Leverage & Obedience: A BDSM Workplace Erotic Romance Novella

by April Cross

Three months. That's my limit. Ten temp jobs in four years, and I've never once unpacked all the way.

Then I spill coffee down my blouse, eat the carpet on my way to the copy room, and look up into the hazel eyes of the man who signs my paychecks.

Bren Harrison. Mid-forties. Salt-and-pepper. In charge of everything. Including me, apparently. By lunch on day one, I'm on my knees in his locked office. The rules are easy. Don't catch feelings, don't get caught, don't drag it out.

I'm great at rules like that. Rules like that are how I never stay.

Somewhere between the protein bars and the dirty talk, the rules stop working.

He clasps a gold chain around my ankle, and I don't take it off. I stopped taking my birth control three days ago. The runner wants to be kept—the whole terrifying forever.

The temp who never stays just found the one place she can't leave.

A spicy standalone romance with a dominant older boss, scorching baby making themes, and a hard-won happily-ever-after.

Genres: Ebooks, BDSM, Erotica

177 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 2, 2026

About the author

Writer of spicy stories... okay, I'll be honest, most of my stuff is ghost pepper spicy. I started writing short alien erotic romances and moved into contemporary sharing stories, before branching out with April Cross to give a home for my longer contemporary erotic romances. I prefer to write erotic romances that have an element of power play with guys who like to be in control.

Reviews

[Matthew Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

holy phuck this book! 🥵🥵👀👀🍿🍿I loved this book, it had me laughing and had my crying, i loved all of the characters, Lily and Bren are fantastic omg the breeding kink! here friend in the office Rachel ? what she said in those texts to Lily later on in the book, what this mad did to her in his office and how she reacted 🥵🥵🥵 what she said to get him to cum inside her ... daaaam! 🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵 I think that very soon i will be reading a lot more of Aprils books!

[Michelle Frater · Rating 4 out of 5]

Six temp jobs in four years, and that’s exactly how Lily likes it. She jokes that she’s only tolerable in small doses, but the truth runs deeper. Beneath the self-deprecating humor lies a fear of rejection, of not being chosen, so profound that she always leaves before anyone has the chance to ask her to stay. After a week of orientation at her latest job, Lily finally meets her new boss. And Bren Harrison is anything but ordinary. There’s the deep voice. The quiet authority. The effortless command woven into every word. Lily’s body reacts before her mind can catch up. The “Yes, Sir” slips out naturally, but what follows is something she never anticipated. Lily finds herself entering an arrangement with her boss, and things heat up quickly behind Bren’s closed office door. It begins as a mutually agreed-upon, no-strings-attached relationship that’s only supposed to last as long as Lily’s temporary contract. Temporary is safe. Temporary is simple. But Lily isn’t the first temp Bren has hired, and there’s a reason for that. Bren deliberately keeps people at a distance, ensuring that no one gets close enough to matter. As readers, we know exactly where this is headed: straight toward heartbreak and complications neither of them planned for. The first problem? Bren is the perfect Dom. He’s attentive, intuitive, and just as invested in Lily’s pleasure as his own. More importantly, he’s warm, caring, and patient—qualities that steadily dismantle every wall Lily has built around her heart. For the first time, she begins to imagine what it might be like to stay. While BDSM plays an important role in their relationship, the story’s real focus is on the trust, vulnerability, and tenderness that develops between them. I especially loved that Bren never treated aftercare as an afterthought. In many ways, he seemed to cherish holding Lily afterward just as much as the scenes themselves, and those moments added a wonderful emotional depth to their connection. Of course, both characters are carrying wounds of their own. Lily fears rejection and the possibility that she will never be enough for someone to choose her. Bren’s fears are rooted in grief and the devastating prospect of losing someone he loves again. As Lily puts it: “Bren can’t survive losing anyone again, so he won’t let anyone stay. I can’t survive nobody wanting to keep me, so I leave first.” It’s a line that perfectly captures the heart of the story. Two people desperately wanting connection while doing everything possible to avoid the risk that comes with it. The question, then, isn’t whether they belong together. It’s which one of them will be brave enough to admit they want more.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[kymagirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

One temp job. One locked office. One reason to finally stay.

Lily has built her life around leaving before anyone can ask her to stay. Temp jobs, half-packed boxes, no roots, no messy goodbyes. Then Bren walks into her Monday morning with quiet control, a sharp suit, and the kind of command her body understands before her brain can argue.

Their arrangement is supposed to be simple: pleasure, rules, discretion, and an end date. But Bren’s dominance isn’t careless. He notices what she needs, steadies her, checks her limits, and makes obedience feel less like surrender and more like being seen.

The problem is that Bren has his own reasons for keeping everyone temporary. Grief has taught him to control every exit before loss can find him again, while Lily keeps mistaking distance for safety. The closer they get, the harder it becomes to pretend this is only temporary.

Lily is restless, self-protective, and terrified of wanting a life she can’t pack up and leave behind. Bren is controlled, grief-guarded, and used to keeping people at a distance, until Lily becomes someone he wants to choose instead of prepare to lose. Their relationship shifts from a secret, rule-bound office arrangement into a consent-driven power exchange where obedience, care, fear, and devotion are tied to the risk of staying.

An erotica, kink-forward, age gap workplace romance filled with locked-door tension, dominance and submission, praise, punishment, soft aftercare, and the dangerous pull of being chosen. It explores control, consent, grief, avoidance, emotional surrender, permanence, and the fear of wanting a life with someone who could actually keep you. It’s filthy, tender, high heat, and ultimately about two people brave enough to stop making themselves temporary.

