THE DAWNING (The Dawning Trilogy) Read online

  When Jason hit sixteen, it was like he suddenly morphed into some kind of peculiar old geezer. He actually began dressing like a CEO instead of a boy his real age. However, he did look sort’a hunky, no matter what he wore.

  It was the deep philosophical debates they had about all sorts of social situations that got her hackles raised up more than once. To make it worse, he never argued - no not Jas! He explained . . . when she just wanted to have an all out brawl about several of his preconceived insane notions. His ideas about things became too insanely conservative and unrealistic for this day and age, making it down right nauseating and aggravating as all heck. Jennifer couldn’t understand him anymore.

  Being with Jason was good and bad. It got to the point where the bad, his refusal to live with the American moral code of the twenty-first century bothered her far more than the good. Plus, oddly, his non-physical ideas felt like salt on an open wound. So, she distanced herself so they wouldn’t have a big fall out and could remain friends. Distanced, but still friends.

  Biting off more than you can chew . . .

  2 – Mall ATTACK

  Friday evening Salina helped Jennifer pick out her new outfit before heading for Regency Mall.

  Jennifer’s parents left for a Jacksonville Symphony concert. She had declined going, saying the book store was calling her name.

  Relief washed over her when they left, realizing in her heart of hearts they’d have had a fit over what she planned to wear out tonight. They wouldn’t get it. A new writer needed to sell not just her book, but herself as well. Her new upbeat style would promote her as young, vibrant and bold. Daring, that’s what she wanted, to be daring, something she’s never been. Her whole life she’d been this mousey fade into the wall sort of person. Besides, she reassured herself, there was no reason she shouldn’t look as stylish and seductive as most of the females on television talk shows, People or Cosmo magazines.

  Even if her new look wasn’t the Jenny she knew, she intended to make herself get used to it.

  Jennifer and Salina had decided, when they were still in grade school, that this year they would share an apartment when they started classes in the fall at U.N.F., University of North Florida. They intended to show their parents in another month how they would manage financially on their own. Salina was doing the math and working out their financial budget. They would be able to get by if the apartment wasn’t too expensive and they kept their lights low and only splurged on cable and internet for entertainment. They were going to have a blast!

  Jennifer desired to move out of her parent’s home mostly so she could tell agents and publishers she wasn’t still living with her parents. That sounded so . . . so Jason.

  Jennifer sought something extraordinary in her life, like almost everyone – she guessed - something to bring her joy and fulfillment like she’d only read and written about. Not finding it yet, she’d decided to manufacture what she wanted - a new persona, a new Jennifer Franks. Knowing she’d always been average made her seek out new ways to make heads turn. She desired to be a person who didn’t have to justify herself to the world because the world already adored her, a person who was quite happy with herself, who had no inner longings for something she couldn’t define.

  Jennifer’s eyes widened the moment she spotted Scott hanging out at the mall food court with four of his buddies. They were high fiving each other and talking with sporadic shouts of enthusiasm, just as if they were watching a school sports event or one of Scott’s famous rodeo runs.

  Scott was a dude in his mid twenties. His friends were mostly high school guys, so, maybe the man had been horse kicked in the head more than once? Scott loved being the big stallion in a group of young studs. He also definitely was a show-off, something that usually irritated Jennifer. But tonight anyway – it fit her mindset, for once. She’d try to ignore his pushy, bossy nature and see if he could make her smile. She needed a laugh.

  “Boys will always be boys,” Jennifer whispered to Salina, shaking her head at their antics. They had to walk by the group on their way to the bookstore that was further in the mall. Sometimes her male friends reminded her of little boys. Well, not little boys, they were far too big and manly to think of them in that way - but. She realized with a smile that her dad and his friends behaved about the same way when they got together. Maybe guys didn’t really mentally mature after all, their skin just got older and sagged?

  Jennifer was certainly glad her girlfriends didn’t behave so silly or talk so loudly. Women were in much better control of themselves than men were, she reminded herself with a tiny nod of satisfaction.

