Mirrored Hearts: Sealed by Fire (Encounters of the Heart Book 2)

by Ann Marie Bryan

  She nodded.

  He walked into his office and sat in the swivel chair behind his oversized mahogany desk. At least, Gabrielle is not shunning me … like Rozene. He was happy when Rozene took early retirement from her executive marketing position and decided to pursue her passion for writing. In less than three years, she became an international bestselling author. She had written four books – Letters to God, Letters to My Daughter, Letters to My Son, Letters to Husbands, and was now writing, Letters to Wives, which seemed to be taking forever.

  He loved watching her at book signings; she enjoyed being a ‘celebrity’ and he enjoyed being the husband of one. A smile he couldn’t help, curled his lips. He literally had to remind himself to breathe when she spoke with that delightful look on her face about how God inspired her writings. She would have her audience spellbound. Her last book signing occurred last fall - Letters to Husbands, he recalled. It seemed so long ago. Now, she was busy traveling to present at writers’ conferences. He wished she would slow down so they could spend more time together.

  The ringing of his cell phone interrupted Larry’s thoughts. “Hello, Pastor Fotola,” he answered.

  “Larry, how’s it going?”

  “Great. How is it going with you, Pastor?”

  “Going great on this side too. Still trusting in Jesus.” Pastor Fotola laughed in his usual jovial manner. “Just thinking, we need to go over the plans for our upcoming leadership retreat. Wanted to take another look at the agenda and the organizational chart you prepared.”

  “Okay. Which day did you have in mind?” Larry served as the church’s Operations Director, so he was heavily involved in the planning of the annual leadership retreat which was scheduled for next Saturday.

  “Next Wednesday evening, before Bible Study,” Pastor Fotola replied. “Say, six o’clock.”

  “That time would work for me,” Larry responded. He and Rozene usually attended Pastor Robert Fotola’s interactive Bible Studies. It was a blessing to have a spiritually sensitive Pastor and he had benefited from the healthy relationship they shared as Pastor Fotola willingly gave him advice on personal matters.

  “See you then. Have a blessed day,” Pastor Fotola said.

  “You too, Pastor,” Larry responded cheerfully before hanging up. Staring at the wall ahead of him, Larry wondered whether or not to seek Pastor Fotola’s advice on his marital woes.

  ******

  Later that evening, Larry sat across from Gabrielle, working on a part of the presentation on his laptop while she sat at her desk, working on her desktop. His body temperature climbed as she got up and walked towards the white board that was hanging on the wall in her office. She radiated grace and femininity that appealed to his masculine nature. Get it together, he cautioned himself as the words of his pastor’s sermon hit him forcefully, ‘The lust of the eye can ruin your life.’ He swallowed hard, shifting his focus to his laptop.

  “I’m seeing where we can cut a bit more cost,” Gabrielle told him, looking at the organizational chart for the newly reorganized advertising division. “Let’s merge the positions of Deputy Vice President of Advertising and Manager of Advertising, and call the new position Senior Manager of Advertising.”

  Larry drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair and then moved to the white board to inspect the organizational chart. “Love it.”

  “That should give us another checkmark with the Board,” she said, while massaging her aching temples with her fingers.

  He smiled at her, taking in her tired eyes. “You need to relax, Gabrielle,” he said, touching her shoulder. “You should take off your shoes.”

  “My shoes … why?”

  He looked at her and had to hold back the urge to kiss her confusion away. “Get comfy. We have another hour or so before we leave.”

  She sighed. “That may be a good idea.” She placed a hand on the white board and almost fell over trying to get out of her pumps.

  Larry steadied her. “Here, let me help you.” Dropping to his knees, he held on to one of her ankles.

  “Oh, okay,” she muttered, grabbing his shoulders and wiggling one foot and then the next to help him remove her shoes.

  Enjoying the feeling of her smooth skin under his fingers, he took his time to help her out of her shoes before standing. “There, that should help, Shorty.”

  She grinned at him. “Thanks. Feeling better already. Did you call me, Shorty?”

