His Dark Sin (Dark Love Games #1)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

Charlie

I hate the way Sherrie looks at me, eyes full of doubt and ready to roll right out of her head. I hate the way she waits a beat after I answer a question, looking at me as if she’s wondering when I’ll finally admit that I make children cry for fun or something. I look right back at her, my expression clear, and she moves on, no choice but to accept my response.

“Were you and your team surprised by the primary’s results? You must have had your doubts, right? I think many of us are shocked you’re going to be on the ballot this year.”

“I can’t agree many people will be shocked, Sherrie. They voted for me.” I laugh easily, folding my hands together as I rock in my leather office chair.

“Right, it’s not shocking that a 26-year-old tech billionaire beat out candidates with more experience,” she says flatly, head tilting heavily to the side.

“Right!” I grin widely, flashing my white teeth. It doesn’t take much charm to make Sherrie start fumbling around with her phone, a clumsy attempt to distract herself from her attraction to me. I bet she wishes she could fall in love with me the way everyone else has. But she can smell the smoke.

Now she just has to find the fire.

“How do you plan to make up for your lack of experience?” She recovers, shooting her question at me like a jab.

“That’s the wrong attitude, Sherrie!” I admonish. “I can’t run a successful campaign if I already think I have something to make up for. I focus on what I do have to offer.” I pause to let her take the bait.

“And wh?—”

“I’m a visible and earnest member of this community, Sherrie. The advances I’ve made in the tech field mean a lot to me, but nothing makes me prouder than making a difference right here, where I was born and raised.”

I rattle off a brief history of fundraisers, cleanups, and organizations I support or founded, not because it backs my point up. I say it because Sherrie already knows this about me. I’ve told her several times before. She nods along knowingly, opening her mouth and raising her palm as if to ward off my spiel.

So I talk louder and more firmly.

“Thank you, Mr. Carter,” she says tightly when I finish.

“You’re very welcome.”

“If you’re voted in this year, you’ll be one of few bachelors in Congress. Your aim is to represent the people of your community, but many of their family lives will be foreign to you. How do you plan to identify with these families?”

When Sherrie thinks she’s asked a question that will trip me up—and especially after I give her a well-worn response—she feigns a light, merely curious expression. If I crack here, well, she was just asking an innocent question, no harm meant!

Right. As if she didn’t know this is one of the biggest critiques hurled against me. Paparazzi can’t catch me with a woman, and I’ve never been publicly linked with anyone.

My supporters have no doubt I’m just the boy next door, waiting for the right one to bring home to Mom. Magazines play matchmaker for me all the time— Is What’s-Her-Face the Woman of Charlie’s Dreams? We Think So!

Detractors aren’t that optimistic. Since there’s no woman (or women) by my side, there must be something wrong with me. Or there’ll be something wrong with the way I represent my constituents. How could I possibly know about family dynamics if I don’t even have a girlfriend?

The argument doesn’t hold up when you think about it. The people falling for this trick aren’t in the habit of thinking things through, though.

Sherrie looks at me expectantly. I’m keeping her waiting this time.

“Are you wondering if it’s too late to ask me out on a date? Aww, Sherrie. I didn’t know you had a crush on me.”

“What are you talking about?” She shuts her eyes, blocking out my grinning face.

“I guess I kind of knew. You make it obvious.”

“You aren’t going to answer my question?”

“Doesn’t it depend on when you’re going to ask me out?”

Sherrie clears her throat and taps at her phone’s screen roughly, checking out of our conversation. She’s so average, all business. Whenever I see her, that brown hair of hers is tied back into a ponytail, displaying her broad forehead. Her front teeth look too big for her face, and her tanned skin completes the vague impression of her. There’s nothing to say about her body, either, nothing to praise. Even her slimness is unremarkable. It can’t be the result of a regimen of Pilates. I’m more inclined to believe she gets too busy chasing justice to eat.

She’s a smudge in the dirt—you’d hardly notice her.

