Leverage & Obedience (Standalone Spicy Romance and Completed Series #1)

Chapter 1

Coffee splashes down the front of my blouse before I even make it to my desk.

I stare at the huge brown stain spreading across the light blue fabric and sigh. This is pretty on-brand for me. It’s Monday morning and the second week at my new temp job. I’m already five minutes late, and now I look like I lost a fight with a latte.

The stain is right on my chest. I’d be more surprised if it had gone anywhere else.

I set my coffee down and grab a stack of files I was supposed to have copied yesterday.

This is a three-month placement—the agency was upfront about that, and I didn’t ask questions.

Three months is my sweet spot. It’s long enough to learn names but short enough that nobody makes a big deal of it when you leave.

I’ve had ten placements in four years and exactly zero relationships that outlasted the fun stage.

Most of the boxes from the last move are still taped shut in the corner of my apartment.

Why unpack when I’m not sure where I’ll be heading in three months?

I rush toward the copy room, and my foot catches on nothing. I tumble forward, papers flying everywhere.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I mumble into the carpet.

My day has barely started, and I’ve already branded my tits with coffee and eaten floor. I wouldn’t be surprised if the copier explodes next.

A pair of polished dress shoes appears in my line of sight, and then a man crouches down next to me and starts gathering pages like this is a totally normal thing he does on a Monday morning.

“You okay?”

The voice is deep, and my mouth goes dry before I even look up. When I do, I forget about the papers and the coffee stain.

Well, hello, Daddy.

He’s older than me, I’d guess in his mid-forties, and his hazel eyes have me pinned to the ground. My skin tingles before my brain catches up.

“Thank you,” I manage.

He stands and holds out a hand to help me up. I take it. The second his palm closes around mine, a zing shoots up my arm and my brain blips out for half a second. His grip is sure, and he pulls me to standing like I weigh nothing. He hands me the stack he gathered without a word.

“My desk is right over here,” I say, gesturing with the crumpled stack, because apparently I’m giving him a tour now.

He walks back with me. Our arms almost brush in the hallway, and I’m aware of every inch of space between us.

When we get to my cubicle, he doesn’t leave. He stands there with one hand on the divider, watching me set the papers down. Up close, I can see the salt threading through his beard.

“You must be Lily.”

“I am, hello!” I give him my cheeriest smile, praying there’s nothing stuck between my teeth.

“I’m Mr. Harrison. It’s nice to meet you.”

Ohhh. He’s my new boss. The owner of the distressed debt firm I’m temping for. He was on vacation last week while his previous assistant trained me. I’m his personal admin, and the man I just stared at like I wanted to climb him is the person who signs off on whether I get to keep this placement.

His eyes flicker to my coffee-stained shirt, and I resist the urge to cross my arms. Yeah, so they hired a klutz. He would have found that out soon enough.

When he wishes me a good morning and heads down the hall, I try not to watch him go, but I’m completely unsuccessful. The man has a fine ass. I should not be eye-fucking my new boss’s backside, but here I am.

Thirty minutes later, the intercom on my desk buzzes, and I jump so hard I nearly knock over my coffee again.

Mr. Harrison’s smooth voice comes through the speaker. “Lily, please come to my office.”

“I’ll be right there, Mr. Harrison.”

I knock once on the open door.

He glances up from his laptop. “Come in. Close the door and sit down.”

When I close the door, the office shrinks. It’s a generous corner office with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Uptown Charlotte, but the enclosed space feels oddly intimate. His sandalwood scent hits me when I get close to his desk, and my nipples tighten.

All of me is reporting for duty.

I lower myself into the leather chair across from him and fold my hands in my lap like a good little employee.

He studies me for a moment, and his attention makes my cheeks flush. “How was your first week?”

Oh god, small talk. I clear my throat and try not to wince. So much for sophisticated. “Great, thanks! Maria was super helpful last week. I’m ready to handle anything you throw at me.”

A slow smile spreads across his face, and I relax a fraction. He glances at his watch, and I’m momentarily distracted by his lashes—they’re so dark and long I’m jealous. When his eyes meet mine again, my heart does a stupid flip.

“I’m sure Maria got you up to speed.” He leans back, sleeve riding up enough that I catch the tendons working in his forearm. “Call me Bren. Save the Mr. Harrison for clients.”

I nod. “Yes, sir.”

The words come out soft and breathy, more bedroom than boardroom, and my pussy clenches so hard that I press my thighs together.

