PORTAL (Portal Chronicles Book One)

Copyright © 2011 by Imogen Rose

Website: http://ImogenRose.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author. The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

                                                                          PROLOGUE

                                                              LONDON, 17 Years Ago

                                                                          Serendipity

Olivia looked up at the sky and caught sight of a shooting star. It was the start of the Orionid meteor showers. She made a wish.

She ran her hand across her belly, hoping she’d be able to give her daughter a perfect life. Sadness enveloped her as she realized she needed to accept the inevitable. Her marriage was over. Olivia braced herself; that epiphany was more chilling than the cold October wind biting through her thick wool coat. How would she give her daughter the life she deserved without a father? She’d lost her own when she was just eight, and it had left a hole in her life that had been impossible to fill. All she had left of him were fleeting memories; her favorites were those of their last family vacation in Arizona. And that was what she would name her daughter–Arizona.

Perhaps she should stay in her marriage. Maybe it would be better for Arizona. She was torn. Was this what was in store for her, a lifetime of compromise? She needed a drink to help dull the pain of this possibility. But, she’d have to start her new life by settling­­–first for a glass of sparkling water to celebrate her best friend Celia’s birthday, which was, after all, why she was waiting outside the Alexander Fleming pub in Paddington on such a bitterly cold night.

Celia and the others finally arrived, stumbling toward the pub. They had started their pub crawl hours earlier, while Olivia was finishing up in the laboratory. Celia planted a wet, alcoholic kiss right on Olivia’s pink-glossed lips as they hugged, and then she pulled her in the direction of the pub. The group of nine made a noisy entrance as they pushed their way to their regular table. Olivia could feel all eyes on them, but was used to it. Their striking looks had landed them in the modeling job where they had instantly bonded. They had remained friends, though most of them had long since given up modeling and gone their separate ways.

“Let the rounds begin!” Celia declared, flicking her glossy blond hair over her shoulders, and smiling brightly. Olivia put up her hand to indicate that she would get the first round and tried to remember the orders her friends shouted.

She plowed through the crush of bodies surrounding the bar and reached it feeling out of breath. She leaned against it, inadvertently knocking something over with her foot. She looked down and just managed to rescue a guitar from hitting the floor. When she looked back up, she locked onto the intense icy-blue gaze of a man standing beside her. Olivia was unprepared for the tremor that jolted through her when she looked into his eyes. Embarrassed, Olivia gave herself a shake, forcing her eyes to disengage from his.

“I am so sorry. That was clumsy of me. Is this yours?” she whispered, handing the guitar to the man.

His lips curled into a smile as he reached for it. Olivia flushed when she felt a strong urge to touch his lips. Quickly composing herself, she turned to the bartender. She recited her order and waited while he placed nine full glasses on a tray.

“Would you like some help with that?”

Olivia turned back to the man with the guitar and nodded gratefully. As he slung the guitar over his back, she pointed to the table in the corner, and he deftly maneuvered the tray through the crowds.

“Ladies, your refreshments!”

“My! Where did you find him, Ollie? He’s adorable!” Celia grinned, looking the guitar man up and down.

Olivia examined him carefully. She had been so enthralled by his eyes that she hadn’t noticed how irresistibly attractive the rest of him was. He was about six foot two, lean but with clearly defined, taut muscles under his dark jeans and black polo shirt. With his sparkling blue eyes accented with thick dark lashes, perfectly arched brows, and a head of short, sun-kissed brown hair, he was beautiful.

“I’m the birthday girl, so I get the first kiss!” Celia giggled as she stood and puckered her lips. Olivia felt a strong wave of resentment, but couldn’t understand why. She looked up at the man, who must have noticed her obvious irritation because he smiled at her reassuringly before heading over to Celia and kissing her gently on the top of her head.

“Is that all I get?” Celia teased. “How about a tune on your guitar, at the very least? It is my birthday, after all!”

Olivia was relieved when he walked back over and sat on the arm of her chair. He plucked his guitar as Celia got up and sang along.

Olivia tried to analyze her erratic reactions to this stranger. Why did she feel so possessive of him? It didn’t make any sense. She was even envious of Celia singing along to his music. How absurd!

When the song came to an end, he moved to leave. She felt a shot of pain tear through her body. As if reading her thoughts, he turned to face her. Gently, he pulled her hair away from her left ear and moved in so close that she could feel the warmth of his breath.

Softly, he whispered, “Ollie, I’m your Rupert. Take a leap of faith with me.”

Then, just before he left, he added the words that changed her life forever.

“Come find me two years ago.”