Page 100 of Kiss Me Forever

I'd utilized a lot of windows and even glass ceilings in the design, and I'd also been careful to use proper shading so the building wouldn’t overheat. I made a point of using all four elements. Metal and stone made up the house's structure. Sunlight was the fire element. As for water, I’d included systems to both collect and reuse it. It was also energy efficient, with solar panels covering the roof. The air was being recirculated for cooling purposes in the summer.

I could see a shift in the committee once I started presenting the multipurpose rooms. It was a spacious house, but it was by no means huge, so each room was carefully thought over, from the layout to the furniture.

I had gone one step ahead of what was required by adding the interior decoration. Instead of using standard placeholders for the furniture, I’d done renderings of theactualfurniture. For example, in Charles’s home office, the desk could be lifted up, disappearing into the ceiling.

I'd studied the projects that won in past years. Almost all of them put in standard placeholders, but I wanted to show all possibilities. It had taken a lot of extra hours to hunt down designers who offered exactly what I envisioned, then even more hours to be able to reflect that in our simulation program, but looking at the committee and their obvious approval, I knew it had been worth it. Even if I didn't win, I liked knowing that I gave it my very best.

"All right, that's it. Thank you so much," I said as the last slide came up.

The committee nodded as a send-off, and I walked off the stage and back to my seat. Now more than ever I wanted to go sit with Luke and Klaus. I smiled at both of them before sitting down. They each gave me a thumbs-up.

I spent the rest of the morning watching the remaining presentations. Carson’s project was good, but I didn’t think it had the “it” factor. My feeling of unease sort of dissipated because a weight had lifted off my shoulders, since I'd already done my part. I'd done my best. Now it was out of my hands, and whoever won would deserve it because they had put in a lot of work too, though I'd noticed I was the only one who had gone the extra mile.

By the time lunch came, I was exhausted, but I was happy for the break because I could spend it with Luke.

"You've done so well," he said, coming up to me as everyone around filtered out. Klaus was right behind him.

"It felt good to be up there and finally present."

We started walking toward the lunch room. "Oh, I'm so happy. I can finally spend time with you guys. I wanted to sit with you."

Luke was looking at me intently. His possessive streak was strong today.

The lunchroom smelled amazing. There were round bar tables everywhere, and people stood at them, eating.

"I'm going to fill my plate. I'm starving," Klaus exclaimed.

My stomach felt like I had a huge ball inside it.

"I'm just going to grab some coffee," I said. "I'm not hungry."

Klaus shrugged but pointed at me. "I wouldn't do that. You're going to faint when they announce you're the winner."

I shook my head. "Klaus, don't say that. You’re jinxing it."

"Fair enough." He headed toward the food tables.

Once he was out of earshot, Luke glanced at me intently. "You have to eat."

"I'm too nervous."

"But you didn't have anything this morning."

"I had a cracker."

"Half a cracker," he corrected.

He'd paid attention?That filled me with warmth. This man cared about me in ways I never knew possible.

“I'll eat afterward."

He tilted closer, fixating his gaze on me. "Meg...."

Andhe was using his bedroom voice.

I cleared my throat. "Why don’t you distract me, make me think about something else?"

A glint popped up in his eyes. "I'll do that later. It would be bad form to start it here when I can't finish."

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