[A/N: Heads up: This chapter is a bit steamy. I've never written anything like this before. Do I need to mark this thing mature now? Hmm...]

Days turned into weeks, which turned into months. Marin would wake to the sound of the rooster's crow, find his father for breakfast, and then accompany Tilly into town. He would follow her on her rounds, except for when she checked on Jocelyn. During those times he would wait by the fountain, watching the women gather water, the children playing, the town dogs sleeping.

As evening fell, he and Tilly would find a tavern and share a meal. Sitting across from each other, their boots would tap under the table. Their ankles would cross. Their legs would rub. Marin had to take long sips of his ale to keep the heat down. Tilly would laugh, which only caused his burning desires to increase.

The daily routine would end with Tilly walking up the last slope of the hill back to the compound alone. Marin would wait a few minutes, and then cut across the open field, returning to his empty stall by avoiding the road.

For the first week of his stay in the stall, Tilly had avoided visiting him at night. But then one night she snuck in to visit him after the lights in the compound had been snuffed out. She didn't stay long at first. Just a few kisses. Their bodies pressed against each other in a tight embrace and then torn asunder with a rushed goodbye.

Soon, though, Tilly's visits became more frequent. And they didn't just push the boundaries of their vows. They would sit outside the stalls and look at the summer stars, telling stories about their childhood and families. Their dreams for the future. Despite his exile, Marin had never felt so happy and at peace within himself.

Then, one night late in the summer, on the cusp of autumn, with the smell of fallen fermenting apples filling the air, Marin and Tilly sat huddled next to each other outside of the stables. "Did you just see that falling star?" Marin asked.

"Yes. And I made a wish."

"What did you wish for?"

"I can't tell you that!"

"I thought you could tell me anything," Marin pouted.

Tilly playfully shoved him, but then grabbed his robe and pulled him in for a kiss. As their lips touched, Marin opened his mouth, inhaling all of her warmth. Tilly's hands wrapped around his neck, and being pulled forward, Marin reached his hand across Tilly's body, where it landed on soft grass. He shifted his weight to his knees, and as the kiss continued, he leaned forward, pressing his body against hers. He was no longer next to her, but in front of her. And then on top of her, as she spread her legs and leaned back, accepting his weight. He moved his lips down to her neck. His hands still planted on the ground on either side of her.

Their kisses became desperate, and a surge of passion exploded in Marin's chest. In his stomach. Down the lengths of his arms and legs.

"Let's..." Tilly panted into his ear, pushing him away, standing up, and then grabbing his hand to lead him back into the stall where his straw mat lay unrolled.

He followed her, kissing her as soon as she stopped retreating. His hands pulled at her robes, slipping them off her shoulders, and then he shrugged out of his own. Lips still touching, tasting, she untied his trousers as he fumbled with the ties on her skirts. Tilly then pulled away from him long enough to step out of her skirt and to pull off her tunic. Soon they stood in only their shifts, the thin fabric clinging to their bodies. Even in the few strands of moonlight, she had never looked so beautiful. Ethereal.

Overcome by need, not letting go of each other, they first kneeled and then lay down on the straw mat. Marin's hand stroked down Tilly's body, feeling her curves, her warmth. His fingers pulled at the fabric, begging to explore beyond the boundaries covered by cloth. Without uttering any words, Tilly shifted her body, straddling his hips, and kissed him deeply, pressing her chest against his. He stroked her back, pulling her even closer, thrusting himself towards her need.

Although this act was so physical, almost animalistic in its drive, Marin felt detached from his own body. He floated on currents of pleasure. Inebriated by Tilly's heat. He was pure energy. A crackling bolt in a stormy sky.

"I love you, Tilly," Marin gasped, feeling his kindling erupt into a gulf of flames.

"I love you, too, Marin." Rocking her body, she sat up and removed her shift, revealing her rounded curves.

In the darkness, Marin couldn't see the details of her body, but his hands reached greedily for her. His mouth, his tongue, explored the textures of her skin. He was directionless, having no experience in the giving or taking of ecstasy. But he wanted to take all of her. To feel every inch of her skin. And her gyrating movements and small moans excited him further, encouraging him to continue.

Pausing, he asked, "Do you want me to–to take off my..."

"Only if you want to," she leaned back down to kiss him.

He pulled her closer to him, and holding her body tight with one arm, he pushed the ground with his elbow and rotated his body, rolling on top of her. Leaning over her, and kneeling between her legs, he kissed down the length of her torso. "Is this okay?" he asked before continuing.

"Yes. Keep..." she caressed the back of his head, not able to finish her answer.

He kissed her gently at first, tongue tentative. Her entire body seemed to moan, the noise coming from more than just her throat. Hungrily his mouth kept exploring. As her body rocked, he used his fingers to caress her gently, feeling her tense up and then relax. He knew he was crossing a boundary he'd never dared considered before. Touching her in forbidden places. But she guided him eagerly, and they fell into sin together.

Their bodies seemed to move in perfect sync. Slower and then quicker. Softer and then harder. He lifted his head, trailed his kisses back up her body, her skin hot and damp with released desire. "Please," Tilly said, grabbing Marin's upper arms. "I want to feel you, too."

Hidden by the darkness, he ripped off his shift and clawed at his bindings. Naked for the first time in front of a woman, he pressed his body on top of hers. "You feel so warm," she said into his ear.

"Just please, don't touch me... there." He said as he pressed his flesh against hers. Their bodies meeting and melting, forming a perfect union.

"I would never without your permission." Her hands dug into at his back, rubbed down over his ribs and waist, and then grabbed his hips firmly, drawing him even closer between her legs. "You're so strong."

His body pulsed and raced. Feeling her, knowing her, it urged him on. There was no thought or consciousness behind it. They grasped at each other until all control was lost and then they lay there panting. A sheen of sweat reflected in the dim moonlight.

Satiated, he fell asleep right there between her legs, his head between her breasts, her fingers caressing his hair.

She loved him. Despite everything. And he had revealed himself. He never wanted this moment to end.