Page 34 of The Billionaire's Royal Challenge

Did Nate really expect her to leave her position for him? And would their relationship survive if she didn’t?

CHAPTER 8

NATE

Nate blew out a long sigh as he tossed his jacket on the bed and surveyed the room in which he’d spend the next few days. His mind whirled with hope that the promise of a more relaxed time would hold true.

Doubts gnawed at his mind like persistent whispers. He couldn’t shake the feeling of inadequacy, wondering if he’d ever truly belong in the royal circle.

He’d ridden with the royal family on the way to the country estate. He hadn’t been able to stop fidgeting or running his sweaty palms against his pant legs.

So many times, he’d wanted to slip his hand around hers, but he’d held back. He noticed the carefully choreographed dance between the older royal couple. They sat across from them in the chauffeured car, poised and elegant.

His forehead pinched at the recollection. He wondered if that had been a product of decades of marriage or if they had always been that composed.

He supposed they had been. Elena hadn’t reached for his hand even once. The experience was so different from what he’d experienced with her in Sterling City.

And when he thought of his parents, they still touched, kissed, and held hands even after all the years that had passed.

What sort of life was he stepping into?

A knock at his door pulled him from those thoughts. He crossed to the door, hoping to see Elena. Instead, he pulled it open to find his sister on the other side.

“Hey, big brother, how’s your room?” She glanced around his shoulder.

“Nice,” he said as he waved her in. “How’s yours?”

“It’s nice, too. Did you look outside yet? I think we have the same view.”

“Not yet,” he said with a sigh, running his hand through his hair.

As she crossed the room, she stopped, twisting to face him. “What’s with you?”

He sank into the armchair with a frown. “Stuff.”

“What stuff?” she asked.

He didn’t answer, clasping his hands and staring down at them as dozens of thoughts completed for attention. “Grown-up stuff.”

Maddie clicked her tongue as she lowered into a chair next to him. “Oh, Nate. I’m not a little kid, you know? I have grown-up stuff, too.”

He glanced sharply at her. “You’d better not. You’re too young to be worried about getting married and settling down.”

Her eyes went wide as she gasped. “Did you get the okay from the king and queen to marry Elena?”

“No such luck. I spent most of the ride talking about my work and trying not to sound like a common idiot.”

She giggled at the words as she slouched back in the chair. “You have a master’s degree in bioengineering. You’re not an idiot.”

“Tell that to King Frowny. He was staring at me like he’d rather dive across the car and choke me.”

“That’s because you’re dating his daughter.”

“She’s a grown woman,” he lamented.

“Dad’s the same way with me. He scared off Adam last year.”

“Because Adam was a jerk who didn’t deserve you.” Nate rubbed his temples. “And the king thinks I’m Ellie’s Adam. He thinks I’m the jerk who doesn’t deserve her.”

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