The billionaire's wife

Chapter 6

Sensing a wave of heat overwhelming her and descending, she quickly looked away.

"If you really insist, I will give you their last names. It may make it easier for you to make a decision. ”

“ There is no need for that. I have already decided which one I will offer the contract to anyway. ”She turned her head abruptly with the intention of asking him which one he had chosen, but she was hindered by the waiter who had just brought the salads. While he sprinkled them with fresh pepper and poured wine into their glasses, Himena was silent, but she sat as if on needles, unable to wait for the waiter to leave, to hear which Rick had chosen and why. And how could he even decide on someone he did not even meet? It is really weird, even if he was an extravagant millionaire with the title of duke. And yet, it may not have been strange. What does she actually know about Rick Slotter? She knew that he liked beautiful, slender, and long-legged women with lush breasts. She did not find any of his photos without him in it with a model hanging over his arm. That is why she chose the three most beautiful girls from her little black book - that is, her little black diary. Still, it bothered her how he managed to decide on one of them, and only on the basis of their photos.

"Do not you want to meet them in person first?" Suddenly, even she thought that choosing a future wife through photography was stupid. Are all men so easily glued to a beautiful face? Probably so, she concluded. Although it seemed to her that Rick Slotter was different, he was probably as superficial as most men, which disappointed her a little. "You mean those women in the photos?" Himena nodded in confusion. "Who else?"

"I do not want to," he said and grabbed a fork salad. Does not want to? What bullshit! So he decided to marry someone else. Suddenly, her beautiful dreams of earning all her financial problems were shattered. "Are you saying you found another woman who agreed to marry you?" It is just that she has not agreed yet. ”He took another bite of the salad, casually and in a controlled manner. If he has already found another woman and does not want to use the services of her agency, what the hell did he invite her here? "So the Alliance is something like Plan B to you?" Maybe he did not quite write it off after all. People of his position and status do nothing for no reason. "Not quite." Himena lowered her fork and looked at him sharply. "I am sorry, Mr. Slotter, you completely confused me. How many times this morning have you asked me to find you a woman who will agree to marry you fictitiously. Has anything changed in the past few hours? Or are you perhaps dissatisfied with the choice of women I have offered you? ”Rick set down his cutlery and set it down next to his plate. "I am not dissatisfied. Those women are perfect. Maybe even too much. However, my time frame for selection is very tight, and I just do not have time to get to know them. ”He reached under the table and reached for a briefcase that Himena had not seen before. He pulled a folder out of it and pushed it across the table toward her. "What is this?" "The contract my lawyer and I made this afternoon." Himena was burning with desire to open the file, but she just put her hand over it. "What contract?" Rick's gray-blue eyes caught her eye. "The marriage contract I am offering you." It rang in her ears and her heart almost stopped. "I am not on the menu, Mr. Slotter." She pushed the file toward him, but he suddenly took her hand and squeezed it tightly. Every touch on her body straightened from his touch, and hot tingles rushed down her spine. The same thing happened to her when she first met him, with the fact that this time her heart was beating so fast that she thought his thumping could be heard at the other end of the restaurant. And it all happened with just one of his touches. "Everyone has a price, Himena." "Possibly, but that does not apply to me." She tried to pull her hand out of his, but he tightened his grip on her fingers. "I will establish a foundation that will take care of Jordan for the rest of her life. Even if something happens to you, your sister will not miss a hair. ”Himena gasped in wonder. She really did not expect a bomb like this. Apparently, Rick did his homework thoroughly and learned about both her sister and her poor financial situation. "My sister is only twenty-two years old. He can live to be a hundred. ”If the doctors were to be believed, such a thing was unlikely, but there was also no evidence that the bride would die. "Currently, taking care of your sister costs one hundred and six thousand dollars a year. Those costs can only increase. ”His handshake loosened, but Himena still did not pull her hand out of his. "If we take into account Jordan's age, does that mean you are going to pay over eight million dollars for her treatment just to play your wife for a year?" That is your commission, is not it? ”Himena thought, but then shook her head. "Why me?" "Why not you?" Rick said, running his thumb over her back, but she was still too confused to move her. "I am not your type." "My type?" "I am neither tall nor long-legged, and I do not have lush breasts." Rick laughed out loud at this, completely disarming him. This is just a business deal, Himena thought. No less, no more. Rick turned her hand and began circling his finger over the inside of her wrist. Well, a marriage contract is perhaps a little more than just a business deal. She pulled her hand toward her and looked at him resolutely. "If I agree, I want to know what our marriage will look like."

"Your life will not change much," Rick said, taking a sip of wine. "We just need to go to the registrar, say in Vegas. After that, you will have the obligation to appear with me at some events during the first few months, purely to satisfy the lawyers, but also to appease the insatiable appetite of his cousin, who is waiting like a hyena to see if my marriage succeeds. . By the way, I have been in Europe for half a year, and the other half here in Malibu, so we will not interfere with each other's everyday life. "

" Then why did not you find a wife in Europe? "

" To avoid unnecessary publicity. The media in Europe can not wait for something like that to happen, so they have something to talk about. Unlike European tabloids, Americans do not deal with the lives of noble families, so the news of my wedding will soon cease to be interesting to them. "According to the provisions of the will signed by his father, Rick must marry by his thirty-sixth birthday. Otherwise, he will lose the right to inheritance and the title of duke. . After one year of marriage, the father's lawyers will lift the inheritance ban and release the funds in his late father's bank account. Himena found out about this information through her connections in London. "What kind of events are we talking about?" We need to organize several receptions and appear in public five or six times. You will have to come with me to London so that we can sign documents concerning my titles, that is, ours. ”She swallowed. It completely blew her mind that his future wife also received the title of duchess. "I have no idea what a duchess's life looks like." Rick raised his fork and continued to eat. "I do not know what a duke's life looks like either, so we are equal in that regard." Himena could not help but laugh. "This is complete madness." This suggestion seems perfectly reasonable to me. "Himena remembered the advice she had given him this morning. If you do not think your wife is pregnant, you would better keep the slit buttoned-up, Mr. Slotter. Maybe that is why he chose her - because he is not physically attracted to her, so it will not be hard for him to stay away from her bed. That. That was the only reasonable explanation, she thought and frowned unconsciously. "Is something wrong?" He asked her. She quickly changed her expression. "Oh, no ... everything is fine. Only, there is a lot to think about.

"But would you think about it?"

"It would be foolish not to do that." Of course, I am not stupid, Himena thought. "I will read your contract tomorrow," she said.

"Excellent."