Waiting for Her Soldier by Cassie Laurent Page B

yelled Darren, letting me go as he hustled back to the stove.
    Smoke was rising from the stove top. Darren grabbed the pan and moved it onto an unused burner.
    “You’re cooking?” I asked incredulously.
    “Yes, trying to at least.”
    “Huh, I thought you only made grilled cheese,” I said, giving him a playful nudge. “Are those steaks?”
    “Yes. I had this whole big thing planned out.”
    “So, I guess we’re having them well-done then,” I laughed.
    “Ah, yes. Dammit. My apologies.”
    “It’s fine, I said. Here, let me make a béarnaise sauce real quick.”
    “Great.”
    I joined him by the stove, rifling through my cabinets for ingredients as he placed the semi-burnt steaks onto plates. I looked over to the counter and noticed that he’d even made a chopped salad and bought fresh bread. How cute. And he’d bought a bottle of champagne.
    “Champagne, huh?” I asked. “What’s the occasion?”
    I could see Darren visibly stiffen. He stood up straight, putting down the knife he’d been using to chop tomatoes for the salad.
    I froze as he walked over to me, not knowing what was about to come next. Darren grabbed my hand and held it in front of him, staring deeply into my eyes as we stood in silence. I searched those deep blue eyes, trying to find the meaning in his gesture. What was he trying to say?
    “Lauren…”
    Was this really happening? Was he about to say what I was thinking he was going to say? Was this real life? Then I saw him getting down on one knee. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a velvet case.
    Darren looked up into my eyes, pleading with me, letting me know his intentions before he even spoke a single word.
    “Oh my…. I… I can’t believe this,” I said, trying to catch my breath, trying not to let the moment get away from me.
    “Lauren… will you marry—”
    “YES!”
    Darren jumped up and I flung myself into his arms, turning my head up to meet his lips in a soft, passionate kiss. I couldn’t believe this was happening. Subconsciously I’d been thinking about this moment for months, but I’d never trusted the possibility enough to allow it so explicitly into my mind. I knew it was such a long shot. But there was no point in thinking of those doubts right now, they’d all been disproved by these last few moments. Instead, I concentrated on the deep kiss and Darren’s touch.

    Moments later we controlled ourselves and sat down at the table. After all, Darren had gone to all this trouble, the least I could do was eat the dinner he’d made for me. As I sat down across from him, about to cut into my steak, I realized how lucky I was—how lucky we both were. I pondered this as I started to eat.
    “Darren,” I laughed. “This thing is burnt to a crisp.”
    “I know,” he said, laughing too. “I’m sorry, babe. You might be the only one who can cook around here.”
    “Oh, I’m definitely the only one who can cook around here.”
    “Do you want to order in? My treat, you know. Since it was supposed to be a surprise dinner and all.”
    “You know, I’m not even really that hungry right now.”
    “Yeah?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Well, maybe there’s something else we can do.”
    “Yeah? What?” I said coyly, batting my lashes, but trying to play it off as though I had no idea.
    “Let me show you,” said Darren, pushing out his chair and getting up from the table. He stood up and walked over to me, picking me up in his arms and putting me over his shoulder in one fell swoop.

CHAPTER 31
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    Darren playfully smacked my butt as we walked down the hall. I couldn’t stop laughing, absolutely enamored with this crazy, loveable, sexy soldier I’d somehow found myself lucky enough to call my fiancé. My fiancé . It was the first time I’d ever really thought of myself in connection with that word. I was engaged and it was finally hitting me how momentous this night was in my life.
    Darren carried me through the doorway into our bedroom, dropping me