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But he likes intelligent women in his field.

Shut up.I had to stop sabotaging myself.

Intelligence was subjective, wasn’t it? One person could measure intelligence from a damn test created by a bunch of people who had nothing better to do. Another person could see intelligence as an immeasurable ability to see, hear, feel, touch, taste—the ability to understand and honor the senses. It wasn’t just one’s personal capacity for logic and knowledge.

There was a group of “intelligent” people with money and power cheating the world right now. Like the health insurance companies who didn’t care if you could afford treatment or not. Did I want to be roped into that ugly category?

Absolutely not.

Kiera Ford was in a category all her own. What was better than intelligence? Wisdom. Yup. I’d set my own rules on worthiness, and if he didn’t want me, then screw him. I was no doctor, and had no interest in becoming one. I may not have had a doctorate but I considered myself intelligent and wise, thank you very much.

With renewed optimism, I replied to him.

Kiera: I could rush the photo edits.

Forrest:Thought I was a natural. Why the edits?

He remembered my comment. What else did he remember? I lied about the edits. The camera loved him. He had been perfection in all the photographs, but I wasn’t going to share that detail. A man like him didn’t need his ego inflated even more.

Kiera:Natural at posing. Edits required for other things.

Forrest:Not my fault about my bulge.

Heat bloomed on my face, remembering the sight of him in those shorts.Though FitFlex wanted people to promote their amazing shorts, I didn’t think they’d have appreciated the extra accessory. The female crowd would have loved it, but a part of me wanted to keep that image to myself. After all, I was the reason for his reaction, and that had made my day.

Kiera:Not my fault either.

Forrest:ALL your fault. (like right now)

An image flashed in my mind, and my mouth dropped. What was he doing? It was only nine in the morning.Wasn’t this too early for a sexy chat?

Never too early for that.

I bit my bottom lip, trying to imagine what he was wearing. This was one time my inner voice was on my side.

Kiera:Shouldn’t you be working? No billionaire meetings to attend?

Forrest:HARD to concentrate.

I giggled as my inner muscles twitched. That one word sent liquid heat pooling to my core, making my throat dry. I sucked in a breath, remembering the way his cock had thrust into me, claiming me. I sat up in my bed, trying to tame this arousal that wanted his hands to resolve.

Kiera:Nothing too hard for Dr. Navarro to cure.

Forrest:Are you immune to me?

I wasn’t sure what he wanted me to say or what that question was referencing. But I gave him the truth.

Kiera:You’re a cold that keeps making me sneeze.

Regret hit me after I replied.Could I be any cheesier?

Forrest:You’re a rare virus affecting every part of me.

This conversation took an interesting turn. The word virus never had a good connotation, but coming from Forrest it reshaped my perspective. Or maybe that was my “intelligence” shifting things to suit my needs.

Kiera:People usually dislike viruses.

Forrest:The literature on them has evolved. Rarest is Kiera Affectingmeeverydae.