Kari's hand shook as she took a sip from her drink. She was nervous, scared and slightly drunk. She had finally gotten the nerve to go out again. She'd gone to a local club with a few girlfriends and they had either left with their dates or new acquaintances. Kari was letting her mind clear and finally closing the chapter in her life that was over. Enough time had passed after her heartbreak -- she had set out to begin a new life.

Her new life had actually started a year ago and, because the man she'd left was an abusive, fucking bastard, she had been alone ever since. Now she fought everything she felt inside, but the burning urge to be with someone made her ache.

The darkened nightclub was almost empty. A low cloud of smoke and the scent of bad colognes mixed into a strange smell. The walls were covered in a wood-grain siding and the small stage was lit with a single spotlight. The light focused on the piano sitting center stage. A man sat down and put his cigarette out in the ashtray on top of the shiny piano.

It was a bar like most others, with the lonely looking for love in all the wrong places. The standard scumbags were scattered around the bar. She wasn't interested in anything like them. They were hunters and she wasn't going to be their prey for the night. She wanted a warm body with emotions, passion and a hard cock to take her.

Kari sighed, cleansing her tweaked mind. She needed to relax. She rested her weary eyes and was swept away by a soothing melody on the nearby piano. The chatter and clinking glasses quieted. A calm filled her body and she smiled as the tune gently played. A sucker for country music, it had the feel of home to it. Comforting yet sad.

Kari opened her eyes and turned to see a handsome man leaning over the keyboard of the small piano. He had long, dark hair that was a little messy but very sexy. He looked up and their eyes met.

Okay, you have my attention now.

Humming along with the melody, his low voice vibrated into the microphone and through Kari. He quietly began to sing.

"I am hiding my pain,

"Through these tearful eyes,

"This world is dark,

"And I'm all alone,

"Our house is closed,

"With my dreams inside,

"Now I must go on,

"Here without you.

"Each time I look in the mirror,

"All I see are shadows of you,

"Memories of better times,

"Memories of our love,

"Lost in the caverns of hurtful scars,

"But I'm over the pain,

"Over the loss of our love,

"And alone, here without you."

His words tore at her heart. He knew what she was feeling. Kari wanted to find out more about this man. She had found the warm body she wanted for this night.

For every reason she had to use this man for sex, everything only seemed to get worse.

She became irritated by the latex rub of the condom in her pussy. It felt like sandpaper against her flesh. His hands groped and squeezed hard on her now sensitive breasts and nipples, uncaring to her pain. He wasn't interested in her needs, just his own.

The void she felt became more hollow and deep with every thrust inside.

Nothing was right. His movements felt awkward. His cock didn't fill her as she wanted. He swiveled and pounded roughly into her and it did nothing except make her wish she wasn't there.

With a grunt, he moaned loudly in her ear. "Oh, fuck, baby, I'm gonna come."

Kari only wanted it over and, within seconds, it was. She felt the flexing bursts within her walls. She felt dirty and used as he pressed down against her body with his sweat smearing across her chest. Dropping his weight, he smashed against her lying beneath him.

"Oh, Tami, mmm, Tami baby, damn, you're a good fuck."

Closing her eyes, Kari felt the urgent need to scream. Tears streamed from the corners of her eyes as she pushed his slumping body off her and rolled off the bed.

An oozing wetness slimed between her legs. Reaching between her thighs, she pulled out the soiled condom that dangled from her pussy and tossed it on the bed against his leg. He hadn't even stayed hard long enough to have it stay on him.

"What's with you?"

"My name isKari,you mindless fuck!" crying as her rage began to rise. "I just wanted to forget about someone and you quickly reminded me of all the things I loathed and hated."

"Hey, you picked me up remember? Don't get mad at me!"

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not your problem, he is. I was just looking for a quick fuck."

"Well, that's what we both got, you got a fuck and I got the quick part of it."

Anger and frustration welled inside of her. She felt used, degraded and cheap for letting thisnothingfuck her like a whore. Beginning to bawl, Kari leaned into the wall and slumped down.

The man obviously wasn't sure what to do. He pulled his pants up and grabbed his shirt and other clothes, then moved toward Kari.

"Just get the fuck out of here." She pointed toward the door with her head resting on her knees, naked and cold.

He hurriedly pulled the rest of his clothes on and stepped beside her, apparently not sure whether to thank her, leave his phone number or give her a hug for comfort.

With the clunk of the door closing, Kari sighed and stared blankly out of her small bedroom window. It was a very rainy night, cold and dreary. Just like her life had become.

Copyright © 2007 by Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.

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Excerpted from Master of Secret Desires by Elizabeth Jewell, Tawny Taylor
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.