She had to agree. If Maxi believed it was for her own good, he’d provide the key without a second thought. “Damn it! I’m fine!” She threw off the blanket and marched to the door, barely cracking it open so she could hide behind it. Sure enough, Seth had his cell phone out. “What do you want?”

“To reassure you. My brother isn’t going to tell anyone you’re here.”

“Right. Of course he won’t.”

“I mean it,” he said. “You don’t have to worry about him. He’s the most trustworthy man on the planet.”

Even if Seth’s brother did talk, Maxi’s property was gated. She could still feel secure, couldn’t she? It wasn’t as if she could go out in public, anyway. Wearing a beanie and sunglasses wouldn’t cut it when she had bandages covering half her face. Those bandages would draw too much attention.

She’d just stay in the guesthouse and order food and other staples via her phone. Then it wouldn’t matter what happened in the outside world. Although it made her feel more vulnerable to know that there were now people out there who might give away her presence—meaning reporters and obsessive fans might try to get onto the property—she was better off here than in LA. At least the people here were outside the fence. “I want to be left alone,” she said. “Seriously. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“You never finished your dinner.”

“I’ve had enough to eat.”

His frown made it clear he was Displeased. “Okay, then, you forgot your coat.”

“You could’ve brought it over with you. But no worries. I’ll get it later.”

“Why not now?” he pressed. “We weren’t done. I bought tiramisu for dessert.”

“I’ll have to skip it,” she said in exasperation. “I already took off the bandages, okay? And I don’t want to put them back on.”

His scowl grew darker. “Can we just get over this right now?”

“Get over what?”

“The need to hide your scars from me. You’re going to be coming over every day to play with Kiki and once a week or however often to water the plants. It’s inevitable that we’ll bump into each other now and then. Are you going to bandage up your face every time you walk over, just in case?”

She hadn’t really thought about it, but she supposed she’d have to. She’d feel too exposed, otherwise. “Probably.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if we got comfortable with each other instead?”