  A few cat calls and whistles echoed around the open spaces where a few dozen patrons were sitting over food trays or sipping drinks as the young women drew closer to the tables the boys had commandeered.

  Salina leaned into Jenny and whispered when the girls heard a panther growl, “Watch out Jen, he’s doing that cat stuff again. And the crazy dude thinks those dimples of his make you swoon for some stupid reason. Don’t get hung up too long, girl, remember we got’ta drive home in two hours.”

  Jennifer loved book stores and she tended to browse each isle looking for her favorite writers as well as local talent’s latest new releases. Smiling at her friend she assured her they would get back home on time, this time. Well, they would try real hard, she decided firmly.

  She felt different tonight with her new clothes on. Her outfit came from Thrift stores but no one needed to know, except Salina. They were name brands and cost a small fortune in regular department stores. Jennifer enjoyed one thing about as much as writing and that was saving a dollar. Because she usually had so few of them. Her wardrobes throughout high school had been what all the girls wore, but she bought from different places and her dad wasn’t as broke because of it.

  Scott, who was always a cowboy since he participated in multiple rodeos each year around Florida, yelled out, “Hey Buckaroo’s, lookie what we have here. Two fresh young fillys on the loose. And, ain’t they lookin’ just fine too! Let’s hurry up and herd ‘em into the corral fellas.”

  Scott saw the guys continued to tease and harass the girls but the ladies ignored them, trying to walk on by.

  “Jen! Honey, over here,” Scott called as he waved his hat and added a wide grin he knew showed his dimples to advantage. His deep sun tanned skin set off his blond hair and blue eyes. Being six foot four with wide muscular shoulders and arms, long legs with bulging muscled thighs helped him get the ladies.

  He always got what he really wanted and tonight he wanted Jennifer. It was time, past time, way past time. She was looking extra, extra good tonight too. The best yet, Scott decided with a nod of his hat after he secured it back on his head when he realized his hair was mussed.

  Those low rider jeans she had on were just right tight and really low. That skimpy short cut knit pullover revealed an hourglass figure that had his blood doing barrel jump rallies in his veins. Whooah, her top sure showed a lot of Jenny, he realized a little stunned. Sure wasn’t dressed like his usual shy girl tonight. Her jean belt had long tassels that swung with each sway of her hips as she walked, drawing a man’s eye . . . . He rumbled another loud, deep throaty panther growl as the girls drew closer.

  Scotty’s arm slid through Jenny’s as he slipped her shoulder strap purse away and held it hostage in the air above her reach, as he separated her from her friend and guided her several tables away and against the back wall.

  Glancing back, Scott realized his friends thought they were entertaining Salina who was rolling her eyes and shooting him a glare as Marcus tried to tug her down to his lap, which she resisted. He laughed. They would play with her while he got some almost alone time with this all new Jenny.

  “Howdy do little lady. Who are you and what did you do with my girl?” Before she could say a word he added, “I sure like the navel ring.” His hot fingers grazed over long across her exposed midsection, gently flicking the sparkling stone in the ring.

  Slapping his
hand away, she ended smiling up at him. “Dad about had a goat when he saw it! Mom not so much, but Dad turned purple.”

  He noticed her laugh was slightly nervous, as she tugged her top down a bit more and tried to pull up her jeans that were way too low to be any help.

  “Well, I like.” His eyes appraised her whole new look as he lifted her hand and had her do a twirl for him. “Yep, I like a lot.”

  He knew from the way he stared at her revealed cleavage and her midriff accentuating the flare of her hips that she could tell he liked it. Maybe far more than she had intended or anticipated. Well, she had intended, just not quite so much . . . maybe. He knew he was making her feel over exposed and a tad embarrassed about it all the same.

  “Maybe I shouldn’t have let Salina talk me into the navel piercing two weeks ago? It does look sexy though, doesn’t it? You think it’s over the top for me, you know, too, too much?” she asked.