Despite her lack of appeal, I watch her closely. She steals a glance at me, still annoyed, then busies herself with more scrolling and tapping. Can she feel her cheeks warming up?

I’d like to feel them.

I think about digging my fingertips into her cheeks, forcing her to look up at me. Would her hazel eyes fill with fear as she tastes my strength, once she realizes I’m squeezing too hard?

Poor dumb Sherrie. She’s wrong about me. I’m not hiding something as cartoonish as wanting to make children cry.

What I like to do for fun is make women cry.

“I’ll take your response to mean you don’t intend to comment on this issue.”

Now is about the right time.

I slide open the shallow drawer of my desk and retrieve a folder. I thumb through it until I come to a certain piece of paper, frown, then shake my head at her.

“I do not intend to comment.” I return the folder and close the drawer before sending off a quick text. “I’m sure there’s more you’d like to ask me, Sherrie. Our meetings are never this short. What else ya got?” I drum my fingers on the desk good-naturedly.

After a lingering look at the folder, she perks back up. “Ah, yes. Oh, uh, thank you, actually, for taking the time to meet with me during your party. I’m surprised your team invited me over.”

“Well, it’s the day after the vote was finalized. I knew you were burning to grill me.” I grin. Addressing her intentions like this gets her flustered, but before she can dance for me, there’s a sharp rap at the door.

“Need you out here, boss.” It’s Tommy’s muffled voice.

“Sorry, Sherrie, I hope you’ll excuse me. I thought something like this might happen.” I stand up and step out from behind my desk. “The host can only be gone for so long!”

“Oh, I’ll?—”

“I’ll be back in about 15 minutes. You can just relax and regroup.”

“Actually—”

“Good, see you back here soon!” I clap a hand down firmly on her shoulder, stopping her from rising. She’s all confusion, and I’m all smiles as she plops back down.

“Uh, alright…”

“Won’t be long.” I leave her with those words and close the door behind me. I’m sure she’ll find something to do in my office.

Tommy is waiting outside. Just standing there paints him as an imposing figure. The bulk, muscles, and bald head speak volumes for him. He’s been my right-hand man ever since I started getting attention in college for the app I made.

Speaking of which…

I open up the security app, SolutionHaven. It’s come a long way since I first designed it back in college. We aimed high, and that really paid off. The app is now a hub for most of a home’s electronic functionality, not just granting access to the security system but also connecting to other smart devices. This little hub offers complete control.

I tap into the office’s hidden camera system. There are several views of the room, the best one offered by one on the desk, looking directly at Sherrie. I tap into that one. There’s a clear image of her looking back at the closed door. I start to walk away, Tommy following my lead, and Sherrie relaxes.

I’ll check back in with her later.

“Everything’s all good, boss,” Tommy informs me as we head down a staircase, his voice low and deep. “Your guests are mingling and talking about the primary.”

“I better make another appearance before someone leaves with their feelings hurt.”

“I’ll keep an eye on the security footage and let you know if anything changes.”

“I’m sure it will. It’s only a matter of time.” I clap Tommy on the back, and we go our separate ways.

Putting on a show for Sherrie is easy. She isn’t very smart. A room full of invested parties is another job entirely.

I take a deep breath as I walk through my manor, passing by caterers and cleaners keeping the party running smoothly. I exchange nods and brief greetings, looking them each in the eye, until I spot my guests in the backyard. They’ll swallow me whole if I dive right in. I slow my approach and linger near the tall glass doors, assessing the situation.

Soft music hums beneath the cloud of chatter, punctuated by the clinks of champagne flutes on serving trays. From the sounds of laughter and bits of light-hearted conversation, I can tell things are getting along fine without me. But there are people here hoping to bend my ear, ask me inane questions, or congratulate me personally and hopefully leave a lasting impression on Shade Valley’s most recent rising star.

I have to at least make them think they had a chance.

