The Billionaire's Open Marriage Contract

LET'S GET MARRIED

“Let’s get married.”

Scarlett nearly choked on the expensive wine she was offered. She coughed violently, covering her mouth with one hand as the red liquid went down the wrong pipe. Her eyes watered as she stared across the enormous living room at the man who had just said the most ridiculous thing she had heard all night.

Jude Ryder didn't move.

He simply sat there, unbothered. His expression remained completely blank, as though he hadn't just suggested marriage to a woman he had met less than an hour ago, and who just knew his name was Judd because of his business card on the passenger seat of his car.

Scarlett finally swallowed and wiped the corner of her mouth. “What?”

“Let’s get married.” He repeated.

She stared at him before bursting out into a hysterical laughter. “Oh my God.” She placed her wineglass on the table before she dropped it. “You can't be serious, you don't even know my name.”

“Do I need to?”

She stared at him for several seconds.

Then she looked around the room as though somebody else might be hiding behind one of the ridiculously expensive pieces of furniture, waiting to tell her this was all some elaborate prank. He was so rude and she couldn't stand him.

“I can't do that, and if you think…”

He stopped her from completing what she wanted to say. “It's not a request, just so you know. It's an order.”

“Asshole,” She muttered under her breath.

This man had just dragged her out of a parking lot after saving her from being shot, brought her to his mansion, poured her a glass of wine that probably cost more than her monthly rent, and now he was asking her to marry him. No, ordering her to marry him.

It made absolutely no sense to her. A stranger who has so much money he lives in a mansion this big without a woman, just happened to save her and pay off her debt, is now asking her to marry him. He had the money to get any woman he wants, why her?

“For all I know, you might be a murderer, a psychopath or even a trafficker. Why would I agree to that?”

“Do you have a better life than those being trafficked?”

That question was like a brick was allowed to land on her head. She knows he already has a conception about her, after all he met her at the car park where she was about to be shot in the chest and he saved her, that doesn't give him the right to compare her to girls being trafficked.

“Don't you dare say that to me,” she flared as she dropped the wine glass on the table a little too hard. “You did a favor for me, and that's something I appreciate but that doesn't mean you can speak to me badly.”

“I'll speak to you however I like, young lady.” He looked her straight in the eyes, unmoved by her anger. “Just so you know, I wasn't asking. It's an order, we are getting married and you don't have a say.”

Scarlett rolled her eyes. There has to be a reason why a respectable man like Jude would want to settle for a lady like her. Right now she had no choice, especially since she can't afford to pay him back the money he gave to Bullet.

“Consider this a payment for your debt, and as you helping me with my family.”

Scarlett folded her arms. “What does your family have to do with me?”

“Everything.”.He picked up his wineglass and took a slow sip. “My father believes I'm not ready to take over the company. He thinks I need stability and marriage is the stability I need right now.”

Scarlett frowned, still confused. “So if I say yes to this marriage, it’s a fake marriage right?”

“Of course it's fake, why on earth do you think I'd risk having anything serious with a lady like you,” his eyes were still fixed on her open cleavage.

Her mouth dropped open. “You really have no idea how to speak to people, do you?”

“I speak perfectly well.”

“No, you don't. You speak like an asshole.”

For the first time, something almost resembling amusement flickered in his eyes. “Perhaps. I speak in the only language you'll understand.”

Scarlett shook her head. “I am not marrying you.”

Jude didn't even blink as he reached for something beside him. A black leather folder. He placed it on the table in front of her.

Scarlett stared at it. The first page had a title printed in bold lettering. MARRIAGE AGREEMENT. Her eyes moved down the carefully typed paragraphs as she turned the pages.

“What the hell is this?”

“A contract.”

“I can see that.” She flipped another page.

Her eyes widened. “Open marriage?”

“Yes, our marriage will be open.”

Scarlett stared at him. “So you're saying I can see other people?”

“No, it's open to just me. You, on the other hand, have to be a faithful Ryder wife and a responsible woman who will always stand by my side.”

“What?” Scarlett can't believe a human can be this slow. “You're telling me you can sleep with whoever you want, but I can't?”

“Yes, you should sign the contract already, I have work to do so I can ask my driver to drop you off.” Saying this, he stood up and walked out of the sitting room, leaving her by herself, then he stopped abruptly. “We'll be flying to Monaco tomorrow, you need all the rest you can get.”

Scarlett almost laughed, has he been going around parking lots looking for damsels in distress to rescue only to force them into a f*****g one sided open marriage?

………

By the time Scarlett reached her apartment, it was well past midnight. She unlocked the door and pushed it open.

“Scarlett!”

She barely had time to close the door before her roommate Galaxy Painter came rushing toward her. “Girl, what the hell? I've been calling you all night!”

Scarlett dropped her handbag onto the couch. Galaxy stood in front of her, wearing an oversized T-shirt and sleep shorts, her hair wrapped in a messy scarf.

““I know.”

“You know and you didn't return any of my calls? I was worried sick about you.”

Scarlett kicked off her shoes. “I'm so sorry, but you won't believe what happened to me.”

“Donald has been blowing up my phone, you guys had another fight?”

Scarlett rolled her eyes. “Of course he has.”

Donald is one of the guys she dated a few months back and he's been calling her non-stop even after she told him she wasn't interested any more.

“Don't do that.”

“Do what?”

“That thing with your eyes.”

Scarlett dropped onto the couch. “I don't care about Donald, I just had one hell of a night and he's the last thing on my mind right now.”

Galaxy sat beside her. “Seriously, though. What happened?”

“I'm getting married in Monaco tomorrow.”