  “Sweet thing! It’s perfect,” he assured her as his eyes grew ever hungrier.

  He suddenly understood this was supposed to be part of her new bold image, a Jennifer remake she’d warned him was coming. Said she was tired of her old dowdy outfits of regular jeans, shorts and mostly pullovers and t-shirts. Oh yeah, she’d added two hoodies to her wardrobe this year that he’d seen. Let’s face it, a dresser she wasn’t. He grinned. Now here she was with her new plunging push up bra and sparklie belly ring reveal, boy, she was really coming out – all over.

  “Sweet thing, you’re covering more than a lot of tweens walking down the sidewalk with their parents. Some baby girls look like moneymakers and that’s a plain shame,” he mumbled to ease her discomfort.

  Dropping her purse on a table he slid an arm around her middle as if he were lassoing a calf and then tugging her up against him as he leaned back on one of the stucco support beams that decorated the open food court. Propping one boot up behind him he angled Jenny to his middle.

  Her hair hid his mouth as he nibbled on her neck and ear, being careful of the long dangling earrings she wore. The things were a nuisance he quickly decided, while she certainly was hot looking wearing them. She felt about as good as he’d ever wanted a woman to feel.

  Sure was a different Jen tonight, and surprise of surprises he felt her lean into him after he kissed her teasingly, holding back his real talent. Not just yet, he warned himself, not wanting her to break away, like an unbroken filly.

  Even her scent proved tantalizing, as he sniffed her neck and hair, enjoying the scent of soap, shampoo and Jenny. He couldn’t seem to get enough. All sorts of things were happening from his toes to his head.

  “Jenny . . . honey baby, you wear this sexy outfit just for me?” He had to ask, though he knew she had, just for him.

  Before she could even look surprised at that he continued, “Ya did, didn’t ya, huh, sweetie pie? Well, it sure makes me hungry for ya real bad, Jen. Real bad. I been planning to show ya things ya won’t even believe, sweet thing!” He tried to half whisper in what he hoped was his most seductive deep masculine voice. The music piped into the mall made it difficult to be heard, so he made sure Jenny could feel the pounding of his heart and the bold excitement building in his body.

  Suddenly she tried to break away. He laughed, knowing like a scared calf about to be branded she wanted to put some distance between them until she felt safer. No way would he let her go, not now, not this time!

  He decided to try and seduce her with provocative words as his breathing grew ragged and his hands started pressing her even tighter against him. He was pretty sure he was saying things she’d never heard or thought of before and hoped they’d spark her interest.

  Her angry, gasping response wasn’t exactly what he’d wanted. He ignored her shoving hands and protesting words, as she struggled to get free. Crushing his lips on hers in a wild and demanding way, he felt her resist all the harder.

  She was simply trying to make it look good, he reassured himself. She really wanted him, but didn’t want their friends to know. He’d had women like her before. They taunted and teased until they got what they didn’t know they wanted.

  He spotted the utility door that went outside into the ally just a few feet away and began pulling her with him toward it.

  She’d begun to tremble, which added to his excitement. Her pretty face looked like hot cinnamon, while her heels tried to dig into the tiled floor but kept sliding. “Stop, stop, stop!” she called out loudly, angrily when he gave her a second to breathe. “Have mercy Scott! Give it a break, will ya?!”

  His fire burned brightly and his eyes were a little glazed as he growled his panther rumble low in his throat, that warned her clearly not to provoke him to further anger.

  An idea, brilliant actually, he decided, as he pulled his lips from hers and his gaze away from looking down her top to look into her eyes. “Jen, doll baby, I know I haven’t told you yet, I, I been saving it for a special night, but I got’ta tell ya the truth. I love you girl. Crazy about ya. Don’t be like this.” He hated the half whine in his voice. Letting a female bring him this low was inexcusable. Nevertheless, the damage was done. Trying to look as sincere as possible he crooned on, “I do love you, sweet thing. I really, really do! Now, sugar, I need you really bad tonight. So, let me make love to my sweet baby?”

