~ Marcus, sitting on the floor with Mila and Mari ~<br/><br/>He saw Mila hold her hand out to Mari and he had to smile.  It was an innocent gesture, one of friendship, but to Marcus it also signified that bonds were being formed among the ladies, something that was essential for his poly family to work.  All of their bonds had to be strong, that much was obvious, but if the women couldn’t find a way to come together as friends and life mates, then intimate interactions among the various members would be fraught with tension and jealousy, not to mention anger and frustration.  When Mari accepted the offer and took her hand, sitting down next to her, Marcus nodded.  Those two were bonding well and he didn’t need to see how closely they were sitting to know that.<br/><br/>Turning to Mari, he gave her a grin and a wink.  “Personally, I think we hit the jackpot the minute the three of you walked into the Great Room tonight.  I’ve never seen such beauty under one room in all my years and I couldn’t ask for better dance partners.”  He nudged Mila again when he said that and added “You’re next on my list, milady.”<br/><br/>Looking over at Bo and Nicci, he cleared his throat.  “Ok, you two, enough with the shenanigans.  Now that Bo and I are here, we want to know the truth.  Which one of us do you like the best?  You can tell us, we’re big boys and can take it.”  He delivered the words with a grin and a chuckle, letting them know that he was simply teasing.  It was just his way of getting the conversation started again and an attempt to keep the mood light.<br/>