Page 25 of The Royal Flame (The Royal Academy #3)

This is the farthest I’ve ever gone with a guy, and I’ll admit it’s startling how big and hard he is as I wrap my fingers around his cock.

He lets out a husky groan as I start moving my hand up and down.

His lips desperately seek mine and his fingers return to my ponytail pulling rough enough that I damn near see starts again.

When he comes undone, it’s surprising how much I like watching him fall apart with his head tipped back.

He tugs me forward as he does then pushes up and kisses me so fiercely, I can barely get any oxygen into my lungs.

We kiss for a while, then he cleans up. By the time we’re done, the limo is pulling up to the curb in front of the restaurant we’re meeting my ex-mother at. The place is nice, but located on a back road in The Royal City where the lights are dimmer and the sidewalks are less crowded.

River kisses me one more time before we climb out.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he checks while grazing his fingers along the side of my face.

“Want to might be a stretch,” I answer honestly. “But I need to.”

“Okay then.” He squeezes my hand. “Let’s do this then.” He starts to step forward, but I pull him back.

“I want to apologize before we go in there for how she’s going to act,” I tell him. “It’ll be bad. And she might even try to hit on you.”

“I’ll be fine.” He brings my knuckles to his lips and kisses them. “I’m more worried about you.”

“Don’t be. I know how to handle her.”

“That doesn’t make it any better.”

He’s right. And hopefully one day I won’t have to.

We head for the glass door entrance to the restaurant with the glimmering lights dangling from the buildings reflecting across us.

River holds the door open for me. As I’m entering, I glance over my shoulder at the curb across the street where a dark SUV is parked.

It resembles the one my father’s bodyguards showed up in when they took me from north side that night I learned Grey was real father.

I’m assuming my bodyguard is in there, which brings me a bit of relief.

But that dissolves the moment I walk in and find my ex-mother arguing with the hostess.

She’s dressed in a tight black dress with snakeskin heels and her hair is pulled up in ponytail. I cringe at how loudly she’s talking as she insists, she has a reservation here.

I step forward, panic flooding my bloodstream, but River grips my hand. “Let me handle this, okay?” He waits for me to nod, then approaches the podium with me slightly behind him.

“Hey,” he greets the hostess. “She’s with us. The reservation is under River Averson.”

It’s evident by how fluster the hostess gets that she recognizes with River is.

My main concern, though, is my ex-mother.

“Maddison,” she greets me with a fake smile. “I was worried you guys were gonna stand me up. And this bitch wouldn’t seat me without you.”

“She was just doing her job,” I hiss, cringing at how much attention we’re drawing.

Some of the people at the tables and in the waiting area staring at us. While the place isn’t as upscale as many of the dining places in the heart of the Royal City, the twinkling lights, table clothes, and décor are much fancier than any other place I’ve eaten.

“Well, she doesn’t have to be such a bitch about it.” My ex-mother tugs n the hem of her dress then adjust the handle of her purse. “And why is everyone staring.”

“Because you’re making a scene.” I give her a pleading look. “Can you please just behave until we get seated.”

“Sure, your royal highness.” She curtsies at me.

River notices this, but doesn’t remarks. He offers me a sympathetic smile then steers me with him as he follows the waitress back to our table. My mother trails behind us, and she keeps muttering under her breath about how snobby everyone is.

I do my best to ignore her as we take a seat at our table, which is in the far back corner. Whether intentional or not, I’m grateful since it offers a bit of discreetness from the rest of the tables.

Once she gives us our menus, she walks off, leaving us all alone.

My ex-mother immediately smiles at River. “I recognize you. You were with Maddison when she broke in to my place.”

River folds his arms on top of the table. “She didn’t break in. She went into her home to get her stuff.”

My ex- mother’s sugary sweet smile turns malicious. “Look at you, a little baby Royal trying to act tough.”

“I’m not trying to do anything. I’m acting entitled because I am.” He leans forward. “I think we both know who has control her and if I wanted to, I could ruin your life,” he snaps his fingers. “Just like that.”

I’m shocked as hell. When I first started at the Royal Academy, I’d heard rumors about River’s intensity, but I’ve never seen if directed toward me.

My ex-mother’s smile falters. She’s thrown off, which rarely happens. “If you want answers from me, you need to treat me with some respect.”

