Legal Attraction

by Jacquelin Thomas

  Marissa was in love with Griffin Jackson and there was a time when she had hoped he felt the same way. But it soon became obvious that he did not return her feelings.

  So what else could she do?

  After their one night together, Griffin told her that their making love had been impulsive and ill-advised. He decided that they should keep their relationship professional.

  Wounded, Marissa had simply agreed. She told Griffin that no one would ever know what had happened that night, and that it would never happen again.

  However, it did not stop her heart from aching for him. But Marissa was not going to force herself on Griffin. She tried to keep her distance as much as she could when they were in the office. They were exceedingly polite with each other, careful not to exchange more than casual pleasantries.

  In the beginning, Marissa tried to convince herself that this was all for the best. That was before she saw the plus line in the home pregnancy test.

  * * *

  It had never once occurred to Marissa that she was pregnant. She and Griffin had used a condom the night they made love, so she had no real reason to suspect anything. She had ignored the symptoms for weeks, chalking up the missed period and the constant nausea to stress.

  By the time Marissa decided to take a pregnancy test, she was about nine weeks along. Stunned beyond words, she had no idea what to do. A baby was the last thing she needed right now, and she was sure Griffin would feel the same way.

  She knew that many early pregnancies ended in miscarriage, so Marissa decided to keep mum. There was no point in alarming her family or Griffin unnecessarily.

  For a brief moment, she had even considered terminating the pregnancy, but once she heard the baby’s heartbeat, everything changed for Marissa.

  You are my baby. I am going to do everything in my power to protect you.

  There were two questions that stayed at the forefront of her mind these days. How was she going to tell Griffin?

  Should she tell him?

  Marissa’s eyes traveled downward. Eventually she was not going to be able to hide her pregnancy anymore. She was already struggling to wear clothes that would camouflage the roundness of her belly. Marissa had also taken to carrying large handbags—something she used to avoid because of her five-foot-two-inch frame. She still favored high-heeled shoes, but she had to consider lowering them some during her pregnancy.

  Her mind traveled back to Griffin.

  Marissa was dreading his reaction, and silently rationalized that she had not told him because she could never find the right time.

  She couldn’t just blurt it out, but Marissa vowed to tell Griffin as soon as the time was right.

  Chapter 6

  The next day, Griffin was back to his usual self in the office. The only time he had stopped by Marissa’s office was to ask her to keep quiet about his singing.

  “Why do you want to keep something like this a secret? You have a beautiful voice, Griff.”

  “I don’t want anyone thinking or assuming that my loyalties are divided. Your father and Albert frown on associates taking on anything that might take the focus off being a good lawyer.”

  “I understand,” Marissa said. She knew that he was correct. The partners of the firm demanded complete loyalty from all of the associates, including her. “I won’t say a word.”

  Griffin thanked her and was gone without another word.

  Marissa turned her attention back to her computer monitor.

  It was not easy working in the same office as Griffin. Her feelings for him made it a daily challenge. Then there was the fact that she was carrying his baby.

  She couldn’t keep her mind off the baby for the rest of the day. She was still thinking about it when she walked into Integrity shortly after six o’clock that evening.

  “Marissa, I’m glad you’re here,” her mother said as soon as she opened the door.

  She glanced up at her sister and then her mother. “Why, what’s going on?”

  “I thought we’d have dinner out,” Jeanette announced cheerfully. “Just us girls.”

  “You two go ahead,” Marissa suggested. “I’m going to have a hot bath and then watch some TV. I’m in the mood to do absolutely nothing.”

  Her mother seemed disappointed. “Honey, you have to eat. We haven’t spent any time together in weeks.”

  “I’ll eat something if I get hungry,” Marissa told her. “You and Jillian have fun.”

  “You’re sure you don’t want to join us? We hardly see you these days and we all live in the same house.”

  “We’ll do it another time,” Marissa promised.

  She was very angry with her mother. At some point, they would have to sit down and have a discussion, but Marissa was not ready for that. Some of the shock had worn off, but it was still too soon.

  * * *

  “Marissa, have you been sleeping?” her doctor asked.

  “More than usual,” she responded. “I’ve been trying to clear my caseload so that when the baby comes…”

  He nodded in understanding. “You look tired. Are you taking your vitamins?”

  “I am,” Marissa said. “Dr. Benton, I haven’t been able to really keep any food down. I thought the morning sickness would be gone by now.”

  “It should ease up and you’ll begin to feel a whole lot better.”

  She had read up on what to expect in her pregnancy. She knew her baby was about the size of an avocado, that the eyes were closer to the front of the head and the ears in close to their final position. Marissa felt a surge of excitement every time she heard her baby’s heartbeat, and she yearned to be able to share this with someone. Even her best friend had no idea that she was pregnant.

  Marissa held her secret close to her because she did not want to admit that she had made a huge mistake by having sex with Griffin. In fact, she had no right to judge her mother so harshly, but Jeanette was a married woman, whereas she and Griffin were both single.

