Chapter 16
Rohan stepped out of his car with a fruit bowl he’d made in one hand and a lemonade in the other.
It was a little after eight in the evening, and he figured Jalen could probably use a snack right about then.
He’d spoken to her earlier in the morning, and she’d told him she would work a longer-than-normal shift.
Going into the hospital, he rode the elevator up to the pediatric floor. As soon as the elevator opened on that floor, he saw her. Her back was to him, and he approached.
“Hey, beautiful.”
“Look, I’m going to call security if you don’t…” She trailed off as she turned to look at him. “Oh, hey, babe.”
“Hey, did something happen today?”
“Just this annoying man.”
“Is he still here? I can talk to him,” Rohan told her, which honestly just meant he’d be sure to make him go away.
“No, that’s okay. I think he left,” she responded with a sigh. “Is that for me?”
“It is. I thought you could use a snack.”
He handed her the bowl and drink. Jalen took it with a slight smile, and he knew that something else was more than likely wrong.
He wasn’t sure whether he should ask her or wait and see if she would tell him.
Though he’d learned that she was one who often liked to deal with everything on her own.
With that in mind, he decided he would try his luck.
“Is the man who’s been annoying you the only issue?”
He watched as she took a drink of the lemonade before answering. “I’m on sort of swing shift tonight, working two shifts. I leave at midnight, but I have to be back by four.”
Rohan remained quiet, sure she would explain to him why. To him, that seemed redundant, but he didn’t work in the medical field. So, he didn’t know how they operated.
“It isn’t too big of a deal, but by the time I get home and go to sleep, it’ll just be time for me to come back to work. Not to mention, the tension in the house has been thick. So, Kodi’s been sleeping in my room with me, and she isn’t the most...still person when she’s sleeping.”
He thought for a moment. She told him she’d had to ground Landon and that the teenager was not taking it well, and that Kodi had gotten into it with the younger girl because of some things she’d said, but Jalen had not made him privy to those things.
“Why don’t you come to my house?” he suggested. “It’s closer than yours, and you’ll be able to nap peacefully.”
“I...don’t know, Rohan.”
He stopped himself from smirking. He knew why she had said that. This was the first time they’d seen each other since they’d been slightly intimate.
“I’ll keep my hands to myself,” he told her. Even though he was sure it was more herself that she didn’t trust.
It was quiet between them for a moment, and he saw her thinking it over. He wouldn’t push. He just wanted her to be comfortable and actually be able to relax for a few hours. If going home would make her most comfortable, then he was completely alright with that.
“Okay. Text me your address, please.”
Rohan smiled at her. “Will do, beautiful. I’ll let you get back to work. See you soon.”
With that, he turned and headed back towards the elevator. Once he was back in his car, he headed home. He hadn’t been telling her he lived closer just to get her to come over; he literally lived about five minutes from the hospital.
Once he was back home, he went to the small linen closet by his guest bathroom. He pulled out two towels and placed them on the countertop in the bathroom. He knew she would most likely want to shower; she had been at work since noon.
Rohan had opted to put the things in the guest bathroom because he didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable if he placed them in his en suite.
He didn’t bother to check the guest bedroom, having changed the sheets the previous day after Alynn had stayed with him for a couple of days while his brother was on a quick business trip.
Going into his bedroom, he pulled out one of his t-shirts. He knew it would be big on her, but she should be able to sleep well in it, as well as a pair of his boxer briefs. He carried the clothing into the guest bathroom and placed them on the counter as well.
Deciding that he would watch some television for a while, he went into his living room. He flipped through the channels before settling on a stand-up comedy special. He’d only made it through about half of it before having to turn it off. It was far from funny, so he chose a docuseries instead.
Rohan got through a couple of episodes and looked at the time. Standing up, he went to his bedroom, deciding to take a shower. It was a little after ten, and he figured he’d get it out of the way because he knew himself and would get caught up watching the series.