  He chuckled as he moved back to his seat. “I sure did.”

  Her eyes sparkled as she smiled at him. “I’m going to forgive you.” She stood at five-feet-six inches, but he towered above her at over six feet.

  His mouth curled in a smile as he removed his tie and threw it on his jacket, which was resting on the chair beside him. “Please …” His eyes fastened on her body as she removed her jacket, exposing her silky, red inner blouse neatly tucked in her skirt. “Forgive me,” he continued, his eyes now resting on his laptop screen.

  Smiling, Gabrielle slid in her chair and was quiet for a moment, clicking away on her desktop. Fifteen minutes later, she stretched her hands above her head and announced, “I’m finished with this part.”

  “Great.” Larry pinned her with his gaze, then his eyes became fixated on her chest. “You have a nice cleavage,” he stated matter-of-factly, as if he had complimented her about her hair.

  Blushing, Gabrielle lowered her arms. She had hoped that it was only her imagination when she saw him staring at her chest. “We’re tired. Let’s finish up tomorrow.”

  Larry knitted his brows. “Come on, Gabrielle. You’re married, so am I, but that doesn’t mean I can’t admire a nice body when I see one.”

  She nibbled on her lips as she always did when she was pondering. He could see that she was feeling bad for making him feel bad. “Thanks,” she said quietly.

  “We need a break,” he said, sliding out of his chair and opening the small refrigerator in the corner of her office. He motioned for her to join him at the small conference table nearby. “All work and no play makes Gabby a dull girl.”

  Smiling, she took her seat before him and sipped on a can of Mountain Dew he had placed on the table. “Just what I needed. Thanks.”

  He flashed her a triumphant smile, deepening his dimples. “You’re welcome.”

  Gabrielle fought the urge to hold his lingering gaze, but failed. He looked great. A fine specimen of a man. Her eyes roamed him up and down taking in his raw masculinity. Why am I admiring Larry Kanate? Gabrielle shook her head slightly then took another sip of her drink. I must be tired, she rationalized.

  “Can’t wait for Blake to get back, huh?” Larry drawled teasingly.

  The warmth in his voice shot enjoyable tingles down her spine and she lowered her gaze, her confused senses threatening to derail her composure. “Yep. He’ll be back in two weeks.”

  Larry eyed her. “Are you okay? You haven’t been yourself all day.”

  She sighed, her eyes brimming with tears. “I’m okay. I just miss my Aunt Jean. I could talk with her about anything.”

  She must have had a fight with Blake. “Life happens,” he told her. “But we know God is good. He’s working everything out for your good.” He knew that Aunt Jean was laid to rest two months ago and she was like a mother to Gabrielle. Whatever was bothering her, he was sure she would have talked to Aunt Jean about it.

  “Yes. God is good,” she agreed, dabbing her eyes with her finger tips.

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Not really. But thanks for asking.”

  “I know exactly what you need,” Larry said, feeling an overwhelming need to comfort her. He slid out of his chair and stood behind her. “A massage.”

  Her brows shot up. “A massage?”

  “I’m good at this,” he countered, kneading her shoulders with both hands.

  Out of reflex, she jumped, grabbing his hands.

  “Just relax. Think nice thoughts about Blake,” he offered and she relaxed. He contin
ued to gently massage her shoulders and moved to her neck. “You have a tight knot at the base of your neck,” he mentioned, keeping his voice impersonal.

  She let out a long sigh, closing her eyes as his hands traveled the length of her neck, applying deep pressure. His hands moved to her back and she tensed slightly. “Relax,” he said softly, and she did.

  Gosh! I miss Blake. I hope we can get past this ‘bump in the road’ quickly. Why wasn’t I honest with him before he found out so callously that I wasn’t ready to have a child? Then, before he left for Atlanta, we would have made love and all would be well. Hmmm, passionate love!

  Larry gazed at Gabrielle’s slightly parted lips, and heat seared through his body. Whatever she was thinking about was causing her to breathe a little heavier. Feeling as if he was committing emotional adultery, he closed his eyes, trying to recall a Scripture to clear his mind. An inner voice cautioned him, Stop flirting with temptation.

