Page 7 of The Billionaire's Royal Challenge

“See? They can be reasonable.”

“I wasn’t worried about offending them with a dress color, Mom,” he said as he typed a message back.

Victoria settled her hands on his shoulders as he kept his gaze on the floor. She gently raised his chin. “Nate, you are a wonderful man who I am proud to call my son. You’ll be fine. You can handle some formal rules. I know you can.”

He nodded as he sucked in a breath. “I just want to be perfect for her. I want her father to have no doubts about me.”

“I know she has no doubts,” Victoria said. “And I’m certain she will guide you to make sure everything turns out fine.”

He blew out a breath as he nodded. “You’re right. I need to trust our relationship. I think being away from her for so long has justmade me…nervous.”

“Mm, yeah the two weeks she’s been gone have beenfartoo long.”

“Very funny, Mom. It’s been long enough for me to start to question everything. I mean, we barely had a chance to discuss things.”

“But you did discuss them, right?”

He sighed as he tossed his phone on the bed and straightened up a few items in his suitcase. “Yeah, we did.”

“And I thought that set everyone’s nerves at ease?”

“I’d rather look in those sparkling green eyes when she tells me she still loves me, and that the royal protocols won’t be impossible to get through.”

“Soon, you will. Unless you don’t finish packing.” She waved a finger at his messy suitcase.

“I’m going to finish now.”

“Good. We’re going to be fine, Nate. You’ll be fine.”

He offered her a smile, though he felt anything but fine, but he’d put on a brave face. He wanted to be the man Elena deserved.

He made his final choices, trying to practice his decision-making skills he was certain would come along with being a royal. He shook his head at himself. He was a Vice President at a billion-dollar biomedical corporation. He had a degree in bioengineering.

He was not stupid. So why did he feel so nervous?

With the final items stowed in his suitcase, he zipped it shut and hauled it to the hall to be taken to their private jet.

He snatched his phone from the bed as he collapsed onto it.Just finished my packing. I can’t wait to see you. Any last-minute advice before I arrive?

She answered him within a few minutes.I can’t wait for you to be with me. Everything will be fine, my love.

He smiled at his phone, the message reminding him oftheir texts from a simpler time. She made things seem so easy.

A knock sounded at the door. His grin stayed on his face as he climbed off the bed and crossed to it. “I’m really feeling bet–”

His voice cut off as he stared at his brother’s features. “Stephen.”

“Hey, Nate,” his brother answered as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

He sucked in a breath, wondering what his brother wanted. They’d been through a rough patch lately. Their fist fight had been the worst of it, but they’d never patched things up.

He desperately hoped Stephen didn’t continue his antics while they were in Eldoria. He didn’t want any more incidents.

“Uh, come in,” he said, trying to think of a way to offer his brother another olive branch. He’d done it once, though they’d argued after it again.

“I’d rather not,” Stephen said.

Nate flicked his eyebrows up. Their conversation was going swimmingly so far.

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