Free Unlikely Hero (Atlanta #1) by Kemmie Michaels

but some hot action. With Erin, there was already so much more! He hadn’t even spoken with her yet, but he thought about her every day.  

    E~  
    Now that I know you don't like shopping, you're even more beautiful. And I don't really think you're boring. I was just goading you. I don't think your life sounds empty, just really low-risk. But I get it. I promise that even though it's risky letting me in on your story, I'll never scare you. I won’t break your trust. Just wanted to let you know.  
    ~M

    M~
    It's not fair that you get to call me beautiful and I don't know the first thing about you. Tell me your job, leave me a picture, something! Can you at least tell me how old you are? I can't even picture you at all. It's really driving me nuts.  
    Ugh — I stepped in gum today. It took me ten minutes to pry the bits from the tiny tread of my pumps. So annoying.
    And speaking of my pumps, if you think a distaste for shopping is beautiful, then you will find it quite the turn-on that I don't have an obsession with shoes. Me and "girly" have never gotten along real well, even before that party.
    ~E

    E~
    No shoe fetish? That's positively hot. Damn. And I'm 25. Sorry about the gum.
    ~M

    He’s 25! Now she had her first bit of knowledge about him. Erin spent that Wednesday morning's "meeting" rereading their entire, weeks-long conversation, now with a 25-year-old face attached to all the notes. She was amazed to think that when she got her first bike, he still had his mother.  
    When she was enjoying her junior prom, he was barely surviving his teenage years. When she was in college, he was making it on his own, saving himself and his sister from his abusive father. Her connection to him was even stronger now that she understood him in more context. Her heart stuttered to know he was a contemporary to her.  
    She had to admit she was finding herself attracted to this stranger. He had a pretty obvious sense of humor and depth of understanding. He had no flair for the dramatic; he was real and simple, and probably was underestimated by people around him. He was the kind of guy who would be stable and kind. She was very attracted to that.  
    But who was he? There's no way he was from her office. He may have been from some other professional office from another floor. Maybe he was some mythical notebook-fairy who left little "strength" charms under your pillow every time you left your notebook in the wrong spot.  
    Whoever he was, he had to come by her desk every night, which gave her the idea for the perfect plan. She jotted a quick note to him about nothing in particular and hoofed back to her desk. She figured out how the webcam on her computer worked and set up the motion sensor to record whomever was at her desk after hours. Fool-proof.

      Marcus found himself again unable to contain his excitement at going to work Wednesday night. He lived for his daily notes from Erin. He even enjoyed the ribbing he was getting from both George and Bill who could see the change in him.  
    George loved seeing Marcus with a little life in him, and he even got to hear about this accountant with the notebook over a table of rib-eyes. Bill, on the other hand, was absolutely loving the change in Marcus. The rage no longer drove his training. He stayed more in his head.  
    Marcus became focused rather than wild. He still had all the strength of the animal within, but now with hints of clear-headed strategy. Marcus was evolving. Bill smiled as he watched and guided Marcus through his progress.  
    Wednesday night, Marcus started his new normal routine. He started with the ninth and tenth floors, forcing himself to save Erin's floor for last. But first, he went and got the notebook from the desk corner. Every night he would get that book, place it carefully on the shelf in his work closet, and do the upper two floors as quickly as he could.  
    Then, he would read Erin's note and respond during his break. He'd return the notebook and