  He opened his eyes, and then bit his lips to steady himself when he realized his hands had taken on a mind of their own and was gently massaging her sides.

  “Hmmm,” she sighed, arching her chest.

  He watched her respond to his touch, and he liked that. She made him feel … needed. When his fingers caressed the base of her breasts with exceeding tenderness, deliberately teasing, she shivered. Emboldened by her reaction, he cupped her breasts, and then moaned loudly as his hands melted into their softness.

  “Larry!” She flew off the chair, hugging her chest with her hands.

  He followed her closely, then stepped back as she leaned against the wall. For a moment, he gazed at her, and the only thing he could think about was his thirst for her … all of her. An inner voice begged him to desist, but his flesh craved her, needed her. He had no doubt that he would have her. “You feel so good,” he drawled huskily, his eyes glistening with desire.

  She placed her hands on his chest as he leaned towards her. “We … shouldn’t.”

  Larry gazed at her for a second before brushing his lips against hers. “We both need this,” he said without hesitation, his mouth temptingly close.

  On their own volition, her lips parted invitingly and he eagerly captured her mouth with his, trembling at the velvety smoothness of her lips. Her eyes fluttered shut and she shivered, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as his lips traveled the length of her neck, dropping soft kisses along the way. Just when she could take no more, he lifted his head, his lips hovering above hers. “Absolutely love your lips,” he gushed.

  She could feel the heat of his breath on her face as she surveyed his lush mouth, his lips beckoning seductively to her. “We … shouldn’t,” she offered weakly, mesmerized by the aura of his charisma.

  Struggling to restrain himself, he silenced her objection by kissing her again, passionately, urgently, and with the confidence of a man who knew what he wanted. Clutching his shoulders for strength, she returned his kiss with more fire than he imagined she would, and his body melted against hers. When he was finally able to pull back, they were both breathing heavily.

  “I need you,” he whispered, barely able to contain himself.

  Their bodies inches apart, he looked into her yearning eyes, then brought her hand to his mouth and lightly kissed her knuckles, his warm breath stroking her skin. He released her hand and they stood there, drinking in each other.

  She swallowed hard, mumbling, “We need to stop.”

  He wanted to stop. If only he could tear his eyes away from her lips. “Maybe, just this once?” he asked, his chest heaving in breathless anticipation.

  The seconds dragged by as Larry waited for her response. When none came, he turned away from her.

  Gabrielle pushed out a gagged breath. Despite all that just occurred between them, she had to let him know that they should not ever go down that path again. “Lar-Larry,” she called out, her voice faint. She was still reeling from the surge of warm, delightful sensations in her body.

  In a flash, Larry swept her into his arms, his body crushing hers. “Your body feels amazing,” he said, smiling slightly.

  Mercy! I need to fix this quickly. “Thanks,” she said softly, nibbling on her lips.

  He admired the beautiful pout of her mouth, then watched fascinatingly as her lips parted, and she began to speak.

  “Larry, we can’t-”

  Before she could catch her next breath, Larry eagerly and hungrily covered her lips with his. As desire welled up in him, he paused, unsure whether he had her permission to proceed.

  She arched closer to him, mumbling, “Let’s talk … about this,” as a wave of heat enveloped their bodies. Then, she froze, her mind screaming, No. No. Please don’t, as he lifted her skirt. This is not happening ... not again.

  Larry was glad she did not protest when he lifted her skirt. He needed her. She was like a drug and he desperately needed a fix. He heard her whimper, “Let’s … not …” But he couldn’t stop. He had to possess her, to get rid of the insatiable desire he’d been carrying around. “I won’t hurt you,” he whispered.

  A few minutes later, he buried his head in her neck, muttering, “Thank you. Thank you.”

  He felt drops of water stoning his face and pulled away from her. She was crying. Self-loathing crept up his spine and he moved further away from her. Without looking at her, he mumbled, “Are you alright?”

