I do not own Blindspot or its characters.
A/N: You guys are awesome! Thanks again for all the kind reviews! They make me write faster! :)
Jane kept her eyes trained straight ahead as the boat drew up next to the Orion's floating dock. She was seated only a few feet away from Kurt, but she felt that distance as acutely as if it were a million miles. She leaped to her feet the moment they stopped and disembarked without a backwards glance.
"Jane? Jane, wait," Kurt called as she disappeared through the door and started toward the elevator. He got there just as the doors were sliding shut and barely managed to get a hand in to pry them back open. Neither of them spoke as the car ascended to the main deck. Jane shoved through the doors as soon as they were open wide enough, intent on getting away, but Kurt caught her arm. "Would you please stop running away from me? We need to talk."
"No, we don't," Jane said bitterly, yanking free of his gentle grip as Zapata barreled toward them. "There's nothing left to say."
"Hey, guys," Zapata said breathlessly as she skidded to a stop in front of them. "We need to talk." She frowned as the tension between them suddenly registered. "What's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing," Jane spat. "Except that Captain Weller here has the emotional maturity of a gnat. Although that may be an insult to gnats." Kurt raised an eyebrow, and she glared at him. "He's a condescending, insensitive, infuriating—"
"Man?" supplied a woman's voice, and Jane swiveled to face the frosty gaze of an unfamiliar female standing next to Dr. Reade. "Let me guess. You're my brother's new girlfriend." Her tone of voice made it clear that she was less than impressed.
"Brother?" Jane breathed just as Kurt said, "Sarah? What are you doing here?" and she felt her heart sink into her stomach. Oh god. Of all the times for his sister to arrive . . .
"What? Can't a girl drop in to visit her big brother?" Sarah asked lightly. She glanced from him to the woman he'd been arguing with to Zapata. "Granted, I didn't expect you to be off on a date with your girlfriend when I arrived . . ."
"I'm not his girlfriend," Jane responded automatically, wishing she could find a rock and crawl under it. This was so not how she had pictured this meeting going. "And today wasn't a date. We were coerced into it under false pretenses."
"Really?" Sarah arched an eyebrow, looking so much like her brother when he was displeased that Jane mentally quailed. "That's not what Zapata here told me. Apparently the two of you are living together now?"
"Yeah, uh . . ." Kurt rubbed the back of his neck. "The ship was overbooked, so Jane is sharing my cabin for the week. I wish you'd called ahead. We're going to be leaving port soon, and there's no room for you and Saw—"
"Sawyer's dad took him on a skiing trip this week," Sarah informed him, shivering theatrically. "They invited me along, but I spend enough of the year freezing my ass off. I decided to go somewhere warm for a change. Especially since my big brother hasn't been home to see me in a while." Six months, to be exact. The precise length of time, according to Zapata, since this mysterious Jane Doe had hired on, though from what she had seen so far, the woman wasn't worthy of Kurt's time or interest. "And Ed's already offered to let me share his cabin, so I'll be able to stay aboard for the rest of the cruise."
Of course he had. Kurt looked from his sister to a sheepish Reade and back, wondering for the umpteenth time just what the hell was up with the two of them. They had been pretty hot and heavy two years ago, and he'd even thought wedding bells were in the offing, and then one day they just . . . weren't. Sarah had packed up and moved to Washington, ostensibly to be closer to Sawyer's father, and neither one of them had ever mentioned the relationship to him again. He was surprised Sarah was willing to stay with him now. Apparently, desperate times really did call for desperate measures.
He belatedly realized that Sarah and Jane hadn't been introduced. "Jane, this is my sister, Sarah. Her bark is worse than her bite, I promise. Sarah, this is my . . . this is our cruise director, Jane Doe."
"Nice to meet you," Sarah said as she shook Jane's hand, sounding anything but pleased. Her bark was worse than her bite, indeed. They'd see about that. This woman might have pulled the wool over her brother's eyes, but she wasn't so easily fooled. It was a good thing she'd arrived when she had. Kurt deserved the best, and she was going to personally see to it that he didn't settle for anything less.
"Nice to meet you as well," Jane returned. She could see that Sarah wanted time alone with her brother. Probably to discuss how unsuitable she was for him. "I, uh . . . I should check in with my assistant after being away all day. Maybe we can talk more at dinner?"
"I'm looking forward to it," Sarah assured her with a saccharine smile. She waited until Jane and Zapata were well out of earshot, Reade making a hasty departure as well, before turning to her brother. "What the hell was that?"
"What the hell was that?" Zapata demanded as soon as they were out of hearing range. "I sent you two off on a nice, relaxing—"
"Nice? Relaxing?" Jane laughed scornfully. "The day may have started off that way, but I found out soon enough that Captain Weller's not the Prince Charming I envisioned. He's just as much of a toad as the rest of the male species."
"Why? What did he do?" Zapata demanded desperately, alarmed at how quickly her and Rich's perfect plan was going off the rails. He was not going to be happy to hear of this latest development. And since she had come up with the idea for today, her ass was on the line.
