Page 87 of On the Ropes
Dean
Five Days Later
Isat sprawled on the couch, head tipped back against the wall. I was covered in sweat. Dirt stained the tips of my fingers. My shoulders ached and there was a twinge in my right knee that would need an ice pack later.
I’d never been happier.
Tabitha and I had spent most of the morning and early afternoon in the pocket park, working in one of the raised beds we’d built. We planted seeds, hands brushing in the dirt, shoulders pressed together as we knelt. She’d opened Linda’s side window and turned a big speaker out, playing a Motown record my parents used to dance to when I was a kid. Like every day this week, neighbors stopped by to chat and help, to organize or get supplies. Eddie and Alice sat with Pam on the bench under the umbrella, calling out encouragement.
Tabitha had looked so pretty, singing along to the music. Flirting with me beneath the sunshine.
I had to keep reminding myself to breathe.
Now she walked back into the living room holding two giant glasses of lemonade. Setting them on the coffee table, she laughed as I tugged her down on top of me.
“Of all the laps in South Philly,” she said, stretching her legs long.
I reached up to pinch a leaf still tangled in her hair. “What kind of neighbor did you promise to be that night? Quiet and respectful?”
She arched one lovely eyebrow. “Are you implying I am neither of those things?”
I held her gaze until her lips twitched. “I don’t think the things we did in the shower this morning were very respectful. Or quiet.”
She looped her arms around my neck. “It would have been easier to be quiet and respectful if my neighbor didn’t constantly walk around in a towel, looking like a calendar model.”
I slid my hands around her waist and pulled her closer. “It happened one time.”
“I still stand by what we did in the shower.”
I grazed my lips through her hair. “You were very focused and dedicated.”
“And you were very impatient, Mr. Machine.”
I’d been in the middle of lathering this morning when Tabitha had drawn back the shower curtain and dropped to her knees beneath the spray. She’d teased my cock with her lips and tongue, cheeks hollow as she took the length of me into her mouth. She was right about my lack of patience. I’d hauled her up to stand and taken her from behind, hot water turning to steam. And my hand between her legs as she begged.
It was impossible to hide the constant smile on my face now.
Five days had passed since I’d woken up to the real-life fantasy of Tabitha in my bed. She’d been busy since then spending time with her family. Raising money and making videos. In between, we worked in the park, chatting with the neighbors. We drank cold beer on the stoop at night, lingering late to keep talking. Then we’d have the kind of passionate, astral-plane-level sex I never thought possible for me.
Tabitha always stayed. And I discovered the intimacy of sharing a bed, of sleeping and waking together. The feel of her soft, warm skin and the scent of her hair. Her breath synced with mine as she dozed off with her head on my chest.
Tabitha’s laptop pinged. I steadied her on my lap as she leaned forward to scoop it up.
She hummed happily. “It’s an alert from the donation site. The Tenth Street pocket park now officially has $2,275 to spend on renovations.”
Warmth flooded my veins. “I still can’t believe total strangers are giving us that much cash.”
“It’s not strangers,” she said lightly. “It’s a lot of people from around here. People you know. Is your trainer named Sly Sorrentino?”
“Sly donated?”
“Yep. Kind of a lot too.”
I had seen the appeal of Tabitha leading a fundraising charge for us. But deep down, I didn’t think anyone would donate to some random, trash-filled lot in the middle of Philly. But Rowan had seen it when he’d convinced me that day at the rec center. Every day is your chance to make this city better. The park’s transformation would be slow. It would take time and working together. But I was starting to see what Tabitha saw from behind her camera.
“Most of the gifts are less than $25, so it’s a lot of people,” she added. “If you need something heartwarming, read the comments on the fundraising page. There are tons from donors who built parks on the abandoned lots on their street too.”
“Are there any comments about the videos you’ve been making?” I asked.