The Elevator Pitch: A woman who has perfected the art of leaving takes a temp job under a man whose control reaches far beyond the office door. What begins as a private arrangement of rules, obedience, and desire becomes a test of what happens when two guarded people start wanting permanence. In a world built around exits, their most dangerous choice is staying.

Heat Level: 🖤🔥 Erotica / Kink-Forward

[Louise J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lily makes her living as a temp, never staying in one place for more than a few months, but when she starts working as Bren’s assistant, she finds herself wanting to try lots of new things. No stranger to the dom/sub relationship, Lily recognises something in Bren straight away, but she’s never felt so free to express her thoughts, although her brain spends a lot of time catching up with what her body is doing. They both quickly give in to what they want, knowing that their time together is limited, but the care that Bren shows her has Lily considering whether she could stay for once in her life. They both have pain in their pasts which has left them on guard and protecting themselves from feelings and commitment, but their strong connection has both imagining something much more permanent. Whilst there are very steamy scenes and dirty talk from the get-go, these are cushioned with consent, safe words and tender after care by Bren, and you can feel the emotional journey they go on to reach their HEA. This is a fast-paced BDSM romance full of steam, exploration, vulnerability and chemistry which will warm your heart, along with other parts 😉.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

When this book leaped quickly into sex scenes between Lily and Bren, I was expecting the whole book to be just sex and some simple linking elements. However there is an actual story with a developing plot and characters you come to understand.

Lily is the eternal temp, never putting down roots and never allowing herself to get emotionally involved with anyone. Bren is an older successful businessman who suffered a tragedy some years ago when his wife died suddenly from heart failure and after this he avoids close relationships. A curious feature of this is that he only employs temporary personal assistants at work, which doesn't make a lot of sense since the other employees in a small team are fairly settled. Lily's latest temp job is of course as PA to Bren.

There is plenty of sex, a relationship build, misunderstanding, fracture and rebuild to a happy ending. Usually it is the man who is the emotional idiot but here the plot is twisted so that Lily is stupid one.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[PugLover · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of a guy afraid to commit and a girl afraid to make roots. Bren suffered a tragic loss eight years ago and now keeps everything temporary. Lily only takes temp jobs and moves cities each time. When Lily becomes Bren's temporary personal admin everything changes. She recognizes him as a dom the moment she meets him. It's a good thing since her submissive side introduces itself loud and clear. They agree to a "for fun only" arrangement to be kept secret and the fun starts immediately. Days, weeks, go by with office trysts remaining light. Everything changes when their arrangement leaves the office. Dinner out, a gift, and a sleepover at Bren's place has both of them realizing that feelings are involved. Lily bolts and Bren doesn't chase her. Luckily, some well timed texts from a coworker wake Lily up and she decides to fight for Bren.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Slwd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bren and Lily

Today was the perfect day for an April Cross story. Just so happens she has a new release “Leverage and Obedience” a standalone BDSM erotic novella. This is a workplace novella bringing together temp job expert Lily and her boss, Bren, who cycled through temps with an expiration date because he didn’t want to lose anyone since he lost his wife eight years prior. Two people, each with their own issues, began a workplace dom/sub agreement. From day one, Lily was on her knees. These two were fantastic together. I liked both characters equally and could understand the baggage they carried. The story is super steamy, hot, and incredibly erotic. April knows how to write a great story infused with great characters and toe curling sex, a wide variety of toe curling sex. Definitely recommended for lovers of the genre.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review, my thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

[Angelique Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick read but I actually enjoyed it. It had a lot of office tension, an age gap, and a dominant male lead who definitely knew what he wanted. The chemistry between the main characters was really good and I found myself flying through it to see what happened next.

The story is more focused on the relationship and spice than a complicated plot, which worked for me. I also liked that there was some emotional depth underneath all the attraction and tension. If you like possessive heroes, workplace romance, and plenty of steam with a sweet HEA, this one’s worth checking out.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ms. Le · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lily has started another temp job at a debt firm. The contract is for three months which suits her as she never likes to stay very long anywhere. When she meets her new boss Bren, she gets a dom vibe from him which pushes her to boldly state her kinky thoughts and that she is here to service his needs. Soon she is on her knees and BDSM lite play between them becomes a regular part of their working day. They both have issues around permanency of a deeper relationship. Loved that the co-workers were rooting for them and that they worked through these insecurities to find a happy ending.

[Carol Demmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot short story. A short novel with Lily who answers to her new boss, Bren, with a "Yes, sir." This will have them moving into a relationship of dom and sub. Lily has always done temp jobs that last three months and moves on. Her relationship with Bren will have her questioning her life choices. This book is full of drama, hot sexy moments and a happy ending. I enjoyed the book.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super Spicy Yet Sweet Story
Lily does temp work - she’d rather leave than stay - so working as Bren’s temporary assistant is perfect. Until she starts to get attached … While this book bills itself as high-heat-low-plot, I thought it had just the right amount of plot (no disagreement on the heat, this one way red hot from the get go!). I found Lily’s little quips and self talk to be quite funny, and some moments were truly touching. A great read.

[JM G · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! Spicy HOT read!! A fantastic BDSM with a alpha male. It was a very quick read once I started this book - I didn't want to put it down. Well developed characters and I was pulled right into the storyline. Great book!.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This read has all the right ingredients
for a steamy read and it didn’t let me down.
I found it had a decent amount of steam to
it but also there’s more going on than you think.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.