He started the shower, undressing as steam filled the bathroom, and stepped inside the shower, allowing the rainfall showerhead to wash over him. Once he finished washing himself and his hair, he stepped out of the shower, drying himself before drying his hair.
He moisturized before pulling on a pair of boxers and then sweatpants. He returned to his living room to watch more episodes and wait for Jalen to get there.
????????????
Jalen took a deep breath, looking at the house in front of her.
Rohan had not been exaggerating when he told her he lived closer to the hospital.
It had taken her only about four minutes to get there.
He lived in a nice neighborhood that she would consider upper middle class.
This was the first time she would be alone with him since she’d pretty much let her hormones get the best of her at her apartment.
She hadn’t known what had come over her. Jalen chalked it up in part to the fact that it had been two years since she had last gotten any. She didn’t believe in just sleeping with someone to sleep with them, and she hadn’t been in a serious relationship for a couple of years now.
The other part was simply because her boyfriend was fine as hell.
Not that she had just noticed it that day.
She always noticed. It was simply that it had been the first time they’d been alone together, and her body had seemed to want to take over.
She had found herself grinding against him before she realized what she was doing.
Afterward, she had felt bad. He’d gotten her off, been so caring in telling her he didn’t need her to return the favor, and made sure that she was comfortable with what had happened between them.
She had been sitting outside his house for at least five minutes, debating whether she should just back out and go home. If for no other reason than the fact that she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to control herself.
When she’d seen him at the hospital, her first thought had been to jump him and relieve some of the stress she had pent up from work and the tension between her teenage sisters. However, she wasn’t sure how she would feel after the fact if something were to happen.
They’d only been dating for two months, and not that Jalen thought allowing him to have sex with her right now meant she was easy, or that she didn’t value herself. It was the fact that while he said he wasn’t going anywhere, she didn’t know that for sure this early on.
Jalen was the type of person who became more emotionally bound to a person when she slept with them. Whatever connection with them became deeper to her because she’d given them a piece of herself.
She took one more deep breath, releasing it slowly as she got out of the car. Going to the front door, she knocked on it. Only realizing he might be asleep, and maybe she should have rung the doorbell.
The door opened a few seconds later, and she found him standing there in a pair of sweatpants and no shirt. Her eyes trailed up his abdomen to his chest. His abs had definition, and his pecks were delicious looking.
Her eyes came up to his, and she knew well that she’d been caught staring.
“Did you find it okay?” he asked, stepping aside and gesturing for her to come in.
“I did. You’re almost right down the street from the hospital.” Jalen responded, walking in.
“I would give you a tour, but I’m sure you want to get some rest.” He led her down the hallway, and she saw a few things as they passed by, but he was right. She really just wanted to take a nap.
“I placed some things in the bathroom for you if you’d like to take a shower before you sleep,” he informed her, turning on the light in the bathroom. “I also made up one of the guest beds for you.”
Jalen smiled at him. “Thank you.” She had mixed emotions about being in a separate room from him.
On one hand, she was glad because she wouldn’t be able to lose herself to her wants again. On the other, she couldn’t help but want to be in the same bed as him. If for no other reason than to have him hold her while she slept.
“I don’t know how you feel about lavender, but Alynn’s bath wash is there. Or I could bring you mine.”
“You just want me to smell like you when I go back to work, to keep men away.”
“I’m neither going to confirm nor deny that.”
Jalen laughed. “Thank you. Lavender is fine.”
He nodded at her. “The bedroom is just over here,” he told her, opening the door to the left of the bathroom. “I’ll leave you to it.”
Jalen rose on her tiptoes, and Rohan leaned down, allowing her to kiss him. “Thank you again.”
“Stop thanking me. It’s nothing.”
With that, she stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
Starting the shower, she undressed, saw the t-shirt and boxers he’d laid out for her, and smiled.
She hadn’t been in too many relationships, but Rohan was, without a doubt, the most thoughtful person she’d ever been with.
Jalen was fond of small things over grand gestures, and she got them often from him.