Desires Die Hard

“I’ll have to leave soon. They’re waiting for me at home,” Anya finally said after a long chat with her friend. Her eyes flew towards the clock. It was past nine.

She had to go home and put her kids to bed.

“Of course. You’ve got a kid to take care of now. I won’t keep you then,” Cindy said. She was still trying to get used to the fact that Anya was now a mother.

“You should drop by Ellie’s place sometime. I’ll introduce you to Nathaniel and Eudora.”

Cindy froze momentarily. “You’ve got two of them? Are they twins?”

Anya nodded.

Cindy felt momentarily overwhelmed.

She couldn’t believe it. Her best friend had twins.

“I have to go now.” Anya finally rose from the couch. It was time to head back.

Cindy got to her feet as well and walked her to the door. “You can spend the night at my place the next time you have to work late. It’ll save you some time getting to work the next morning.”

Anya nodded.

Anya shut the door gently, then turned around and headed for the elevator.

A soft ding sounded at the other end of the corridor as she headed towards the elevator. The doors to the elevator slid open soundlessly.

Evan strode out of the elevator. He had his fingers pinched around the bridge of his nose. Anya, who had been making her way towards the elevator, stopped in her tracks. Evan froze as well.

They stared at each other with a stunned look in their eyes.

“Mr. Welton,” Anya said hastily as she broke out of her stunned stupor before Evan did. She didn’t wait for his reply. Instead, she quickened her pace and made a beeline for the elevator.

Evan gave her a long hard look. His hand shot out and wrapped itself around Anya’s wrist as the young woman sped past him. With a hard tug, he dragged Anya back until she was standing right before him again. “What are you doing here? Have you been stalking me?”

Anya didn’t say a word.

Honestly, stalking Evan needed guts and she wasn’t that brave.

She shook her head. “No. My friend lives here.”

“I’m the only resident on this floor.” Evan had no idea that he had just acquired a new neighbor.

“That’s not true. My friend lives on this floor too,” Anya pointed at the other apartment. “That’s her apartment.”

The crease between Evan’s brows deepened. “Stop trying to lie to me. I’ve been living in this building for some time. I’m the. only resident on this floor.”

Anya knew he wouldn’t believe her.

She tried not to get upset about it. “I’m not lying and I can prove it. Let me go and I’ll walk right over and knock on the door. My friend will answer the door.”

“Don’t bother.” Evan wasn’t interested in listening to anything that Anya had to say. A sudden rush of irritation surged inside him. He couldn’t help the note of hostility in his voice when he spoke again. “Do you know Dan Baker?”

He should have realized that he had gone out of line when that question flew from his lips.

He shouldn’t care..

He should’ve ignored her.

But they kept running into each other and then, his friend had told him that he wanted Anya.

And here they were, running into each other again. The series of coincidences stirred up waves of irritation and frustration

inside him.

Anya seemed to attract men like honey to bees.

Somehow, that upset him.

Dan Baker?

Anya froze when she heard the name. She tried her best to remember where she had heard that name.

It struck her then. The Bakers was part of the Nordenic Quartet.

She had heard of them..

But she didn’t really know any of them personally.

Anya had no idea why Evan had brought up the Bakers. She simply answered his question honestly. “I know that name.”

“You know his name?” So, they knew each other?

But how did they get to know each other?

It struck Evan then that the woman standing before him wasn’t as harmless as she appeared to be. She seemed to know

everyone.

“That’s right. But I don’t know him personally,” Anya said as she tried to pull her wrist out of his grip. “Mr. Welton, I have to

get back now. Please let me go.”

want me to let you go,” Evan eyed Anya’s flawless features. The next moment, he was yanking her towards the wall and leaning into her, trapping her between him and the wall. His next words came out in a low, husky voice. “You were waiting for me, weren’t you? Well, here I am.”

“Are you playing hard to get?”

What was he talking about? Anya froze in stupor when she heard the words leave Evan’s lips.

Was she playing hard to get?

She had no idea he lived here too, damnit!