<em>- Bo, caught off guard -</em><br/><br/>Bo hadn't meant now!  Sure, he wanted to kiss Mari, and Mila, and Nicci again.  They all appealed to him in their own way, and he wanted to explore those feelings with each of them.  But his challenge had been a tease, something he thought might happen at some point in the future.  When that would be, he hadn't really thought through.  In fact, he hadn't thought through his words much at all before uttering them, obviously.  Mila's egging Mari on to kiss Bo right then, in front of Nicci, was one of the possibilities that he hadn't considered.  As Mari shifted, placing her hands on her knees, her gaze drew him in.  Her including Mila surprised him further, but as she scooted forward, the desire in her eyes clear, the others faded behind a soft mist as Mari became his sole focus.  Nicci was still there, watching.  Mila was likely as surprised as he felt.  And Marcus -- when he mentioned that the girls kiss Angus as well, Bo smiled, though he barely registered the comment.  For a brief moment, he wondered if there should be an empty bottle laying tilted over on it's side between them, but he quickly pushed the thought out of his mind.  He wouldn't back out now.  Unexpected though it may be, he knew that he wanted to experience the taste of this woman who filled his vision with her sultry stare.<br/><br/>He shifted forward onto his knees until they touched Mari's.  His heart beat a little faster.  Leaning forward, so that his mouth was a breath away from the tip of her nose, he looked down into her warm eyes, his body aflame with desire.  He curled his left index finger and pressed the length of it under her chin, gently lifting her mouth to his.  As their lips met in a soft embrace, Bo held the light connection for just a moment, before parting his lips ever so slightly and pressing for more.  His eyes closed.  The world revolved itself around the touch of her flesh to his.<br/><br/>While he didn't have long between the issue of the challenge and the kiss to think on it, the thought had passed quickly through his mind that this kiss with Mari wouldn't have the same intimate feel of longing that he had with Nicci when the two of them had first kissed earlier that evening.  And his instincts were close to the truth, the kiss with Mari was different.  But it still felt good, his heart warming to her quickly.  It must have been only moments since their lips had met, but he was falling so fast, so quickly, that he was certain that he would land hard at any moment.  So he pulled away, breathing deeply.  His protective measure triggering as he felt his heart open too quickly.  The walls he had built around himself were still holding strong.<br/><br/>As he settled back on his heels and smiled into Mari's eyes, trying to judge her reaction, he was quietly disappointed with himself.  For just a moment there, he thought that he would let himself go with Mari.  But then the barrier had reasserted itself suddenly, reminding him that he wasn't quite as open as he needed to be.  He didn't want to fear getting close to these women.  This hesitancy, this defense mechanism, would have to be overcome.  And quickly.  But one step at a time, he thought.<br/><br/>Unwilling to accept excuses, even his own, he forced himself to press on.  With the warm, sweet taste of Mari's lips still fresh on his, he took her right hand in his left, lifting it quickly to brush against his lips, then spoke softly as he met her gaze, "Thank you.  That was lovely."  Then, without missing a beat, a roguish grin spread across his face as his eyes shifted to Mila, his right hand extending out toward her.  Without releasing Mari's hand, he offered to Mila, "Next?"