  “Don’t you dare do the ‘I love you’ to me! Let me go this instant!” she was yelling at him in a boiling rage. “Let me go, Scott. You’re acting crazy. Turn me loose now!”

  With both her wrists caught by one large hand and his other around her waist, welding her to him, she still managed to jerk her fists upward so it caught him under his chin. Scott grunted like it was nothing, though it hurt, and continued wrestling with her, hoping to get to that exit door.

  She was about to get loose he realized, but if he worked it right he would pick her up and head out that exit where trash bins could block the door until he finished showing Jenny you don’t tease a man like him and just walk away. He never lets that happen, not ever.

  Jerking her arms and moving her head out of range of his face, she looked pleadingly at their friends who were openly staring now. Marcus had gotten out of his chair, looked furious and was walking toward them. She called out, “Hey! Need a little help over here!”

  Understanding finally hit Scott when he turned his head again and saw their friend’s hung mouth faces. Marcus was glaring at him and coming on. So, a brave rooster, Scott realized, was coming to challenge. It’d draw too much unwanted attention and he sure didn’t want any police around, he finally decided with reluctance.

  Rolling his large shoulders to ease the tension Scott tried flashing his dimples at Jenny again as he straightened up and released her. It was simply bad timing, he concluded. Just bad timing.

  “Yeah, well, sweet thing, guess you had me thinking about things you didn’t want me to think about there for a while, lil’ darlin’. It’s your own fault though. You’ve got to admit, this outfit is made for making a real man, like me, hungry and maybe a little deranged.” He stared down at her plunging neckline and laughed a wicked laugh as his hand came back to cup her there again.

  Jennifer viciously slapped his hand away as she stood gasping, snorting and calling him different animal names. She looked as cute as a tiger cub with her anger all flared up with her hissing and spitting, he thought with an amused smile.

  Her fists balled up and she shook her finger in his face. He grabbed and kissed her shaking finger. That seemed to send her into some kind of conniption fit, while he stood back and laughed outright at her.

  Having Jenny for an almost girlfriend was sure getting rough, he admitted to himself with a shake of his head. She hadn’t put out yet but she could sure heat up the blood fine and dandy. Now this thing she had about changing her clothing style he really liked. He’d been trying since their first date, three months ago to get her to allow their relationship to move up to a higher, much more intimate level. She kept putting him off, even on their second date and lastly their t
hird. She tried acting not that interested when he knew she was, had to be. Look how she’d dressed for him tonight. She had to of known he’d be here.

  With a half smug smile, and crossing his arms over his broad chest, he decided she was probably just a little scared, feeling sure she was an innocent still about real lovemaking. But to keep telling him no was getting too old. Why she didn’t give into the inevitable darned if he could figure out? What was the harm anyway? It was bound to happen sooner or later, why not with him? At least she’d have a man who could appreciate all her beautiful body had to offer, not some stupid boy. She’d come to understand the truth of it before long, for a certain, he’d now see to that.

  He made up his mind, the first chance he got to have her alone he planned to teach her a few of his tricks. Like tying knots, how to manage a running calf coming out of the chutes, how some pain is needed to bring an animal into submission and so much more. Some she’d come to like, heck, perhaps even love. Other things would depend on her and how much of a fight she wanted to make. Main thing was she’d be all his when he was through with her. Maybe even branded, all depends. His woman. He’d decided. And now that’s the way it was gonna be. She was gonna be all his, until he tired of her.

  Taking his black cowboy hat off and wiping the sweat from his face on his shirt sleeve he flashed a look at his friends. Marcus had stopped in his tracks, afraid of him, he knew. Smart kid.

  Flustered, frightened and deeply embarrassed Jenny thought if she could just get away . . . . Grabbing up her purse, she fluttered off without looking at anyone and called over her shoulder, “Come on lady-friend we have books to browse.”