane rushed on before he could express the sympathy she saw reflected in his eyes. "He blamed me for his cheating because I wouldn't 'put out' and had the nerve to suggest that we could still go ahead with the wedding, but that wasn't even the worst part. When I threw his ring back at him, he told me that the woman who raised us—the only mother we'd ever known—had hired him to woo me to get her hands on my inheritance from my birth parents. That the money was the only reason she'd put up with us all these years."

"Jane." Kurt tightened his grip on her hand. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," Jane told him. "I'm not. I wouldn't change one single thing if it meant I wouldn't be sitting here now with you."

"Neither would I," Kurt said as he shifted his chair close to hers and gathered Jane into his arms. "Not one single solitary thing." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "So what happened . . . afterwards?" he asked eventually.

"I confronted Shepherd," Jane said quietly. "Told her to get the hell out of our lives and never return. Roman had already signed up for the military by that point, so once he shipped out, I transferred to a college here in New York and never looked back. I dated a few times, but I could never trust any of the guys enough to get . . . close to them. Or maybe it was my judgment I didn't trust. So I buried myself in my studies and then my work. I always figured that if I was meant to be with someone fate would have to send them my way." She smiled shyly at Kurt. "And fate did."

Kurt nodded as he struggled to process all that she had told him. If she hadn't slept with Oscar, and she'd walled herself off from other guys afterwards, then . . . She was a virgin. He would be not only the first man she was with, but the only one, and he felt a surge of nervousness at the weighty responsibility. And then the rest of her confession sank in. She wasn't a schoolteacher on a tight budget like he'd assumed, but an heiress.

Just how much money were they talking? Kurt wondered before realizing it didn't matter. He'd fallen in love with Jane when he'd assumed she didn't have two spare nickels to rub together, and he'd love her just as much if she wound up penniless tomorrow. "If you want to delay the wedding so you can have a prenup drawn up . . ."

"I don't," Jane interrupted. "If there's one thing I learned from the experience with Oscar, it's how to figure out who I can trust and who I can't." She smiled down at their joined hands, pulling hers free so she could trace his work-roughened one. "I trust you, Kurt. With everything I am, and everything I have. You're a good man, and I can't wait to call you my husband."

He couldn't wait to make her his wife. Kurt leaned over to kiss her, and Jane met him halfway, scooting her chair closer until she was practically straddling his lap as his arms tightened around her. She moaned, just as she had the first time he'd kissed her, and this time he couldn't resist deepening the kiss, slipping his tongue inside to explore the contours of her mouth, learn the taste of her.

Jane slipped her hands under his shirt, and the feel of her cool fingers against his skin recalled him to reality just as he was on the verge of carrying her into the bedroom and giving in to the attraction that had sizzled between them from the moment she stormed up to him. Wait. She wanted to wait, he reminded himself. He rested his forehead against hers for a moment until his breathing was back under control.

"I, umm . . ." His voice was more gravelly than normal, and he cleared his throat to steady it. "I should probably get going."

"Why?" Jane asked. "We're engaged now, and I'd like to spend time with my new fiancé. Stay. Please."

When Jane was looking at him like that, green eyes wide and pleading, there was no way he could refuse. "Okay. But I need you to promise that you won't take advantage of me. I'm saving myself for our wedding night."

Jane's eyes flew to Kurt's in stunned amazement until she realized he was teasingly letting her know that he intended to respect her desire to wait. A desire she didn't even have with him. She choked out a laugh even as she fell deeper in love with him. "Fine. I suppose I can settle for just cuddling until then. But don't think you're getting off the hook after that, mister."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Kurt said huskily, and he smiled as Jane swallowed hard. "I'll just run over to my apartment and get some of my things, and I'll be right back. Then we can start our Star Wars marathon if you'd like."

"Would you mind if I went with you?" Jane asked, rising with Kurt. "I'd love to see your place."

"Not at all." Kurt held out his hand to Jane. "I'd love to show you my place." Somehow, it hadn't even occurred to him that she hadn't been there.

Jane held tightly to Kurt's hand all the way to his door and followed him inside slowly, turning this way and that as she took everything in. The apartment was clearly a bachelor's abode, but it had just enough feminine touches to keep it from being overwhelmingly masculine. She was guessing Sarah was responsible for that.

"Is this your sister and nephew?" she asked, pausing before a candid photo of a woman affectionately tussling with a curly-headed young boy.

"That's Sarah and Sawyer," Kurt confirmed, sliding his arm around Jane and pulling her close. "They moved to Portland a few months back so Sawyer could be closer to his father. I can't wait for you to meet them."

"Does Sarah know about . . . us?" Jane asked hesitantly. She'd been wondering all day if Kurt had called his sister, and if so, what her reaction had been. She'd halfway expected Kurt to show up at her place tonight and tell her he'd made a mistake and the wedding was off.