Jane's eyes filled with tears. "I don't want to talk about it. Let's just say we're all wrong for each other and leave it at that. I think I may ask Patterson if I can move into her cabin after all." Since she was her only friend that didn't already have at least one roommate.
Zapata made a mental note to make sure Patterson had an excuse at the ready. Whatever had happened today, these two idiots were meant for one another, and she was determined not to let them off the hook so easily. Although Jane's next words made that task considerably more difficult.
"I think I may give Markos a second look," Jane continued. "Now that I'm not blinded by my feelings for Captain Weller any longer. Would you come by the cabin later and help me pick out something to wear? I'll be damned if I give that bastard the satisfaction of seeing me mooning over him anymore."
She had to talk to Rich. Now. "Sure," Zapata agreed with what little enthusiasm she could muster. "I'll come by in about an hour, okay? But don't give up on Weller just yet. I'm sure whatever he's done is not as bad as you thi—" She shut up at the look Jane shot her. "Never mind. I can see you're not ready to talk about it. I'll see you later." She beat a hasty retreat.
Rich was decidedly displeased by Zapata's progress report, and nearly as upset to learn Weller's sister was now aboard, a complication which might well hamper their efforts to fix the problem before the cruise ended. Especially since they had no idea what that problem was.
But Jane's behavior at dinner convinced him that whatever it was, it was far more serious than he'd originally assumed. She arrived in the shortest, most low-cut dress he'd provided her, one he'd assumed she'd never wear, and proceeded to flirt shamelessly with Markos throughout the entire meal, even going off with him afterwards for an after dinner cocktail. The one redeeming quality to the evening was the smoldering jealousy in Weller's eyes. Clearly, whatever had happened between them, he still wanted her.
Now Rich just had to stop her from doing something stupid that would make him change his mind. Markos had been well briefed on what his role was to be on this cruise, but clearly it was time to revise those instructions. Without delay.
The cabin was dark when Jane finally entered, but the moment the door closed behind her, two strong arms encircled her, pulling her back into an equally firm chest. And that wasn't the only thing that was hard.
"Do you have any idea how difficult it was for me to watch you flirt with that idiot in this dress all evening?" Kurt growled, his hands already slipping beneath the bodice to cup her breasts.
Jane moaned at the pleasurable feel, tipping her head back against his shoulder to give him easier access as he began to kiss down her neck. "I'm guessing it was harder than me pretending to be interested in what he had to say all night."
"Much harder," he assured her as one hand left her breast to slide beneath the hem of her dress and higher, until he reached . . . "Jane. You're not wearing panties." God, if he'd known that, he never would have been able to restrain himself from throwing her over his shoulder and marching her back to their cabin—or the nearest secluded place they could be alone.
"They didn't exactly work with this dress," Jane gasped out as his fingers unerringly found the heart of her and began fanning the flames of her desire once more. Not that it took much effort. "Do you think Rich and Zapata bought our act?"
"Mmmhmm," Kurt mumbled, not in the least interested in discussing their retribution at the moment. Or anything else. They'd made love three times already today, and he couldn't wait to have her once more. He felt like a teenager all over again. "Jane. I need you."
"I'm right here," Jane assured him, needing him just as intensely. She turned in his arms as he hastily fumbled with the button on his pants, cursing the fact that he hadn't thought to slip into something more comfortable while he was impatiently awaiting her return. He finally managed to shove them down and her dress up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist before reaching down to guide him into her.
They both shuddered at the incredible sensation. Kurt leaned in to kiss her fiercely as he pressed her against the wall, swallowing their combined moans before he began to move, plunging into her over and over with more haste than finesse. Jane met him thrust for thrust, just as desperate as him, and they cried out as one as their orgasms overtook them.
"Jane," he murmured when he finally caught his breath. He framed her jaw with his hands, wishing he could see her face. Wishing she could see his as he told her . . . "I love you."
"I know," Jane told him. He'd shown her that all day long, both in words and in actions. "I love you too." She smiled as he lowered her until her feet touched the floor, and she wrapped her arms around him, laying her head on his chest to hear the reassuring steady beat of the heart that now belonged to her. "I have to admit, you did make me a little nervous there this morning. I thought it might have been too soon to say—"
"Never," Kurt interrupted. He'd been stunned by her words at first, but he was glad to know where he stood with her. Especially since he felt the same way. "I'm so glad you did. I've never been . . . the best at communicating with my past girlfriends, but with you . . . I don't why, but it's different. Easier. I'd like us to always be honest about what we're thinking and feeling."
"Me too," Jane agreed. She let him tug her over to the bed, and they shed their clothes before crawling beneath the covers. She sighed as she cuddled up to him. "Your sister doesn't like me very much." She hated that Sarah's first impression of her had been . . . that.
"She will once we tell her what's going on," Kurt reassured her. "I invited her for breakfast in the morning so we can fill her in. Trust me, she has a great sense of humor, and she can keep a secret. In fact . . ." A slow smile spread across his face as an idea occurred to him. "She may just be able to help us with our plan . . ."