BenValerie

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.

falling for my best friend (unwanted desires)

The glass doors of Cavendish & Blake gleamed like polished judgment. Every inch of the corporate headquarters screamed precision, power, and wealth. I took a breath before walking in, the familiar nerves tightening in my stomach.

This wasn't just a new job. It was his company.

I hadn't even processed the Thanksgiving fallout. His voice still echoed in my mind low, controlled, and cold as ice when he'd told me he was the CFO. That smirk that didn't quite reach his eyes. The disappointment he didn't say aloud.

He'd known I was coming. And he hadn't said a word.

Now I was walking into his world, on his terms.

The receptionist greeted me, offered a visitor's badge, and waved me toward the elevator. I nodded, feeling the weight of my decision settle like a second skin. I had chosen this job because it was the best on paper. I hadn't expected Eli.

Definitely not this version of him sharper, more powerful, harder in all the ways I hadn't imagined.

The elevator opened directly into the executive floor. Glass panels, dark wood, and a quiet hush that felt more like a cathedral than a workspace. Appropriate, I thought bitterly, for the way my pulse knelt every time I thought about him.

Kara Blake co-founder and HR head approached with a bright smile. She was elegant and composed, wearing a deep navy suit and red lipstick that said she knew exactly what she was doing.

"So glad you're here," she said, extending a hand. "We've heard great things."

I murmured thanks, hoping my palm wasn't sweaty as we shook. She led me down the hallway, talking about orientation schedules, team structures, and internal systems. I barely absorbed a word.

I was too busy scanning every glass office I passed, wondering which one belonged to him.

Kara opened the door to a sleek conference room. A few department leads were already seated, flipping through briefing packets. I straightened my spine and took the seat closest to the edge. One foot in. One foot out.

Fifteen minutes in, the door opened and everything else faded.

Dark suit. No tie. Shirt unbuttoned at the throat. He looked like a man in control of everything and everyone. Including himself.

The pause when his eyes landed on me.

The flicker of something old. Something raw.

He nodded to Kara, then walked to the front.

"Welcome to Cavendish & Blake," he said, voice smooth as velvet but with steel beneath. "I'm Kelvin ELi Carter. For those of you who don't know me, I oversee finance and operations."

His gaze slid over the room like it meant nothing. But when it met mine just for a second it sharpened. Held.

I'd spent years imagining what it would be like to see him again.

After the meeting, I stood to leave, only to hear his voice at my shoulder.

Two words. No warmth. Just command.

The room emptied around us, the silence thickening.

"I didn't know," I said before he could speak. "When I accepted. I didn't know this was yours."

He studied me, unreadable. "And if you had?"

He nodded slowly. "Well, now you do."

I swallowed. "Do you want me to leave?"

Something flickered in his eyes. "No. You earned the job. I won't take it from you."

"But," he added, stepping closer, "don't expect special treatment, Anna. Not from me."

His gaze dipped to my mouth, then back to my eyes. The tension crackled, thick and electric.

I turned before he could see me tremble. Before he could smell how much I still wanted him.

Because the truth was worse than the shame.

It wasn't guilt making my knees weak.

It was the part of me that had never stopped imagining his hands on me.

chapter 16