"No." Kurt shook his head. "I debated calling and telling her, but she was already stressed out the other night when I spoke to her, so I thought . . ."

"You thought if you waited and presented her with a fait accompli that she wouldn't stress even more over it?" Jane asked, disbelief warring with amusement in her voice.

"When you put it that way, it does sound kind of silly," Kurt admitted sheepishly. "But don't you stress over it. She'll love you once she gets to know you." He hoped.

Jane wasn't convinced, but life had taught her never to borrow trouble before it inevitably arrived. "I'm sure I'll love her as well. And Sawyer." It had been just her and Roman for so long that it would be nice to have more family.

"Feel free to look around all you like," Kurt offered as he headed down the hall to his bedroom. "I'll grab what I need, and we'll be good to go."

Jane did just that while Kurt packed. She started in his kitchen, noting with amusement that it was much better stocked than hers, both in terms of food and equipment. Wherever they decided to live, she would bow to his superior expertise in this area.

She made her way to the guest room next. The décor in here was much more feminine, from the silvery green bedspread to the lacy curtains, and Jane guessed that it had been Sarah's room at one point. The bookshelf against the far wall was full, and she walked over to inspect its contents. It was quite an eclectic mix, everything from the classics to thrillers to romance novels. She picked up one she hadn't read and thumbed through it.

"Those were Sarah's," Kurt said from the doorway. "She's quite the avid reader." He glanced at the book in her hands as he came up beside her. "Nora Roberts is one of her favorite authors."

"Mine too," Jane said quietly. It was good to know they had that in common. And they both loved Kurt. Hopefully those things would help them forge more common ground and become friends. Become sisters.

She started to set the book back on the shelf, but Kurt stopped her. "You're welcome to take that with you if you'd like. I just need to grab a few things from the bathroom, and I'll be ready to go."

Jane tucked the book under her arm and followed him down the hall to the bathroom, where he retrieved a tote with his toiletries, before moving on to his bedroom. Her attention was immediately drawn to the sparsely filled suitcase open on his bed. "That's not enough for the next few days," she frowned.

"You asked me to stay tonight," Kurt countered. "I just . . . I didn't want to presume . . ."

"We're getting married in less than two days," Jane reminded him. "So presume away. I want you at my place. In my bed." In her very body, as soon as she could persuade him to cooperate.

"Fine by me," Kurt grinned. He grabbed another armload of clothes from his closet and put them in his suitcase, along with more socks and underwear. He zipped the suitcase up and hefted it as Jane slung his tote bag over her shoulder, and he wrapped an arm around her waist as they headed back to her place.

Jane headed into the bathroom to get changed and when she came out, Kurt was standing with his back to her beside her bed clad in only a pair of boxers. "Now there's a view I could get used to," she teased with a soft whistle.

"You're going to," Kurt returned, swallowing hard as he turned to face Jane and took in her skimpy tank top and shorts. Two more nights, he reminded himself desperately as she approached. Just two more . . . Jane pressed her lips to his, and every thought vanished save for the softness of her skin, the intoxicating taste of her as her tongue slid against his.

"God," Kurt groaned when they finally broke apart for air. It took every ounce of his willpower not to give in to his desire for Jane, with her bed so close by they could fall right onto it. "You're really hard to resist, you know that?"

"So don't resist me," Jane said against his lips. "I promised I'd leave your virtue intact, but I have a feeling that leaves some room for . . . discovery." She ran her palms up his chest and across his shoulders as she spoke, reveling in the shudder that racked his body as he closed his eyes.

It left a great deal of room for discovery. Kurt's breathing quickened with excitement at the thought, but still he hesitated. He opened his mouth to ask Jane if she was sure, but the eagerness in her eyes matched his, and he felt the last of his reservations melt away. Perhaps it would be best to give her a taste of the pleasure that awaited her, rather than overwhelming her with the whole new experience at once. They would be husband and wife in less than forty-eight hours, after all.

Kurt grinned as he moved the hairsbreadth necessary to capture Jane's lips once more, swallowing her surprised yelp as he hefted her up in his arms and laid her down on the bed. He stretched out beside her and propped himself up on one elbow, drinking in the love and trust and happiness on her face, until she quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Less gawking," Jane ordered Kurt. "More doing." She smiled at his soft yes, ma'am as she pulled him down for another kiss, but her amusement quickly died as his lips traced a fiery trail down her neck, lingering on a particularly sensitive spot near her shoulder when she moaned and shivered.

His hands moved to the hem of her pajama shirt, seemingly of their own volition, and he drew back as his fingertips grazed the soft skin of her belly, wordlessly asking permission to remove her top. Jane nodded and raised up slightly, and he pulled it over her head. Her eyes grew misty at the awe in his as his gaze swept over her.

