Jane didn't get a chance to talk to Kurt until they returned to their cabin after dinner that evening. "So . . . Markos had an interesting suggestion at lunch today," she said as she flopped down on the bed.
"Oh yeah?" Kurt asked as he took a seat beside her, his gaze roaming appreciatively over her body. God, he was never going to get tired of looking at her. Of having the freedom to touch her. "What was it?"
Jane filled him in on what she and Markos had talked about, as well as Sarah's suggestion about relocating. "So. What do you think?"
"I think . . ." Kurt drew out the word. "Rich is going to be looking for another captain and cruise director very soon. And—" he stretched out beside her and leaned in for a lingering kiss, "—since we're going to be land-based sooner than we planned on, we should probably get busy on the baby-making practice."
"I thought that's what we had been doing," Jane pointed out just as his lips trailed down her neck to a particularly sensitive spot, and she gasped out, "Kurt!" Her head lolled to the side to give him easier access, and she felt him smile against her neck before he worked his way back up to claim her lips again.
His parted slightly as he kissed her, and she instantly took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, tangling her tongue with his until they were forced to break apart for air. She sat up, panting slightly, and Kurt reached up to unzip her dress before setting to work on his own clothes. He had just yanked off his tie and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt when Jane placed a hand over his to still his progress.
"Let me," Jane whispered, having quickly shed her dress. She straddled him and began slowly and methodically undoing the buttons, dragging her fingers down his chest with every new inch she revealed, smiling when she felt goosebumps rise. Then it was her turn to shiver as she met his heated stare. "Do you like that?" she asked as seductively as she could manage.
"I like everything you do to me," Kurt bit out as she pulled his shirt free of his pants, so close to where he needed her touch the most and yet so far. He reciprocated by dragging his hands up her stomach, stopping just below her still-covered breasts but not touching, and he smiled at her groan of frustration. "Turnabout's fair play."
And two could play at it. Jane's smile turned mischievous as she unfastened the button on his pants and slowly, carefully lowered the zipper without touching his growing erection. She kept her eyes locked on his as she got to her feet and pulled first his pants and then his boxers off before licking her lips as she raked her gaze over him appreciatively.
If she wanted a show, he would damn well give her one. "Like what you see?" Kurt asked in a gravelly voice as he slowly shrugged his shirt off his shoulders and pulled his arms free of the sleeves before interlacing his fingers behind his head as he laid back and allowed her free rein to study him.
This was the first time they had really stopped to view one another before their lovemaking, and Jane took the time to enjoy it, removing her bra and stepping out of her panties so Kurt could look his fill as well. When her eyes finally met his again, she shivered at the heat in his gaze. "You're really gorgeous, you know that?" she said as she climbed back onto the bed and straddled him.
"So are you," Kurt told her, his words ending on a moan as her hand closed around his length, and she began stroking him. He closed his eyes at the pleasurable feel for a moment before reaching a hand between her legs to return the favor. She was soaked with desire, and his finger slid easily along her slit before circling her clit. Her free hand came up to grasp his shoulder as she rocked into his hand, her own grip tightening on him reflexively as she stroked him in time with the motion of his fingers inside her, until she crested the wave with a soft cry.
Kurt slowed the movement of his fingers as he felt Jane's inner muscles clenching around him, drawing out her orgasm until her breathing evened out and she opened her eyes. "Hey," he said as he pulled her down to his level to kiss her. "I really love you, you know that?"
"I know," Jane assured him. "I love you, too." Their lips met, and she quickly went from sated to wanting him again as the kiss deepened, igniting a new firestorm of desire. She didn't think she would ever have enough of him, be close enough to him. She reached down and guided him inside her, and they groaned in unison at the pleasurable feeling.
Jane stretched out on top of him until they were aligned from chest to toe before bracing her feet against his and pushing off, settling into a rocking motion that had his pelvis rubbing against her clit with every stroke.
Kurt let her guide the pace, running his hands over whatever parts of her body he could reach, and it wasn't long before her movements became erratic, the pleasure threatening to overwhelm them both. He rolled her beneath him and began thrusting into her with abandon, reaching a hand between them to press against her clit as he felt the all-consuming pressure building at the base of his spine.
Jane came with a choked cry, and the clenching of her inner walls triggered his own orgasm. He collapsed heavily onto her, and it was several minutes before sanity returned. He tried to roll off her, but she tightened her arms around him, holding him in place. She wanted to stay connected just a little while longer.
Kurt braced his weight on his forearms to keep from crushing her as he pressed a kiss to her forehead and then smiled down at her. "That was . . . Wow. We are definitely going to have to try that again one of these days."
"Mmm," Jane agreed, still struggling to find the words to form coherent speech. "I never could have imagined when we started this voyage that this was where we'd end up." That they would be sharing not just a bed, but their bodies, their hearts. The rest of their lives.
