~Marcus, transitioning between rooms~<br/><br/>Having spoken, Marcus waited for the others to chime in, wondering how each of them felt about moving to the next stage of the evening, one that would be more relaxed and yet still revealing in its own way.  Bo was the first to speak, his mention of a preference for scotch over tea and coffee causing Marcus to grin and nod in appreciation.  It sounded like a splendid idea, or would have if Marcus had been a scotch connoisseur, but the mere suggestion indicated that perhaps the ex-soldier was relaxing a little and moving past the previous tense moment and that was a very good thing.  Mari’s agreement, and her move to stand, drew his attention back to her and he watched appreciatively as she stood, his eyes dancing over her lithe flame, feeling arousal stir deep inside but ignoring it in that moment.<br/><br/>Nicci stood up next after speaking to Bo and Marcus watched her for a moment.  She seemed different now, her little trip out of the room having done wonders for her, and he liked that.  The ability to regroup after a stressful situation and come back for more was a skill he could respect and admire.  He was about to say something to her when Vince stood and spoke to Mari, offering his elbow.  The man’s polite mannerisms continued to surprise Marcus but he appreciated them all the same.  Ladies should be treated with respect and politeness, his mother had always said, and it was a concept he agreed with wholeheartedly, even if he didn’t always practice it himself.<br/>Bo stood next, moving around the table to whisper something to Mila before flashing a wink at Marcus, resulting in an answered grin.  Then he was past, sliding into place next to Nicci, lacing his hand with hers and escorting her out of the room.<br/><br/>That left two people then, himself and the lovely Mila, and as he turned to take her in, he let a slow measured smile cross his lips.  She was the quiet and shy one among them but brought so many other qualities to the table also, chief among them a smile that melted men’s hearts.  Reaching out, he took her hand and pulled her close as he bent down and whispered in her ear.  “Shall we?” he said, his hand giving hers a light squeeze.  Together, they followed the others out of the room, prepared to start the next phase of their night.<br/>