Quarterback's Surprise Baby (Bad Boy Ballers Book 2) by Imani King

Sabrina Forbes followed and her past examined. Everything about her will be up for his eagle-eyed scrutiny: what she’s doing to Gryphon and everything she’s done in the past. If it wins the case as I suspect, I’ll expense it to my account so it’s on record as a brilliant move by a young partner, and Carlton will have to be impressed. It’s the perfect plan: win the case, win Carlton over, and fast track my career. I quickly MMS my father in Switzerland with a request for Kent's number.
    Luckily for me, he sends it in a flash. “I hope you're not in trouble, kid,” comes the text back. Kid. It never stops.
    “Not anymore,” I say. “Love you papa, will talk later.” I put the phone back in my Birkin bag and go to sit down to plan my next move, when suddenly I get a flashback of last night with Gryphon. I almost double over with the wave of pleasure that runs through my body just thinking about the way he touched me, his large hand gentle but firm on the small of my back, pressing me to him, feeling his undeniable desire against my stomach, matching his wicked look and devilish smile.
    He wants to take it slow. At first blush that hurts, but the more I learn about his investigation and his past I figure, who can blame him—the man is at risk of losing his whole life in football, his career. It’s a charge that could get him kicked out of the league, and from what I can gather, it’s likely false—but it’s up to me to prove it. It may seem ridiculous to me that someone who has that kind of gentleness and charm in bed could possibly do such a thing, although I suppose better people have done worse, but the court needs more than the thoughts of a girl who might be falling in love. There might be a first time for everything, but if Griff had ever done anything like that, wouldn’t it have surfaced in some other way, in some other relationship? Even hints of abuse?
    A pro career in the big leagues is stressful, but nothing like the stress of every day before fame struck. If he dealt with his stress by hitting women, I would wager it would have surfaced earlier—when he barely had enough to eat and his teenage college hormones were running amok. Now he's on top of the world. Sure, he has more to lose these days, that's for certain, but I can't imagine that he would risk the only security that he's ever had in his life—his own money, his career.
    I believe's telling the truth—Sabrina Forbes is a liar and wants to take him for all he's worth. I'm going to satisfy my gut instinct, and get Kent Cameron not only to find out everything there is to know about Sabrina Forbes, but also Gryphon James.
    I need to know.

    * * *
    S andra calls me to meet for lunch. “Hey babe,” she says. “Let's go to that new burrito place, and do it up right.”
    “Sounds good,” I say. I grab my bag and sunglasses, and leave the office before anyone can ask where I'm going. I’ll cancel all my meetings and reschedule when Kent can report back on both Sabrina and Gryphon. I need all my ducks in a row the next time I deal with Carlton and the other partners. He may see my cancellation as another sign of being unprofessional, but he can see how “unprofessional” it is when I can get Sabrina Forbes and her lawyer to drop the charges altogether.
    I'm betting a lot on Gryphon’s innocence and Sabrina’s guilt, and it could cost me my job. But the more I think about it, the more convinced I am that he’s telling the truth. My mind is churning. I have to prove his innocence. And not only for him, but for myself. If I am falling in love with him, I need to know I’m safe before it’s too late.
    Sabrina Forbes prefers to settle out of court. She doesn’t want justice, she is just looking for a big payout. Another point against her. If she really wanted justice and to be safe, she’d be trying to get him in jail tomorrow. But this is nothing more than a money grab against someone who would be her meal ticket: a rich sports