  She left the doctor’s office and drove straight to work. Marissa would have to say something soon because she’d be showing shortly. Meantime, she did not want any rumors spoiling her secret before she had a chance to prepare her family.

  At the office she saw Griffin, Jake and Harper in a conference room discussing some case. From the looks of it, her brother and cousin were on opposite ends. Nothing new there.

  Poor Griff, she thought. He was caught in the middle and trying to play peacemaker.

  Marissa hoped that her baby shared Griffin’s handsome features, especially his long lashes and perfectly shaped lips.

  He glanced up and saw her in the hallway.

  Embarrassed at being caught staring at him, Marissa gave a tiny wave and headed to her office.

  * * *

  The next morning, all of the associates gathered for the weekly staff meeting.

  Marissa grabbed a bottle of water and sat down beside her brother Marcus. She had some saltines in the pocket of her jacket, in case she needed to eat something to settle her stomach. Marissa hoped to make it through the meeting without experiencing a bout of nausea. She did not want her family or Griffin becoming suspicious.

  Griffin walked in a few minutes later and sat down at the conference table in the empty chair across from her.

  “Victor Ewing was arrested last night at the airport,” Jacob announced. “The federal authorities spent three years looking for this guy. He’s wanted on tax-evasion charges.”

  “He wants us to represent him?” Jake inquired. “What happened with his last attorney?”

  “Is he the guy who left the country before they could arrest him?” Jillian asked. “He owned several hair salons.”

  “I remember reading something about this,” Marissa interjected. “He went to Nigeria and th
e authorities were not able to extradite him. Why did he come back to the U.S.?”

  “His mother is gravely ill and Victor mistakenly believed that the statute of limitations had expired. It is one of the reasons he fired his last attorney. Victor believes that the feds were tipped off. He says that the only person who knew he had come back was his attorney.”

  “I’d like to meet with Mr. Ewing,” Marcus stated. “This is the type of challenging case I’ve been looking for.”

  “Do we even want to represent a man like Victor Ewing?” Jillian asked. “The cost to try a case like this is going to cost at least a million dollars. Does he even have any money?”

  “He’s facing four counts of filing false tax returns and two counts of structuring financial transactions to avoid reporting requirements,” Jacob said. “The feds say that he also used business proceeds to buy a million-dollar home in New Jersey, and to transfer funds to Nigeria.”

  Marissa could feel the heat of Griffin’s gaze as he silently observed her. She kept her expression blank. She was afraid that he might see the truth that she was keeping something from him.

  After the meeting, Harper followed Marissa into her office.

  “How are you doing?” he asked.

  “As well as can be expected,” she said. “How about you?”

  “Same here.”

  Marissa gave him a sidelong glance. “How are things going between you and Uncle Frank?”

  “I don’t have a whole lot to say to him,” Harper said. “We don’t talk unless we have to, and that’s mostly here in the office. By the way, your mom invited all of us over for one of the Hamilton family dinners on Sunday.”

  Marissa groaned. “I don’t want to do this.”

  Harper nodded in agreement. “Neither do I. In fact, Azure and I won’t be in attendance.”

  “You should rethink your decision,” Marissa said. “I think we should both attend—if we don’t, then the rest of the family may get suspicious. That’s the last thing we need.”

  Chapter 7

  Marissa was relieved when Jake and his wife, Charlotte, arrived on Sunday. Jeanette could then take her focus off Marissa. Her mother had been trying to engage her in conversation all morning. Marissa just wanted to get through this family dinner so that she could retreat to her bedroom. She was not feeling well and had experienced momentary bouts of nausea.

  While Jeanette was engaged in a conversation with Charlotte, Marissa hid out in the kitchen. She checked on the food before setting the table in the massive dining room.

  Marcus arrived next.

  He glanced at his sister, saying, “Marissa, are you putting on weight?”

  “That’s a question no girl likes to hear,” Marissa responded as casually as she could manage.

  “It looks good on you,” Marcus assured her. “In fact, you’re glowing. I guess we’re not working you too hard from the looks of it.”

  She smiled. “Trust me, I work hard enough.”

  When Harper and Azure walked into the house, Marissa met them in the living room. “I’m so glad you both came.”

  “My mom and dad won’t be here,” Harper announced. “I can’t say that I’m disappointed, though.”

  Marissa agreed.

  The rest of her siblings arrived, as did Harper’s.

  They all gathered in the spacious family room, talking until Jeanette announced dinner was served.

  The evening turned out to be a pleasant one, and despite everything that was going on, Marissa managed to enjoy herself.

  She was exhausted by the time everyone left.

  “Where are you going?” her father asked when she was going upstairs. “You’re not abandoning us, are you?”

  “I’m going to my room to do some reading before I go to bed.”

  “Why don’t you watch a movie with us? Your mother and I were just about to start it.”

