Maria took Altaïr to a place she knew. It was a fountain inside a cave and the rocks of limestone gave the place a clear view of the place that the habitants of the village used as a hiding place.

"How did you know this place?" Altaïr asked.

"When we were coming to Jerusalem, from Mosul, we stopped here to rest and I discovered the place..." Maria explained. "You didn't know they had this place?"

Altaïr shook his head in negative.

"What were you doing in Mosul?" He asked after a while.

"It was our headquarters for the third crusade, but now it's empty..." She said. "Or it was..."

Altaïr knew he couldn't lose this opportunity.

"Let's go back to..." He started to say, but stopped when he saw her expression.

"I think you should rest now..." Maria said approaching him. "We have to wait the meeting... if we attack them before, we can be their prisoners..."

Altaïr knew she was right.

"Well, I can always send someone to see if the Templars didn't went back there..." He said.

She nodded.

They looked at each other, but she didn't said anything, then just kissed him. Altaïr was surprised at first but then kissed her back.

"Maria…" he said when they separated.

"Shhh..." she said, pushing back his hood.

Altaïr knew what she was doing.

"If you want to stop now... this is the time..." He said. "Because, I don't know if I can..."

"I don't want to stop..." She said. "We recovered the apple and we have two weeks of free time... you can't practice fighting, so..."

Altaïr nodded and kissed her. He put his hands on her and took of her shirt. then carefully, make her walk backwards, until she was with her back was against the rock.

Maria felt his hands on her, just below her breasts and she put her hands behind his neck and moaned.

He stopped kissing her and looked at her, as he cupped her. Maria closed her eyes and moaned again. This was an invitation for him to press her more against the rocks behind and start kissing her neck.

She moved her hands and pulled on his mantle. Altaïr smiled.

"In a hurry, uh?" He asked.

"I want to feel you too…" she said.

He nodded and stepped back a little to take off his mantle and shirt, then returned to his place. The feeling of flesh against flesh was electric.

Altaïr kissed down from her neck to her chest. Maria saw stars and closing her eyes yelled his name.

"Altaïr…"

He just could wait any longer, so he picked her legs and raised her to his waist. Maria put her legs around him. Altaïr then took her to one of the beds and laid her down.

"So beautiful…" He said.

"I want all…" Maria said

Altaïr nodded and took of first her trouser, then his and laid down on top of her.

"It's okay…" she said. "I don't want you to go slow…"

"Are you sure?" He asked.

She nodded.

Altaïr kissed her again a little harder as he explored her chest with his mouth as he entered her.

Maria gasped in pain a little because of his size and Altaïr stopped.

"Did I hurt you?" He asked.

"No…" She said." It's… been a while… that's all…"

He nodded and moved slower to let her being used to him, while paying attention for any sign of discomfort. When Maria looked at him and nodded, he started to move.

"Don't go slow…" She said again.

Altaïr kissed her and started to move, each time more quickly.

In no time, Maria was moaning.

After just few seconds of having him inside her, Maria was in a bliss… no men she had before was that size… neither her first husband, nor Robert… she was so full, that…

She moaned.

Altaïr looked at her and smiled before kissing her neck. He speed up his movements and seconds later, she came, gasping his name.

This send him over the edge and he emptied himself in her as he bit her shoulder, hard because of the pleasure.

X ~ X ~ X

"It was Aisha that made you apologize, right?" Maria asked on his chest.

"Yes, but what I said, it was me..." He said, passing his hand on her arm.

She kissed his chest.

"Do you think they are looking for us?" She asked.

"Aisha took care of it…" Altaïr said.

Maria nodded. When she tried to sit, she gasped a little.

"Are you ok?" He asked, looking at her.

"I'm fine…" Maria said, sitting.

"So why did you gasped?" He asked.

"Well, let's just say you're… well endowed…" She explained. "More than the others…"

Altaïr didn't know what to say, so he just smirked as he was lowering his head on the pillow.

"Oh, yes?" he asked. "I'm glad the competition wasn't so… big..."

It took a while to her understand what he meant.

"Oh, you mean Robert?" she said. "Yeah..."

They remained quiet for a while, until he noticed the bite on her right shoulder… it broke the skin, so it quite reddish in her pale skin.

"Damn, Maria…" he said, sitting beside her.

She looked on her right shoulder and saw the bite he was talking about. Then she turned to him.

"I'm sorry…" He said.

"I's ok… you keep marking me…" she said.

"Is that a good thing?" Altaïr asked.

"Yes, so everyone knows I belong to you…" Maria said.

Altaïr nodded.

"Well, I want to stay here with you, but the men will worry about and look for us..." he said.

Maria nodded and as she turned, he could see the red scratches on her back, through her hair. He picked her hand before she could get up and held her there. Then, he removed her hair to the side and saw big scratches.

"Does it hurt?' He asked.

"A little…" She said.

Altaïr put his hand on the bruises and she gasped in pain.

"Sorry, this wasn't supposed to happen…" He said.

She nodded and turned her head to look at him.

"Come on lover boy… let's get back before they come to us…" She said.

They kissed.

"I love you…" Altaïr said.

"I love you too…" She said.

They got up. Maria looked at him and couldn't help but get surprised and when Altaïr looked at her, she felt herself turning red.

He didn't said anything… he didn't need to, because he knew by her reaction…

They just finished putting their clothes again and went back.

X ~ X ~ X