“I’ll treat you with as much respect as you’ve treated Maddison with.” He collects his menu and slants back. “Now figure out what you want to order. I don’t want to have to make the waitress endure you poor manners, like the hostess did.”

I smash my lips together, conceal a laugh. But it’s complicated not to bust up laughing at the sight of my mother’s appalled expression. She practically flounders as she snatches up her menu from off the table.

River glances at me, his eyes sparkling as he hands me my menu.

I want to kiss.

I want to climb onto his lap and run my fingers through his hair.

I want to do a lot of dirty things to him.

I take the menu from him and find the least expensive item on the menu—a garden salad. Yuck, but it’ll have to do for now.

When the waitress arrive, my mother has a bitchy attitude as she orders the biggest steak menu, an appetizer, and a drink.

The waitress acts a professional as she can as can as she types in my mother’s order then turns to me.

“And what can I get you?” she asks with a forced smile.

“I’ll just have a garden salad and a water,” I tell her, ignoring River’s gaze boring into me.

My mother snickers. “You’re a cheap whore, aren’t you?” she mumbles under her breath.

I visualize myself floating in the middle of a lake where no on else exists in order to keep myself calm enough not to punch her.

When the waitress glances at River, her smile turns genuine. “And how about you., River?”

“I’ll have the filet mignon and also a burger.” He hands her a menu.

I narrow my eyes at him. “I sure hope those two meals were for you.”

The waitress hurries off, muttering, “I’ll go put in your orders.”

“If you would’ve order what you wanted, I wouldn’t have had to get you something,” he says, fiddling with a ring on his finger. “This place has one of the best burgers in town. I promise you’ll like it.”

“You know that isn’t what this is about,” I grit through my teeth.

“Yeah, it’s about you being stubborn,” he says, angling his body so his knee touches mine. “You need to eat, Maddison, especially with how hard you’re training.”

“Jesus,” my mother sneers, reminding me that she’s here. “This is like a real relationship. How the hell did you manage that, Maddy?”

I glare at her. “That’s none of your business.”

Her smile, though, is making me uneasy. She likes knowing how much River likes me, and she’ll probably try to use that to her advantage. I’m tired of this shit, of her, of her damn cons.

“So why did you decide to pretend to be my real mother,” I blurt out, getting a twisted sense of satisfaction watching her be completely thrown off guard.

River is too, his brows elevating toward his hairline.

I wince at my impulsive decision to blurt it out, but hastily collect myself.

My ex-mother shifts in her seat. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Yeah, you do,” I say calmly. “I know my aunt Ellis is my birth mother, but I want to know why she thought it was better for you to raise me than her.”

“Did you ever consider the idea that maybe my darling sister,” her tone oozes with sarcasm. “Was just too unfit to be a mother?”

“No, because you’re unfit to be a mother,” I inform her, and she has the audacity to look shocked. “You’ve been awful to me for as far back as my memories go. Ellie was the only person who ever treated me kindly.”

“And yet she didn’t want to be your mother,” she states. “So perhaps you’re just unlovable.”

“Hey,” River warns, but I hold up my hand, stopping him.

“She’s trying to bait us,” I inform him then direct my attention back her.

“Isn’t that right, insert her name? She’s doing this to avoid answering my question because her uncomfortable, which is odd, since she’s a professional liar.

” I rest my elbows on the table and smile as she glares at me.

“What? You may have hated raising me, but you still raised me. And for years, I watched you lie, steal, and con people over and over again. I know you like the back of my fucking hand. I know when you’re lying.

And I know what makes you tick. So, if you want that hundred dollars that you were promised in exchange for meeting me here, you’re gonna tell me everything you know about me and about Ellie. ”

She taps her fingers against the table as she lets out a hollow laugh. “You think you’re so special because you’re dating a Royal now, but you’re wrong. Your mother thought that too, and look how it turned out for her. She got knocked and ditched by the man she believed loved her.”

It takes all of my strength not to react. “Why did she decide to let you raise me? And don’t feed me some shit about you being better fit to be a mother. I know that’s a lie.”

She considers this for an annoying amount of time. “I want five hundred dollars in cash or else I won’t tell you everything I know.”

“No,” I start at the same time River, says, “And how do we know if we pay you that you’ll tell us the truth?”