Queen Regnant ( Ace of Queens #3)

Ch.17 Over her heart

Owen thanked the man before he made his way out of the party once more. The urge to turn and search the crowd for Mavi was unbearable. He bit down hard on his jaw to keep his legs moving forward and his eyes down. Once he got to his room, he pulled off the tie he was wearing and hung it over the chair. He took a seat at the edge of the bed and rubbed his face.

What are you doing? He asked himself again.

He refused to answer the voice in his head. He needed to get this job as soon as possible. He couldn't bare to be around Mavi and watch her move on with her life with someone else.....yet he also couldn't bare the thought of being away from her.

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The next morning, Mavi woke with the sweet memories of a dream where Gemma hadn't walked into the greenhouse and Owen had pulled her into his arms and kissed her breathless.

Just thinking about the dream made Mavi blush. She laid awake in bed as the late morning sunlight danced into her room. It bounced off the gold photo frames in her room and splashed the space with a hazy dreamlike quality.

Mavi sat up slowly and pulled out the row-boating pin from underneath her pillow. She flopped back against her pillow as she held the pin in front of her face. She couldn't stop smiling or contain her heart from the way it leaped and skipped.

When she realized Owen was somewhere in the palace, she jumped out of bed and got ready for the day.

What would happen when she saw him today? Would he act differently? WOuld he bring up the almost kiss?

Mavi laughed as she brushed her hair and thought of the possibility of them both trying to speak at once but stopping to let the other speak. They would go back and forth several times. She would be blushing hard and he would have that smile that made the dimple on his left cheek deepen.

Mavi could hardly keep her feet on the ground as she floated down to join her family for breakfast.

Gemma was the first to see her. She peaked at Mavi over the rim of her tea cup and kept quiet. Exton didn't notice the subtle change in his mate's behavior as his sister came to join the table.

"Good morning, sunshine," Rye smiled brightly at her daughter. "You look happy."

"I am," Mavi said, taking a seat across from Exton and Gemma.

"Did you like the party?" Rye asked.

"Yes," Mavi nodded. "Very much."

"You missed all the fun," Exton said as he scooped up some eggs and placed them on Gemma's plate. Gemma scrunched up her nose and gently pushed the plate away.

"What did I miss?" Mavi asked, making a plate for herself.

"Honestly, I don't even remember....Someone mixed Pixie brew into everyone's drinks." Exton chuckled.

"I bet it was Adam," Rye shook her head.

"I wouldn't put it past him," Gemma said.

Exton replaced her plate with his empty one and filled it with some pancakes. Gemma made a face again as she moved it away. Exton narrowed his eyes at her as Gemma pushed his face away.

Mavi eyed them as she poured syrup on her pancake. Her brother hadn't pounced on her and bombarded her with questions yet, so she took it as a good sign that Gemma had kept her word.

"Where's dad?" Mavi asked, looking at Xavier's empty seat.

"He's conducting the interview with Owen and the council," Exton waved his fork in the air.