“I can’t,” she whispered and whirled out of the curtain, leaving him alone.
Chapter Ten
Marjorie had no idea where Kait had disappeared to, or what had happened in that half an hour, but when Kait reappeared at her side and said, “We have to go now.” Marjorie knew it had to be something to do with Landon James.
But Kait wouldn’t talk about it, even once they were home. She just immediately pulled the dress over her head and wrapped up in her old cotton robe, the one that Marjorie had privately dubbed her cat lady robe.
“Are you sure you don’t want to tell me what happened?” Marjorie wheedled even as Kait curled up on the pull-out couch and pulled a pillow over her face.
“I’m sure,” Kait said, her voice muffled.
“He didn’t—” Marjorie hesitated. This was a touchy subject.
“No, he didn’t,” Kait said, pulling the pillow down just long enough to shoot Marjorie an irritated look. “He didn’t do anything I didn’t want him to do, okay? I’m just having morning after regret.”
Marjorie glanced at her watch. 12:01 am. This might be the earliest case of morning after regret in history. Leave it to Kait.
She wasn’t surprised when Kait clammed up and refused to give her any more details, but she was very surprised the next day to find Landon James at her door.
“Kait’s gone into the office,” she said automatically before registering that Landon James should not know where she lived. “How did you—?”
“I know she has. I waited for her to leave.” Landon looked around her small apartment dismissively. “No one else is here, are they?”
Marjorie shut the door and leaned back against it, eyeing him. “Anyone like Dom, you mean?”
Landon smiled pleasantly. It contrasted sharply with the glint in his eye. “Anyone at all.”
“No,” Marjorie admitted. “It’s just us. Although I’m confused why you’re here if it’s not to see Kait.”
After glancing around at his available seating options again, Landon chose to lean against the wall. “This is about Kait. I have some questions, and I think you have the answers.”
“I am her best friend, which is why I’m not likely to answer questions about Kait.” Marjorie sat at her small breakfast table and eyed him curiously. “But you can ask.”
“Why is she a virgin?”
He asked it so bluntly that Marjorie could only gape at him for a moment. “I think that’s a question for Kait,” she said when she’d finally recovered from her surprise.
Landon laughed shortly. “If I thought she’d tell me, I’d ask her.”
“What made you think I would?”
“Because I have a chance in hell of convincing you that I’m looking out for her best interests,” Landon said. The truth was, he already had a guess. He’d had their PI company kept on retainer look into a few things. He hadn’t given him carte blanche to dig into Kait’s past, but he’d directed him to a few areas, paid him double, and now he was here to confirm.
“How are you going to do that?” Marjorie asked curiously. “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think you’re half as bad as she does, but that doesn’t mean I’m foaming at the mouth to spill my best friend’s secrets.”
“So it is a secret,” Landon seized on the word. “It’s not just some deep religious fervor she’s never let on about before?”
“No.” Marjorie shook her head. “Stop picking apart my words. I’m not telling you anything.”
“She’s already told me half of it,” Landon said. “The night I drove her home, she almost kissed me but then something happened. She jumped out of my car like I was a snake.”
Marjorie’s eyes narrowed.
“I don’t mean I did anything,” Landon snapped. He had his faults, but he’d never pushed himself on an unwilling woman. He’d never had to. And Kait hadn’t been unwilling. Not until—
“She saw someone else for a second. I want to know who.”
“Oh, don’t flatter yourself. As far as Kait is concerned, you are a snake.” Marjorie said it with heat, but Landon noticed that she had chewed her thumbnail down to the quick. She was hiding something.
“If you don’t tell me, my next stop is Le Fontaine,” he said. “My sources tell me she quit two years ago very abruptly. Didn’t give any notice.”
Marjorie’s head snapped up. “If you have her best interest in mind, don’t go asking about her at La Fontaine, Landon.”
He didn’t say anything, just waited her out. In his experience, pushing too hard could be as bad as not pushing hard enough. You had to give an opponent time to surrender rather than going for the knockout.
Sure enough, Marjorie sighed heavily and said, “She didn’t get involved with anyone at the culinary institute because she didn’t want to get sidetracked. Plus, the atmosphere there is unsurprisingly as misogynistic as it is in the kitchens. Kait doesn’t go for all of that alpha male shit.” She swept Landon with a look to let him know that she placed him squarely in that category.
“Then, at La Fontaine, she wouldn’t date any of the other cooks, and the place kept her too busy for a social life. So, there you have it. The last twenty-eight-year-old virgin.” Marjorie threw her hands up. “Not that interesting, is it?”
“No,” Landon said slowly after he considered it for a minute. “It’s not. What are you leaving out? It’s been over five years since she left La Fontaine. What’s stopped her from making time for a social life since then?”
“Nothing. She’s dated a very nice artist since then. Now apparently, she’s making out with you.”
“Listen,” Landon sat down across from her. “You might not believe this—hell, I can hardly believe it—but I care about her. If something has happened to her, if she’s afraid of someone, I can fix it.”
He said it as bluntly as he’d asked about her virginity. Marjorie marveled at his nerve. To have the confidence that you could fix a situation, any situation, was beyond her understanding. Oh to
