Taming the VIP Playboy by Katherine Garbera

now,” she said. “Why don’t you have a game while I make some lunch? Nate is going to come over and join us.”
    Riley went into the living room and she soon heard the sounds of his Wii game powering up. She turned on the radio and looked around the kitchen. It was a nice area with a butcher-block island, stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. She’d moved inhere when she’d first come back to Miami after being kicked off the competitive dancing tour.
    Marcia had invited her to make this her home and together they had shaped this house up nicely. There was a photo of the three of them in Little Italy eating at Ferrara’s bakery when they had visited New York last summer so Riley could see where his grandmother had grown up. The refrigerator was decorated with Riley’s latest art projects and in the corner was a glass door that led out into the Florida room.
    Beyond that was the backyard with a soccer net and a water feature that Jen had done herself after taking a Saturday morning class at the local hardware store.
    She liked this place, but she’d never really intended it to be her home. She’d always assumed she’d be going back on tour and this place would be a base of operations.
    But now, this might be it. And if it wasn’t, she’d have to find her own place. Maybe something close by so she could still see Riley and her sister and help them out when they needed it.
    She sat down at the breakfast bar realizing she had no idea what she wanted. This was a major crisis. The future was wide open and as of this moment, she had no idea what to fill it with.
    She reached for the phone to call Nate and cancel, realizing that she didn’t want him to come to this home. She didn’t want to show him her life and see in his eyes that this wasn’t what he wanted. Did she really need further proof that they weren’t after the same things?
    No, she knew she didn’t need more evidence of that, but what she did need was to figure out what she wanted. And in the meantime, Nate was fun and a distraction.As long as she remembered that she’d be okay and they could enjoy each other.
    The radio started playing Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine’s “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You” and she stood up to dance to it.
    â€œAuntie! It’s our song,” Riley said, running into the kitchen. She laughed as he danced around her just as she’d taught him. They raised their hands over their heads and clapped to the beat as they both swiveled their hips to the music. They were laughing and clapping and dancing when the doorbell rang and she realized that dancing was still her life, just in a different way now.
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    Riley greeted Nate when the door opened. The sound of music floated down the hall and Jen stood behind her nephew laughing and swaying to the music. Nate paused there for a minute, seeing something that contradicted his personal experience of how women and sons got along. He knew that Jen wasn’t the boy’s mother but they were enjoying each other. He could see that from the expression on both of their faces.
    â€œHello, Mr. Nate,” Riley said, holding out his hand for Nate to shake it.
    Jen came up behind her nephew and put her arm around him as Nate shook his hand.
    â€œNice to meet you, Riley.”
    â€œAuntie and I were just dancing to ‘our’ song.”
    â€œWhat’s your song?” Nate asked.
    â€œâ€˜Rhythm Is Gonna Get You,’” Jen said. “Do you know it?”
    â€œI do. It’s a fun song,” Nate said.
    â€œYes, it is. We danced all over the kitchen,” Riley said. “Do you want to play the Wii while Auntie Jen finishes making lunch?” He glanced up at Jen.
    â€œI know I enticed you over with grilled cheese. Is that still okay?”
    Nate nodded. “Do you need my help?” he asked.
    She shook her head. “I’ll be about fifteen