Page 18 of Off Limits Billionaire

“What’s the endgame for these purchases?” she asked.

“Well, this clock is special because it’s similar to the one in my parents wedding photo. They didn’t have much money to spend on an elaborate ceremony so they had a small one in an expensive venue. My mom and dad are standing in front of one and I wanted this one to remind them of that day.”

“That’s really sweet, Marcus.”

“Thank you. As far as the rest of the items go, I’m thinking about opening a museum or gallery. I can host events, let people come view the collection. Proceeds are going to go to charities.”

It was the first time I’d told anyone outside of Cameron. Hearing it out loud and seeing the glimmer of pride in her eyes let me know that it was a good idea.

She threw her arms around me. “You are like a superhero. I’d love to be a part of something like that. But—what about our families?”

I shrugged. “What about them? Surely they won’t have an issue with me running a charitable foundation. It doesn’t matter who’s on retainer. The more I think about it, and the more I think about this trip, the more I’m certain that I don’t want anyone else.”

“What if—?” The hesitation in her voice gave me butterflies in my stomach. I waited patiently for her to find the words she was looking for. She took a deep breath and looked at me. “What if you find or fall for someone else? That lands me right back in this spot where my family is looking for some radically huge score to stay afloat.”

“No matter what our personal relationship is, Ana, I won’t let it affect our business together. And just so you know, there’s no one I’d rather be in bed with, business or personal.”

9

ANABELLA

How long would that sentiment last?

I wanted to believe Marcus, but this wasn’t the time or place to air it out. Or was it? The way he eyed me as we waited for a car made me shift in my seat. If it wasn’t enough that I was shuffled away from Montclair’s doorsteps by a goon with a scar, Marcus’s admissions of his feelings toward me were unrelenting. It’s like he didn’t care about our families feuding, or about the possibility of someone going above and beyond to get this clock.

“What about our families?” I asked him. I wanted to get my mind off the task ahead of us, hoping that getting to the airport was the most adventure we’d see for the rest of our evening.

“What about them?” His reply was distant as he remained standing, leaning back against a pillar near my armchair.

Marcus had traded his suit for jeans and a long sleeve shirt. I had on something similar, but remained uncomfortable. My mind, heart, and body needed to be back on Philadelphia streets to make me relax completely. At least there my brothers would be able to help.

“You saw Paul’s reaction. It didn’t get much better when my grandparents found out we were working together. Imagine if they find out we’re dating.”

“We won’t have to wait until theyfindout. We’re going to get them all together and tell them ourselves.”

It felt like my eyes bulged out of my head. “You want a brawl? You know how they feel about each other.”

He continued to let his gaze sweep across the lobby. “And what no one’s been able to tell me is exactly why? From what I’ve heard on the Adler side of things, your great great grandfather backed out of a deal and forced the Adler family to manage an investment property on our own that nearly bankrupted us.”

“Wow.” I recounted every story Grandpa Augie had told us about the feud and why we should hate the Adler’s. The very beginning of it always seemed petty. “It’s the same on our end. Milton Pierce invested in a rare antique clock after Miles Adler pulled out of some investment deal. The Pierce patriarch later found out that Adler hadn’t pulled out of the deal after all and it eventually made your family millionaires.”

Marcus scoffed. “Do they know the timetable of that? I mean, they should, being clockmakers and all.”

I shrugged. “I wasn’t there, Marcus. I’m simply telling you what I know.”

“Sir, Madame, your car is outside,” the concierge told us as he approached.

Marcus grabbed our bags, and I kept by his side. My eyes darted from face to face while exiting the lobby, in desperate search of the scarred man who had confronted us at Montclair’s.

Marcus’s hand wrapped around mine as we stepped into the cool London night air. There was a car waiting at the hotel’s curb, idling with a driver who popped the trunk, and then opened the rear door for us to get inside. Something about the driver felt familiar, but there wasn’t a scar tracking down the side of his face. I put my apprehension out of my mind.

“It’s going to be okay. I’ve run into some unsavory types in my time as a collector. I won’t let anything happen to you, Ana.” His voice was confident and reassuring.

In the few days I’d been around Marcus, there was nothing he’d done that justified my family feuding with him. Paul had his own issues, but if Paul actually spent more time hunting down antiques we could find customers for, we probably wouldn’t be in this mess to begin with.

The thought of not spending this time with Marcus made me thankful for Paul’s tunnel vision. I pulled out my phone to check my messages. There were only a few that I needed to return. I’d do that once we were at the airport and waiting to board.

“Where is it?” Marcus asked.

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