Kingmaker (Ace of Queens #5)

Pt.4 Prince on a white horse

Chapter 4

Maksim stood in the foyer with a deep frown on his face as the men brought the flowers in one by one.

"I said send her flowers," Clare spoke from the top of the stairs. "Not the entire botanical garden!"

Maksim didn't bother to look at her. His eyes stayed on the flowers as the men waited for him to tell them what to do.

"Please, just take them to Vivian," he said with a sigh. "Tell her to put them around the palace."

"Yes, sir," one of the men said.

"What now, Prince Charming?" Clare teased him. She leaned against the railing mocking him when a sudden thought popped into her mind.

"Oh no," she said. "Macky, don't do it. It's a bad idea."

"That's not going to stop me," Maksim said.

Clare rushed down the stairs but her brother was already out the door. She watched him head towards the garage before the sound of his new car zoomed out of the palace grounds.

"What a marshmallow," Clare shook her head.

Maksim didn't know what he would say to her, all he knew was he needed to see her face and find out what she was thinking.

The drive into town was short as he pushed past the speed limit. When the smooth pavement turned into uneven cobblestone under the wheels, Maksim knew he had arrived. He parked the car a few blocks away from the diner and picked up the baseball cap from the passenger seat.

In the dark streets with the horrible street lamps lighting the way overhead, Maksim crossed over and entered the diner.

"Take any open table," a girl with blonde hair like Ella's said as she rushed to count the change for a customer.

Maksim lowered his head and looked around. When he spotted Ella at the back of the diner, he slowly walked over and slipped into the empty booth. He scanned the menu in front of him, making sure to keep his head low and face covered.

"Hello, welcome to Dunbar's," Ella said as she walked over after a few minutes. Maksim watched her from under his hat as she pulled out her little notebook and clicked her pen. "Are you ready to order or do you still need a few more minutes?" She asked with a smile.

Maksim scanned the menu once more as she waited beside the table. Her scent was intoxicating. He wanted to fill his lungs with it.

A few seconds passed as Ella waited for him to answer. When he still gave no response, she raised a brow and cleared her throat.

"Sir?"

"Did you not like any of the flowers?" Maksim asked as he titled his head just enough to show his face.

Ella gasped, dropping her pen. She began to look around in a panic. Her eyes spotted Mia by the register and her Papa inside the kitchen, both unaware of who was in their diner.

"What are you doing here?" Ella lowered her voice as she sank down to grab her pen.

"I came to apologize," Maksim smiled, looking down at her as she squatted by this booth.

"For what?" Ella looked over her shoulder again to make sure Mia was looking.

"For sending you flowers you didn't like,"

"Are you serious?" Ella turned to look at him. "You sent me like thirty bouquets. Why?"

"I didn't know what type of flowers you liked!" Maksim said in his defense.