Page 57 of Whatever You Need

“You seem tired,”I said, getting a glass out of the cupboard. “Are you sure you want to open gifts tonight?”

We just got back from visiting with my grandmother, who was as spunky as ever. Amelia, on the other hand, was quiet on the drive home, making it seem twice as long. She’s been a little off, but I chalked it up as exhaustion from all the decorating and shopping we’ve done over the last fourty-eight hours.

She pinched her lips together and paused a beat longer than normal. “I’m sure.”

Considering I interrogated people all day long for a living, it was almost impossible to ignore how distant she was being tonight.

I racked my brain trying to remember if I said or did something to piss her off. Nothing came to mind.

She leaned over the counter while I mixed my Jack and Coke. “Do you want a glass of wine?” I asked once I finished making my drink.

“I can get it.” She moved toward the fridge where I kept her bottle of chardonnay. It should have felt weird how familiar she was here in my home, but it didn’t. The only thing weird was the way she was acting.

With our drinks in hand, she followed me over to the loveseat that sat in front of the tree we decorated last night.

She took a tentative sip of her wine and placed it on the coaster. “Are you ready for your gift?”

“I thought you already gave me my gift earlier,” I teased, and I loved watching her blush while reminding her of our quickie in the shower this morning before we hit the mall.

She chuckled and made her way over to the tree. The gifts for my family were overflowing and pushed up the lower branches, completely spreading out past the tree skirt.

“I love the look and smell of a real, fresh pine.” She smiled and stood back, holding a small box in her hand.

I set my drink on the end table and picked up the two boxes I wrapped for her. We both sat on the floor with our legs out. I held the bigger box out for her to open first.

We both agreed not to go crazy on each other and to stick to two gifts each. Which was fine with me, because one… I hated shopping, and two… what the hell do you buy a woman who has everything anyway?

“Ladies first,” I insisted and watched her tear into the red and white tissue paper. She tore the lid off the rectangular box and pulled out her gift. She held up the gray hoodie that said “Property of the Philadelphia Police Department” on the front and turned it around. Once she saw the back, she broke out in a fit of laughter.

“Really?” she said, still shaking her head at my last name on the back of the sweatshirt in big blue letters. “You just had to get me a sweatshirt with your name on it, didn’t you? You even put your full last name on there instead of the shortened version you use for work.”

I shrugged, playing coy. “I couldn’t resist. There’s more.”

My last name was Rubintino, but I went by Detective Rubin for work. I protected my privacy and the last thing I needed was for some physco with a grudge trying to look me up.

She reached inside and pulled out a ridiculously overpriced pair of leggings. “I’m impressed. How did you know these were my favorite?” She held them out in front of her for inspection.

I rolled my eyes. “They are the first thing you change into when you get home from work. Although, don’t expect to get another pair from me anytime soon. Do you know how many pairs of sweatpants I could buy for the same amount I paid for those?”

“Hey, they are super comfy, and they last forever.”

“They should for what they charge. I only had to take out a small mortgage to pay for them.”

“Oh my God.” She nudged my foot playfully. “Just shut up and open your gift.”

I laughed at her teasing, but truthfully, I was glad to see that she was in a better mood from earlier. I ripped the paper off the small square box to find a bottle of Armani Cologne. I held it up. “Thanks, I already have a full bottle, but this is the only stuff I use.”

“I know. I love it, so I wanted to make sure you never run out.”

I lifted my eyebrow and picked up the medium-sized gift bag that held a small box inside. It had a fancy jewelry store logo on the front that I recognized. I flipped the lid off and pulled out a gold, Italian horn charm. “The Corncillo,” I said, admiring the twisted horn.

She looked uncertain while looking down at her feet. “It’s supposed to protect and ward off evil. I figured it was appropriate considering your job and the kinds of people you have to chase down for a living.”

I leaned over and fanned my hand along the back of her neck. “I love it,” I said, leaning in for a kiss. “Thank you.”

She swallowed and I felt my heart constrict. She really did worry about me and my safety. The only women who cared this much were my mom and nonna.

“I have one more gift for you. Come here.” I pulled her off the floor and walked her toward my bedroom.

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