Everything of Joey’s was gone—the bed, the dresser, the nightstand—everything. And in its place were things that turned the room into a living space, not a bedroom. Kiera’s old futon was folded into a couch, there was a bookcase crammed full of all my notebooks, my old guitar was hanging on the wall…it was like a shrine to my job, a dedicated space for me to work, to create. I’d never once imagined turning this room into something productive. I hadn’t been able to get past the pain, the guilt. I’d been holding onto it so tightly. Letting some of it go sounded really…refreshing.

“Is this for me?” I asked, touched beyond words that she would do something like this for me.

She put her hands on my chest as I twisted to hold her. Nodding, she said, “Yeah, since you don’t need to have a roommate anymore, I thought I would give you a better use for the spare room.” Leaning forward, she kissed my jaw. “It’s all for you, for your art.”

There wasn’t one part of that sentiment that I didn’t absolutely love, and she was right, with her beside me, I would never need a roommate again. Just when I was going to tell her how much I loved it, Kiera frowned, and jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “Except the closet. I needed somewhere to put my clothes.”

I laughed at her comment, then squeezed her tight. “It’s perfect, thank you.” It was such a thoughtful gift…but it reminded me that it wasn’t her turn for gifts. It also reminded me that I hadn’t had time to go shopping before coming home. I really hated being empty-handed on her birthday. Pulling back from her, I frowned. “Wait, it’s your birthday. Shouldn’t I be doing something for you?”

I hoped she wasn’t upset that I didn’t have a present for her, but she only smiled at me. “Well, we missed celebrating your birthday last month, so you can think of this as a belated birthday present.” I was about to object, but she bit her lip and nodded at our bedroom door. “But there is one thing you can do for me.”

She started pulling me toward our room, and the smile on my face was unstoppable. Was she seriously asking for sex as a present? That seemed a little unfair, since it would be just as much a present for me, but I wasn’t about to say no. I would just have to make sure it was the best sex she’d ever had. Slowly raking my eyes over her body, I suggestively said, “Yeah? And that would be…?”