The Orchard: Lexi's Lesson in Respect: The Orchard, #2

By Stephanie L. Smith

            After her reunion with Cole, Lexi finds herself spending all of her time intentionally avoiding him. She was having a tough time getting the memories from that night out of her head, and she had made a promise to herself that she wouldn’t give her heart back to the man who shattered it all those years ago, even if it had been a misunderstanding. She had promised herself that she would never leave herself vulnerable like that again, but with him that was such a difficult promise to keep.

               In order to keep her distance, Lexi decides to take Jax into town for breakfast and possibly some car shopping. While at the diner, they run into a few familiar faces, one of which happens to be her old best friend, Ellie. The two girls catch up and Ellie invites her to a girl’s night out that night. Deciding that a night out might be exactly what she needs to forget about Cole, she agrees and heads home to get ready.

               The girls meet up that night and head out for dinner followed by one too many drinks at Tim’s Tap. When Cole walks in to find Lexi dancing with a handsome stranger, it doesn’t take long for him to realize that she is way too intoxicated to look out for herself. Things get heated when he tries to take her home, and Lexi finds herself being hauled out of the bar over his shoulder. Even in her drunken state she knew that she would pay for her behavior sooner or later.

               Waking up with one hell of a hangover, Lexi finds herself in Cole’s bed, although she is fully clothed this time. As the memories of the night come flooding back, she realizes she’s really in for it this time. When she gets downstairs and Cole doesn’t immediately lay into her, but instead makes her breakfast and wants to talk, she knows something is up. Cole assures her that she is going to get the spanking of her life for her behavior, but first he asks her some very personal questions. Questions that could have life changing consequences for Lexi. Questions that she’s not sure she’s prepared to answer.

This is a novella of about 11k words. This is the second installment in a four-part series. All installments will be available as a set after the fourth is published.

Note: This story contains domestic discipline including the spanking and switching of adult women. If such material offends you, please do not read this novella. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stephanie L. Smith
• Release date: Feb 5, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524285180

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The Orchard: Lexi's Lesson in Respect

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Lexi spent the next couple days avoiding Cole, which would have been much easier if they didn’t live and work on the same property. After their emotional, raw discussion, Lexi was feeling especially exposed and vulnerable, two things that she did not handle well. She refused to even let herself think about the fact that she had allowed things to become very intimate between them.

No she hadn’t allowed it, she had initiated it.

Although she now knew that he hadn’t cut her off intentionally all those years ago, there was still far too much history and she was far too damaged to allow herself to fall for him again. She didn’t think that she had the strength to recover if things went south again. After the heartbreak she had suffered the first time, and then a loveless, failed marriage, she vowed to close her heart off for good. The only man she needed in her life was four years old and called her Mommy.

Jax are you ready buddy? Lexi called to her son, they were heading into town for breakfast at the local diner. She hadn’t been to town since she returned, and at this point she would rather run into old friends and acquaintances than Cole. A trip into town seemed much safer than staying here all day.

"I’m coming mommy, give me a damn minute!" Jax yelled back as he came down the stairs. She bit her lip to hold back a laugh and gave him the sternest look she could manage when he reached the bottom of the stairs. She didn’t want to encourage bad manners in her son, but it was clear that her father was wearing off on him already. He was about the only person she knew that added the word ‘damn’ to every sentence.

Jaxon Monroe, we do not use that language! I don’t know where you learned that word but it is not okay, understood? Lexi asked with an arched brow doing her best to bite back a laugh.

Well papa says it to everyone. He shrugged. Lexi shook her head and made a mental note to warn her father about watching his mouth around her impressionable toddler.

Okay, well I’ll talk to papa about it, but you still don’t get to say it. Are we clear? Lexi asked as she arched a brow.

Fine. Her son grumbled as though she was taking all his fun away. She took his hand and the two of them headed out to the car.

The trip down the lane reminded her that she needed to trade this car in, it was a great little vehicle in the city, but it certainly wouldn’t work here. It was tough to drive the little coupe down their long lane now, it would be absolutely impossible by wintertime.

*****

Betty’s Diner hadn’t changed a bit since Lexi left. Ten years might have changed a lot of things, but it was nice to see that some things stayed the same.

How many? The young waitress asked.

One and a half.