After five years of silence, Anna Sliver James returns home for Thanksgiving, carrying a secret that shattered her life the night she left: she slept with her best friend kelvin Eli—thinking, in a haze of grief and wine, that she was falling into the arms of his older brother Josh, the boy she’d always loved.

But the fallout was swift and unforgiving. Anna disappeared without a word, changed her major, rebuilt her life, and tried to forget what happened. Her family never knew the truth, and kelvin never reached out. Now, she’s back in town with a new job offer in hand ready to finally move forward.

Until she finds out that the company offering her a fresh start has a familiar face at the top: kelvin is the CFO.

Thrown into close proximity, Anna and kelvin are forced to navigate a tangled mess of old wounds, unresolved desire, and the growing realization that maybe what happened that night wasn’t a mistake at all.

As the past collides with the present, Anna must finally face the question she’s been avoiding for years: Was she ever in love with the right brother?

Tense, sexy, and emotionally raw, "unwanted desires" is a story about love, guilt, redemption and what happens when running away no longer works.

I stared at my phone, jaw tightening as I listened to her soft, chirpy voice from the recording—so damn cheerful, so Anna. But it didn't feel like her anymore. Not lately.


It wasn't just the missed calls or the vague texts. It was something else. Something I couldn't name.


We used to talk every night, even if just for five minutes. Lately, it felt like I was always the one calling, and she was always just a little too busy to pick up.


I tossed the phone onto the couch and stood up, pacing the room like I could burn the feeling out of my chest.


Maybe I was overthinking it. Maybe she really was just tired—work, family, the holidays. She'd told me how overwhelming it was to be back in her hometown after so long. She never liked talking about her past, not really. There was always something she skipped over.


The name left a bitter taste in my mouth. I didn't know him. Not really. But I didn't have to. Anna's voice always changed when she talked about him—tight, short, hesitant. Like saying too much would bring something back to life.


I wasn't an idiot. I could put two and two together.


He wasn't just a friend from her past. He was the past. The one she never explained.


And now she was working at the same company as him. He was her boss—her freaking boss. How convenient was that?


I sat down again, running my hand through my hair. Maybe I should've asked more questions when she got the offer. Maybe I should've pressed when I saw that flicker of panic in her eyes after she told me who'd be supervising her.


I wanted to trust her. I still wanted to trust her.


But trust felt stupid when she hadn't called me back all weekend.


I grabbed the phone again and opened our last thread.


I started typing, deleted it, then typed again.


Me: Is everything okay? I'm starting to worry.


I hit send and stared at it for a long time.


Something was off. Something had changed.


And if she didn't want to tell me what it was...


Chapter 36 - chapter 36