  “Daddy, I just want to sit down and really enjoy my book. I don’t remember the last time I read a novel for fun.”

  “Marissa, I know that there is something going on between you and your mother. She is just as confused as I am. Now, why don’t you tell me why you are being so distant?”

  She released a soft sigh. “Daddy, there’s nothing wrong.”

  “Are you sure?” he asked.

  Jacob gazed at her, studying her expression. “Okay,” he said after a moment.

  Jeanette walked into the hallway carrying a bowl of hot, buttery popcorn. “Ready?” she asked.

  He nodded and then went into the family room.

  Her mother looked at her. “Are you joining us?”

  Marissa shook her head. “I’m going upstairs to do some reading. I’ll see you all in the morning.”

  Then she rushed off to her room before her parents tried to get her to stay and watch the movie with them—something she often did. But now things were different.

  * * *

  Marissa walked into the employee break room. She spotted one of the paralegals named Sue and sat down at the table beside her. Sue was pregnant and Marissa enjoyed talking to her about her baby. It was easy to see the woman was thrilled.

  “When is your baby due?” she asked Sue.

  “In January,” she responded with a smile.

  Marissa did not mention that she was also pregnant. “You look beautiful. Pregnancy agrees with you.”

  “You’re so sweet. I have to admit that I have really enjoyed being pregnant. I didn’t have morning sickness like most women.”

  “Lucky you,” Marissa murmured. Too bad she couldn’t say the same thing.

  Sue rubbed her swollen belly. “I’m having a boy.”

  Marissa grinned. “Congratulations. That’s wonderful.”

  “We’re very excited,” Sue said. “My husband and I both wanted a boy.”

  Marissa wondered what she was carrying. Would her baby be a boy who looked just like Griffin? For a moment she wondered what Griffin would prefer—a boy he could teach to play sports…or a daughter he could pamper?

  When she left the break room a few minutes later, Marissa ran into Griffin, who had just returned to the office. She had heard that he had been in court most of the morning.

  “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” Griffin began. “Are you upset with me?”

  Marissa shook her head no. “Why should I be upset with you?”

  “That night—”

  She cut him off by saying, “This has nothing to do with you. I’m just in a bad mood right now, Griff. It’s probably best to just leave me alone and let me deal with this.”

  “Deal with what?” he asked, looking puzzled.

  Marissa waved her hands. “It’s nothing really.”

  “This isn’t like you at all, Marissa.”

  “This is me tired, overworked and buried under a pile of cases I need to review. Law school was a piece of cake compared to this.”

  Griffin smiled. “I’ve had days like that, but it does get better.”

  “I know,” Marissa murmured. “I love being a lawyer. I’m just feeling a bit overwhelmed right now.” She didn’t add that being nauseated and carrying around a family secret did not help.

  “Sure there’s nothing I can do to help?” Griffin inquired.

  Marissa shook her head. “You have quite a load on your plate, as well. Besides, I need to work this all out myself. I don’t want anyone here thinking that being a Hamilton gives me a free ride.”

  “I know how hard you work around here,” he told her. “No one in their right mind will think something like that when it comes to you, Marissa.”

  She gave him a wry smile. “You’d be surprised.”

  * * *

  Griffin decided to grab a bite to eat before going h
ome.

  He walked across the street to a restaurant and spotted Marissa seated in a booth alone. She was reading the menu and apparently had not seen him.

  Griffin approached her. “Mind if I join you?”

  She was clearly surprised to see him. “I don’t know, Griff. Is this considered keeping a professional distance?”

  He was taken off guard by her response. “I never meant that we couldn’t be friends, Marissa. I am still your mentor and I would like to also be your friend.”

  “I don’t think you know what you want, Griff.”

  “Earlier today, I asked if you were angry with me,” he said. “I’m sorry, Marissa. I never meant to hurt you.”

  She met his gaze. “Not everything going on in my life is about you.”

  Griffin sat down across from her.

  “How is the Ponzi-scheme case going?” she asked, picking up her menu.

  He signaled for the server to bring him one. “It’s going okay. There are many angry people out there.”

  “They lost money,” Marissa stated.

  She cleared her throat softly. “Tell me something, Griff. How do you feel about defending a case like this?”

  “To be honest, I am not convinced that we are representing a guilty man. I think Blaine Morton is just another victim—a scapegoat for something bigger.”

  “Do you think you will be able to prove it?” Marissa asked.

  He smiled. “It’s not our job to prove innocence, just cast doubt in the minds of jurors that the defendant is guilty.”

  “That doesn’t exactly make us sound like heroes,” she murmured.

  The server returned to the table ready to take their order.

  When Griffin was undecided, Marissa surveyed him for a moment and then said, “You look like a Cajun chicken pasta kind of man.”

  He laughed and nodded. “I’ll have that.”

  Griffin met Marissa’s gaze. “And I believe the lady will have the fire-grilled salmon.”

  She smiled and nodded.