"I'm going to spend the rest of my life being thankful that we did," Kurt said fervently. And making sure that she never regretted choosing him. He would always be sorry that he had been a stubborn ass and cost them precious time they could have been enjoying together. But he wasn't going to waste another second of it. "We head back into port the day after tomorrow. Is everything ready for . . .?"
"All set," Jane assured him. "Sarah and I talked over the final details after lunch today. Oh, and we agreed Reade should be let in on the plan. He and Sarah are getting serious about one another, and I didn't think you'd mind." Reade was the closest male friend Kurt had that she knew of. It was nice that they would be settling close enough to one another that the two of them could still do . . . guy stuff, on occasion.
"I don't. But he'd better not be an idiot this time and screw things up with Sarah again," Kurt grumbled. "Or I will have something to say about it this time."
"You're a good big brother," Jane told him. And he was going to be an amazing father. She finally loosened her hold on him, and he rolled onto his back, pulling her with him. She shifted closer, snuggling into her usual sleeping position with her head tucked in the hollow of his neck, and they talked for a few more minutes before sleep claimed them both.
The rest of the voyage passed relatively uneventfully. Jane awoke early on the final day, instinctively reaching out for Kurt, but the sheets beside her were cold to the touch. Her eyes flew open as she remembered why, and she sat bolt upright in bed. They would be getting into port early this afternoon.
And she and Kurt were getting married this morning.
Sarah arrived shortly after she awoke with a light breakfast that she insisted Jane eat. Jane obediently choked it down, though she didn't taste a bite of it, and then Sarah did her hair and makeup before carefully helping her into the dress they had picked out the day they went shopping together. It was a lacy strapless gown with a small train that Jane had fallen in love with on first sight.
"Okay," Sarah said once she'd straightened the train. "You're almost ready. Now you just need something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. Here . . ." She held out a pair of dangly sapphire and diamond earrings. "These belonged to our grandmother, and I know she would have loved you. That will take care of the something old, something borrowed, and something blue."
Jane hugged her, slightly teary-eyed, and she waited until she had put the earrings on before continuing. "And this . . . this will take care of the something new." She handed her a small jewelry box. "Welcome to the family, Jane."
Jane's breath caught in her throat as she opened the box to reveal a diamond heart-link bracelet that had caught her eye on their shopping trip. She hugged Sarah again, much more fiercely this time. "I love it. Thank you. I am so lucky to be getting you for a sister-in-law."
"Forget the in-law," Sarah corrected. "I know you and Kurt will be together for the rest of your lives, so that makes us sisters. Period. End of story. Don't you dare cry and mess up your makeup," she added hastily as Jane's eyes looked alarmingly moist. "This is a day for celebration, not tears. Even happy ones. Now come on. It's time to get this show on the road."
She had done her hair and makeup before she left her own cabin, and she quickly slipped into the bridesmaid's dress that Jane had been storing for her, and then the two of them left the cabin, taking a slightly circuitous route to the onboard wedding chapel to avoid too many prying eyes. They had gone to great pains to keep their plans a secret from all but a handful of people.
And those people had played their parts to perfection, Sarah noted with satisfaction once she had deposited Jane in the small waiting room next to the chapel and glanced inside. The chapel was nearly filled with off-duty ship's personnel, but Rich hadn't arrived yet. Patterson had been put in charge of convincing him to release Zapata and Cade and getting them all here, and Sarah had no doubt that the woman was more than equal to the task.
Sure enough, less than five minutes later, Ana and Oliver, who were acting as lookouts, signaled her that the group was coming, and she darted into the room where Jane and Kurt and Reade were waiting.
Jane and Kurt had reluctantly agreed to spend the night apart, Kurt bunking down in Reade's office, but they had been adamant that they were walking down the aisle together, dispensing with the tradition of waiting until the ceremony to see one another. Sarah started to ask them if they were ready, but from the way they were gazing at one another, it was clear that they were. "Okay, you lovebirds," she announced brightly. "It's time."
Reade held out his arm and Sarah took it, the two of them serving as best man and maid-of-honor respectively. They made their way down the aisle and took their places on either side of the chaplain, seeing the wonder on the guests' faces as it dawned on them what was going on just as the pianist launched into the Wedding March.
Jane kept a tight grip on Kurt's hand as they walked down the aisle and faced Chaplain Mayfair. She smiled warmly at them before launching into the familiar ceremony.
It went off without a hitch, apart from Rich's loud, "If they do, they'll have to deal with me," when Mayfair asked if anyone had any objections to their union. Jane was pretty sure she also heard him mutter, "You can do better than that, Stubbles," when they exchanged an all-too-brief first kiss as husband and wife, but she was too caught up in the moment to be sure.
Oliver had created an exquisite wedding cake, and after the ceremony, they made their way to the ballroom for a brief reception, sharing their first dance before carefully feeding one another pieces of cake and accepting well-wishes from passengers and staff alike.
Several hours later, Jane and Kurt stood hand-in-hand on deck wishing many of those same passengers goodbye.
It was the end of one memorable cruise, but the beginning of a lifetime voyage.