Page 159 of Hate Mates

His presence fills the room as he smirks at me like he’s caught me doing something I shouldn’t.

“Well, Sophia, it took you long enough. You’ve had the letter for weeks.”

Realization sets in. Lincoln must’ve been the one who sent the letter. This is another game of his, and I’ve fallen for it. It’s the reason why I can’t find any evidence—there is none. It’s another way for this monster to waste my time.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I mutter, turning back to the files, even though it’s now obvious my search is pointless.

Lincoln approaches me slowly. He never rushes, moving with the confidence of someone who knows the world will wait for him.

“You’re very predictable,” he responds, his voice low, as he reaches my side. “I knew you’d come sniffing around here, eventually.”

“And yet,” I say, pretending to search through another stack of papers without looking up, “you still followed me. Afraid I’ll find something you missed?”

“You’re walking into dangerous territory. If you go public without airtight proof, they’ll tear you apart.”

I pause, my hand hovering over the next file.

His words shouldn’t get to me, but they do. I’ve endured years of him playing games with me, and I’ve fallen for another one.

I glance over my shoulder meeting his gaze and ask, “Why do you care?”

For a fleeting moment, something that looks a bit like regret flickers across his face. I can’t be sure what it is, though, and it’s gone almost as quickly as it appeared.

“Let’s just say I don’t enjoy watching people self-destruct. Especially you,” he replies with a smirk.

“Especially me? Why are you doing this, Lincoln? What have I ever done to you?”

The tension in the room is palpable as I stare up at him. He’s so close to me that we’re almost touching, and our breaths fan each other’s face.

“You made me realize I can lose,” he murmurs almost imperceptibly.

“What?”

He smirks again, and I want to slap him to knock the grin off his face.

“You heard me,” he responds, his tongue darting out and licking his lips.

He picks up one of the many folders I’ve been frantically searching through. Opening it, he spreads out the papers andstares pointedly at them. I cock my head to follow his line of sight. Finally, my eyes land on a contract buried halfway through the folder. My breath catches as I pull it free. It’s an agreement signed by Weston himself, and it’s for the parcel of land mentioned in the letter. The developer’s name on the document is an exact match for the one that was mentioned as offering bribes.

It’s not the definite proof I need, but it’s a start.

Lincoln steps even closer. His scent, something clean and warm with just a hint of spice, drifts toward me, and I curse myself for noticing and even more for liking it.

“You’re going to need more evidence than that.”

I lean away from him, trying to regain my senses. I need to distance myself from the overwhelming closeness of a man who infuriates me but, at the same time, is making me feel very hot and bothered, and not in a good way. Well, not in a good way for me since between my thighs is pulsating.

Where the fuck is this coming from?

Maybe my trusty vibrator isn’t doing it for me anymore if Lincoln Caldwell is making my panties wet.

Get it together, Sophia!

I snap a photo of the document with my phone, putting even more space between myself and Lincoln as I do. “And let me guess—you justhappento have the evidence I need?”

He doesn’t answer right away. Instead, he shifts and rests his hands on top of the filing cabinet behind me, so I’m trapped between his arms. I feel the heat of his body against mine as he leans in closer.

Glancing up at him, I’m ready to tell him to back off, but the look in his eyes silences me. He’s studying me, his usual snide grin replaced by something different, something I’ve not seen before, and it’s something that makes my pulse race.

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