Oh fuck. I quickly add, “I mean, Bren,” two beats too late for it to fix anything. I hold very still, praying he didn’t catch any of that.

His eyebrow goes up, and I can’t tell if it’s because he heard the tone or because I didn’t use his first name. I’m hoping it’s the name thing.

My temperature creeps upward, and I scold myself. Stop it, Lily. This is your boss. Not a play partner. Plus, who says he’s even a dom? Though I can’t explain why, I know he is.

“You’ll manage my calendar, my correspondence, and my travel. Whatever I need—”

I do not hear a single word past need.

He stops talking, and I blink.

His lips twitch. “Are you single?”

He can see I’m not wearing a ring. This is probably an innocent question. Probably.

I raise my chin. “Yes, I am.”

He returns to business. “We’ll do monthly reviews for the three months. That work for you?”

I nod absentmindedly. Why did he ask if I was single?

“Use your words.” The command in his tone is unmistakable.

I shift in the leather chair to relieve the ache between my legs. “Yes, sir.” It comes out breathy again, and this time I don’t care.

His expression turns heated, and his gaze drops to my generous breasts straining against my coffee-stained blouse.

“Is this going to be a problem?” he murmurs, almost to himself.

When his eyes find mine again, I get a read on him. He knows exactly what he’s doing to me.

My pussy practically does a cartwheel.

I should direct the conversation to safe ground. But I’m a three-month temp, and Bren is exactly my type of bad decision. The boss part is new. The pattern isn’t.

I lean back in my chair and slowly cross my legs, letting my skirt ride up on purpose. His eyes drop to the freshly exposed skin of my thigh, and a thrill zips through me.

“Problem, sir?” I hold his gaze. “Not at all. I’m here to service your needs.”

There’s no way he can misinterpret that. When his jaw tightens and his hand disappears below the desk, a rush of satisfaction makes my clit throb.

I lower my eyes like a good girl. What comes out of my mouth is the opposite.

“Do you want me to tell you what I fantasize about? I like being pinned down and called a slut. I like being spanked until I submit, and then used.” I don’t look up because I’ll lose my nerve if I do.

Also because I just handed my kink resume to my boss before lunch, and I’d like one more second of plausible deniability.

“I figured out a while back that I get off harder when I’m not in charge. ”

“Well, this is unexpected,” he says slowly. “You’re not afraid to be direct.”

I drag my eyes up to his, and smirk. “Why not mix pleasure with business?”

This is all bullshit. I’ve never done anything remotely like this before, and I have no idea where this bravery is coming from. But from the way he’s drumming his fingers on the armrest, I know it’s working.

His gaze drops to my breasts again. Oh yeah, this is happening.

“Do you need to get back to work,” he asks, “or do you have time for a special assignment right now?”

“I have nothing to do this morning except attend to your needs.”

His eyes go hungry.

“Before this goes any further, we need to discuss a few things.”

My pulse hammers as I nod. It doesn’t really matter what he says since I’ve already decided I’m willing to risk getting fired to fuck this man.

“No one can know about this.”

“Of course,” I breathe, and he pauses at my tone before his lips twitch.

“Good girl.”

Two words, and he’s hit every button I have.

“Also, we both need to understand that this is only for fun. Nothing more. Your job isn’t dependent on you doing anything with me, and if one of us wants to stop, we stop with no hard feelings. I want to maintain a positive work environment.”

“What happens if I don’t please you?” I bite my bottom lip.

His eyes drift to my mouth. “You’ll keep trying until you do.”

Holy hell, this man is going to wreck me.

“Lily, do you understand the rules?”

I nod.

“Say it.”

I lift my chin. “I understand the rules, Mr. Harrison.” His eyes narrow, just enough. Shit. “Yes, sir.”

“One last thing. Use the color system—green means go, yellow to slow down, red to stop completely.”

He’s setting up a safeword. He’s had subs before.

“I don’t plan on using yellow or red.”

A slow grin spreads across his face. “Then are you ready for your assignment?”

“Yes, sir.”

He stands, walks to the door, and locks it before closing the blinds. “Calling me sir is fine when we’re alone, but in front of everyone else, I’m Bren.”

When he moves in front of me and puts his hands on his belt, anticipation hums through me.

“Do you want me to give you a blowjob?” I ask. Apparently, I’ve lost every filter I’ve ever had.

“No. Not this time.” He unbuckles his belt. “I want to fuck your tits. Unbutton your blouse.”