I breathe in the fresh air as I take a look around, trying to pick out someone I can have a quick conversation with. I’ve been spotted by an older woman who looks like she can’t wait to sink her claws into me, but I’m already making a move on my target.

“Gary, it’s good to see you here!” I call out, making heads whip around toward me. The man I called out to—the man who lost the primary to me—hovers near the edge of the crowd, looking uncomfortable. He’s holding a flute of orange juice, and it doesn’t look bubbly. Gary’s a good ol’ guy, wouldn’t harm a fly or take a sip of alcohol. His graying military cut gives off a serious vibe, but there’s no bite behind his bark.

“Charlie, congratulations.” He extends a hand and gives me a strong pump. There’s disappointment etched into his face.

“Thank you for being here, Gary. It means a lot to me.” I give him my full attention, ignoring the eager faces pressing in around us.

“You’re running a good campaign. Can’t wait to see how this November will turn out.” He smiles thinly.

On the outside, he ran a clean campaign, so it’s not unusual to have his support now. He’s humbly accepted the popularity he’s received up until now. Compared to mine, it was no surprise he lost.

“Just need to get you a girlfriend, right? Isn’t that what the analysts keep repeating?” Now a little light returns to his dull eyes as he laughs. I join in with him and shrug.

“Is that what they keep saying?”

“No, you’re right. They’re asking for a wife!” He keeps laughing. I’m sure he was the one who kept fanning the flames of that story. It was all he had to cling to. He got lucky that it picked up. Too bad it didn’t do more for his run.

“How’s the family? Happy they’ll have you around a little more, right?” I don’t let on that I’m leaning into his sore spot.

Gary’s laughter dies down as his attention turns back to the loss. He stares at me, his smile leaking away, then takes a drink. There were big ambitions fueling his campaign. He served in the military and wanted to keep serving his country. He was a strong opponent for sure.

But they loved me more, the one who came from a small family of hard-working folks just trying to make it. I did make it, one accomplishment after the other, from securing a scholarship for college to putting that knowledge to work. I got the ball rolling with SolutionHaven and started work on its compatible tech. From there, my dreams continued to grow. Investors supplied the cash flow, and I provided the products, ever striving for my vision. Panic rooms, security apps, security systems, electronic locks—they all have my last name on them. Hell, I was a household name before I even thought about politics.

Never mind that I’m only 26. I’ve already proven how far my drive can carry me. They all want to see more. I’m the son-in-law all the housewives want to invite to dinner and the one fathers want to toss the ball around with. My success feels like their success.

Gary never stood a chance.

How far can I really go? I intend to find out.

“Maybe this is a sign for me to settle down,” Gary says, trying to shift gears and view the situation more positively. People are watching and listening. He can’t let his disappointment show too much. “Chores have been piling up around the house lately, anyway. Must be nice you put that kind of life behind you, huh?”

“I don’t miss mowing the lawn in the summer, I’ll admit that!”

My phone vibrates in my pocket, making my mind snap back to Tommy, who’s monitoring Sherrie. Is she getting impatient for me to come back already? It would make sense. From my office, you can get a lovely view of the backyard and party down below. Maybe she’s seen me here, comfortably mingling.

Sure enough, when I check the text, it’s Tommy.

She’s on the move.

I extract myself from the crowd, receiving complaints that I promise to address at some future point, and head back into the manor, moving fast. I don’t want her to notice that I’ve already left the backyard. This time, the caterers don’t try to greet me. My gait is swift until I hit the staircase. Then I shift to soft steps, quieting my approach as I open up SolutionHaven.

When I check the camera, Sherrie isn’t in the seat I left her in. I switch around the views, looking for the perfect angle of her face buried in the folder I stashed in my drawer. I crack a grin as I creep closer to the door. Her face is scrunched up in confusion. Try as she might, she won’t be getting anything out of what I left for her. The pages are enticingly labeled, filled with buzzwords crammed into sentences that don’t go anywhere.

Poor dumb Sherrie. She took the bait for nothing.

Well, not nothing.