  She didn’t utter a word.

  When he looked up, he saw her walking hastily towards her office door. “Gabrielle, don’t …”

  But she kept moving, literally sprinting through the door.

  He crumbled to his knees, his face twisted with agony. “Oh, God,” he muttered over and over again.

  CHAPTER 2

  Work should fill up the void. A diversion from this loneliness, he was feeling. Will the pain in my heart ever subside? A sigh escaped Larry’s tortured soul and a teardrop fell from his exhausted eyes and landed on the portfolio that he was reading. He quickly reached for a napkin on his desk and mopped it up before dabbing his eyes. Guilt was wreaking havoc across his mind as he grappled with his incomprehensible heat-of-the-moment behavior. He’d never done anything like that in all of his nineteen years of marriage. What if Rozene found out? Surely, she would leave him. His shoulders slumped in self-pity, just as the intercom on his office phone buzzed. He leaned forward to press the flashing button. “Yes?”

  “It’s going to be an amazing Monday, Mr. Kanate.” His executive assistant's cheerful voice filled the room. “I’ve managed to reschedule all your appointments.”

  “Thank you, Marjorie.”

  “You’re welcome, sir. On another note, did you see Mrs. Montgomery’s email?”

  Immediately, Larry felt a headache coming on. “No. Haven’t checked my email account yet.”

  “She’s on indefinite sick leave.”

  Suddenly, air was sucked out of his lungs and he couldn’t breathe. In the distance, he heard Marjorie saying something, then silence. “What were you …?”

  “I was asking if you wanted me to respond to Mrs. Montgomery’s email.”

  “Yes, please,” then he cut off the call. He exhaled loudly, trying to destress.

  The day after the incident, Gabrielle had emailed to say that she was out sick. He had tried several times that day to call her, but she would not answer her phone. When there was no sign of her on Friday, he did the board presentation. That evening, on his way home, he also called her phone but it went to voicemail.

  “I have ruined her. God, help her,” Larry muttered.

  He hadn’t prayed since the incident … couldn’t pray. How could he go before God? He prided himself on being the sort of man that didn’t ogle other women, much less to commit … He couldn’t even bring himself to say the word. Did I suffer temporary insanity? A helpless sigh escaped his parched lips and tears rolled down his cheeks.

  The shrill beeping of his cell phone brought him out of his misery. He dabbed his eyes, then cleared his throat. “Hello,” he answered.
>
  “May I speak with Mr. Kanate?” a pleasant voice asked.

  “Speaking.”

  “This is Gloria Rogers from Dr. John Cerdon’s office. We have managed to squeeze in your appointment for twelve noon.”

  “Thanks, Gloria. I’ll be there.” He had called his doctor’s office on the way to work because since Friday, he had been experiencing a burning sensation during urination and his testicles were slightly swollen. He had spent the whole weekend avoiding Rozene’s sexual advances.

  The call ended and Larry stared blindly at his cell phone on the desk. What a mess my life has turned into. It then occurred to him that he’d been calling Gabrielle from his work cell phone. Picking up his personal cell phone, he dialed her number, and almost bit off his tongue when she answered.

  “Gabrielle, please don’t hang up.” He heard her inhale and knew he had but a minute.

  “What do you want?” she asked firmly, her annoyance evident.

  He cut to the chase. “I know what happened between us was unexpected. Are you okay?”

  She didn’t respond.

  “Gabrielle?”

  “Is that it?” He could almost see the dead look in her eyes.

  Before he could think, he blurted out, “Please don’t tell Rozene.” This was one secret, he was determined to keep close to his heart.

  He heard her sharp intake of breath and could have kicked himself. “No. I will NOT tell your wife that you take advantage of unsuspecting females,” Gabrielle said through clenched teeth. With that, she disconnected the call.

  Is that what I did? A painful cry left Larry’s mouth and he slumped over his desk, sobbing.

  ******

  Later that day, Larry had all but driven his car into the house, braking just before he hit the steps leading to the front door.