Kurt's eyes roamed her upper half, taking in her creamy skin and rounded breasts, the rosy tips beginning to harden under his appreciative gaze. He couldn't resist reaching out to cup one, smiling at how perfectly it fit in his hand, and she arched into his touch as he stroked a thumb across her nipple. "God, you're beautiful," he murmured. "I could look at you like this forever."

Jane's passion-darkened eyes met his, and he chuckled at her expression. "I know, I know. Less gawking, more action." He took a nipple into his mouth and sucked gently, reveling in her soft oh and subsequent moans of pleasure.

Jane felt a surge of love as she gazed down at Kurt at her breast, and her hands flew up to grip the back of his head as he kissed his way over to the other to give it the same treatment, holding him to her as each gentle pull sent jolts of electricity straight to her core. "I could watch you like this forever," she murmured, repeating his own words back to him.

"Trust me," Kurt said with a wolfish grin, raising back up to press a quick kiss to her lips, "you're going to like what I do next even more." He kissed his way back down her belly until he reached the waistband of her shorts, once again asking permission to remove them, and once again, she nodded.

He hooked his thumbs in the waistband and slid them down slowly, caressing her legs as he did so. He tossed them aside mindlessly and began kissing his way back upwards, going from one to the other, until he reached the apex of her thighs.

Jane had propped herself up on her elbows and was watching Kurt intently, almost overcome with anticipation for his next move, and he didn't disappoint. Her head fell back on a moan and her hips jerked almost uncontrollably as he finally kissed her where she needed him most. Her breath came out in pants as he sucked her clit into his mouth, and her hands fisted in the sheets when he inserted a finger inside her and began to pump gently. "Oh my god," she chanted over and over, running the words together as the delicious tension built inside her.

And then it spilled over, and she cried out Kurt's name as her body sang with pleasure. She was dimly aware of his fingers still inside her, moving slower now to draw out her orgasm for her as long as possible, before everything went dark.

Kurt was stroking her hair when she finally found the energy to open her eyes once more, and he smiled at the look of hazy contentment in them. "Good?" he asked.

"Mmm," Jane hummed. Kurt rolled onto his back, and she followed him, mimicking his earlier posture by propping herself up on an elbow to look down at him. He grinned at her, and she returned his smile before dropping her gaze lower, taking in his broad shoulders and muscular chest, the line of hair leading down to . . . She frowned as she realized he still had his boxers on.

She glanced back up at him, noting with satisfaction that his gaze was much more heated now than it had been. "My turn," she said as she reached for his boxers. "Or I guess I should say, your turn."

"Jane," Kurt whispered hoarsely as he reached for her hands to still them. He wasn't at all sure he'd be able to hold out for their wedding night if she continued.

"Relax, honey," Jane teased as she pulled free of his hold. "I'll be gentle." She slid the shorts off him and tossed them in the direction hers had gone before returning her attention to him.

Her eyes widened as she took in the evidence of his desire for her, her cheeks turning faintly pink, and for an instant, Kurt thought she was going to chicken out, but she surprised him by reaching out to stroke him with a steady hand. He groaned loudly as she cupped his sac, and Jane flashed him a smile that was both seductive and shy as her hand moved back to his erection.

Kurt closed his eyes as her grip tightened and she began stroking him in earnest, the inexperienced enthusiasm of her movements drawing him to the edge much more quickly than normal. "Jane. I'm going to—" Come, he started to say, but it was too late. He felt a moment of embarrassment at his loss of self-control before dropping back against the pillows as the pleasure overwhelmed him.

Jane was propped against the headboard, smiling down at him, when he came back to reality. "Good?" she asked tentatively.

"Incredible," he sighed. Jane might be a virgin, but she was no shrinking maiden. The wedding—and the wedding night—couldn't get here fast enough. "For the record, I usually . . . last longer than that." It had been a long dry spell for him.

Jane flashed him a wicked smile. "Something to look forward to, then. Wait here." She hopped up and headed to the bathroom to retrieve a warm washcloth to clean him up with.

"Jane," Kurt murmured as he realized her intention. "You don't have to . . ."

"I want to," Jane assured him as she began gently wiping his stomach clean. "You've taken such good care of me so far, it's my turn to return the favor. And it's . . . it's nice to have someone to take care of. To come home to."

"Yes, it is," Kurt said quietly. He hadn't realized how lonely he'd been before Jane came into his life until this moment, and he could hear that same loneliness reflected in her voice. She undoubtedly socialized more than him, but at the end of the day, she'd still been going home alone. "And we'll have that from now on."

"Forever and always," Jane agreed. She got up to return the washcloth to the bathroom and when she came back, Kurt was under the covers waiting for her. She snuggled into the shelter of his arms, and they drifted off to sleep, content in the knowledge that they had one another now and would never be alone again.