Page 32 of Buying Angel

I looked at him and then over to Nico, who just shrugged before he spoke.

“I guess you can tag along if you want. Won’t be as much fun having a chick around all the time, but I’m sure I will manage.”

“Nico!”

We were back to the bickering that I loved between them. How could I not want to go to New York with these two absolutely drop dead gorgeous guys?

I smiled at them both, although Hudson looked more annoyed than anything, probably at his best friend’s comment.

“I would love to come to New York with you, if you are happy to have me and put up with me.”

I felt Hudson give me a squeeze.

“Of course I want you. I have since the night I first met you. As for Nico over there, just ignore him. He wants you in NYC as well.”

I relaxed into Hudson’s side as we drove along the road. Looking over at Nico, I saw him give me a wink, and Hudson chuckled next to me. These two would be the death of me. Either that or I would be in for one hell of a night if I got them together.

WE WERE NOW SITTING in Hudson’s private jet – well, the company’s, anyway. I had never experienced such luxury before. The way the seating was meant that I would have either been facing Hudson or over the other side of the plane, so Hudson had decided after takeoff that I was going to sit on his lap in his chair. I wasn’t going to complain because it meant that I got to feel his body next to mine again for the whole trip. It also meant that we could chat with Nico.

I still wondered what the deal was with them. They seemed far closer than just best friends, and I wondered if there was anything else to their relationship. I saw being stuck in a plane as the ideal opportunity to ask them both questions.

“Can I ask you both a question?”

I couldn’t see Hudson’s reaction from my position, but I could see Nico raising his eyebrows. I expected him to answer me, but it was Hudson who spoke.

“This sounds like it’s going to get personal, but go on.”

I could tell that Hudson was only joking with me, because I could feel him chuckling beneath me. I decided to be brave and ask the question I was dying to ask. I had already skirted around the issue the first time I met Nico, but I was sure there was more to them than just being very old friends who knew each other inside and out. Being here and having their undivided attention, I hoped I would get a better idea of their relationship.

“Okay, here goes. What is the real deal between you two? I know you said you have known each other for a very long time, but your relationship seems a lot closer than that.”

I felt Hudson tense below me.

Was there something they didn’t want me to know?

I looked up at Nico, whose expression hadn’t changed. There was deathly silence for a moment, and I decided that I would put them out of the misery of having to answer.

“Don’t worry. That was quite a personal question to ask. You don’t have to answer it.”

I felt Hudson relax under me as I spoke. However, Nico spoke next.

“It’s not that we don’t want to answer. It’s just complicated, and with everything that’s happened to you over the past few days, we don’t want to add to your stress. Give it a few weeks, and then I’m sure we can all sit down and talk. Just don’t think it’s anything bad, because it isn’t, okay la mia bella Rosa?”

There was the caring and considerate Nico who had been with me in my room. I was starting to see the two sides of him: the sarcastic and argumentative one who loved to wind Hudson up, and the soft, caring one who slipped out every now and then.

“If you are telling me not to worry, then I won’t.”

I suddenly felt extremely tired; it had been an eventful weekend, and it was now the early hours of the morning. I couldn’t help the yawn that left my lips.

Hudson pulled me into his chest and whispered softly into my ear. “Sleep, Angel.”

He pressed a kiss to my hair, and before I knew it, the events of the weekend took over and I fell into a deep slumber.

Chapter Nineteen

HUDSON

GABY HAD SLEPT FOR the entire trip back to New York and the drive back to the apartment. I really didn’t want to wake her, but I thought she would be more worried if she woke up alone in a strange bedroom. I knew that Nico wouldn’t mind me spending another night with her, but I had neglected him for the past week and wanted to show him that I cared about him just as deeply as I did Gaby. Nico had parked the car in the underground parking lot and was just getting our bags out of the trunk.

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