Page 20 of Code Name: Tank (K19 Sentinel Cyber #4)

DRAGON

T he distant sound of rotor blades approaching Friday afternoon jarred me back into reality.

Through the trees, we could see a black helicopter heading toward the compound’s helipad.

I hadn’t seen Flint yet since we returned, but with James’ arrival, I knew I wouldn’t be able to avoid him much longer.

“Reality calling,” I said with a sigh.

Tank brought my hand to his lips for a quick kiss. “Let’s get this over with.”

Ten minutes later, we walked into the command center just as Hartwell arrived.

Alice was already there, looking more tired than usual.

I should’ve thought to offer to help her yesterday, knowing Flint wouldn’t.

Then again, with the other women here, they probably wouldn’t have let her overdo it.

Atticus looked up from his work area and winked, then wriggled his eyebrows, looking between Tank and me.

I just shook my head and chuckled.

“Thank you all for accommodating my visit,” James said as we assembled in the conference room. “I hope I’m not interrupting your holiday weekend, but the situation has escalated significantly.”

He turned to me with a warm smile. “Piper, I heard your mother and her new husband took that cruise to Alaska. I hope you had a wonderful holiday as well.”

“I did, thanks,” I said simply, not elaborating on the best couple of days of my life with Tank’s family. Especially when Flint came in and took a seat.

“The fund diversions are escalating. Treasury needs regular updates on your findings. As fast as you can work. These thefts are impacting defense readiness.” He looked at me. “I’d like you to send me your analysis directly. Don’t wait for formal reports.”

“Any specific timeline?” Tank asked.

“Treasury’s getting pressure from Congress and the Pentagon about these losses. I need to stay close to this investigation so I can provide real-time updates to leadership.”

“There’s a nice hotel in Lake Pleasant,” Alice offered. “About fifteen minutes away. I can make arrangements.”

“That would be perfect, thank you.”

The meeting felt routine, what I’d expected, except why did he come here rather than doing this via videoconference?

“Any questions?” Hartwell asked.

“You wanted a briefing on PSI,” I reminded him.

“Right. Forward that at your earliest convenience.” He looked around the table, but avoided looking at Flint. “Anything else?”

“Seems straightforward,” Tank said when no one else spoke. “We continue our investigation, with updates straight to Treasury.”

“I’m glad we understand each other.”

After he left and everyone else left the conference room—including Flint, who stormed out more than walked—Tank and I sat quietly for a moment.

“Well, that was painless,” Tank said. “Hartwell seems like a straight shooter.”

When he rested his arm on the table, I wanted to reach over and put my hand on his. Instead, I gathered my things and stood. “I, uh, should get back to work.”

“Me too.” He reached to open the door, and our eyes met. The awareness between us was undeniable now.

“Dragon,” Tank said, pausing. “I’m glad it’s you I’m working with on this.”

His words sent warmth through me. “Me too.”

I spent the next few hours diving into the financial review, but concentration proved elusive.

Every sound in the command center that came from Tank’s direction drew my attention—his voice as he discussed the findings with Atticus, the scrape of his chair across the floor, the quiet tap of his fingers on his keyboard.

I’d become hyperaware of his presence in ways that made focusing on work this afternoon nearly impossible.

But now, instead of fighting that awareness, I found myself embracing it.

When I heard his distinctive laugh at something Atticus said, warmth spread through me. The sound was rich and genuine, and I realized I wanted to be the one making him laugh like that.

My phone buzzed with a text, and I smiled when I saw it was from Tank. Take a break in ten? Something I want to run past you.

Sure. Dock?

Yes. See you there.

I closed my laptop and tried to ignore the anticipation building in my chest. As I made my way outside, I caught myself checking my reflection in the darkened windows.

The late-afternoon air still held traces of the Indian Summer, but in a few days, winter would settle over the Adirondacks in earnest. I didn’t mind the snow, but it would mean meeting at the dock wouldn’t be possible much longer.

Tank was already there when I arrived, sitting on the bench. He’d rolled up his sleeves, and my eyes drifted to his forearms.

“Thanks for meeting me,” he said. “I needed to touch you. Come sit beside me.”

I beamed. “I’d love to.”

He took my hand in his. “Piper…”

My name on his lips sent shivers up my spine.

“Was there something you wanted me to look at?”

He gave me a sheepish smile. “That was just a way to get you down here. I want you to know, the last couple of days have been the best of my life.”

I snuggled against him. “Mine too.” He leaned in, and just as we were about to kiss, Atticus shouted down from the boathouse’s deck.

“Hey, you two. Sorry to interrupt, but Alice said Hartwell suggested a team dinner. Wants to know if you’re on board.”

Tank looked at me.

“We probably should. If we don’t, it’ll seem rude.”

Tank turned in the direction of the boathouse. “Tell her we said yes.” When he looked back at me, the heat in his gaze went straight to my core. “Do you know how much I want to kiss you right now?”

I leaned closer. “What’s stopping you?”

“Prying eyes.” He motioned with his head to the beach where the canoes were stored. There, on the shore, staring at us, stood Flint. His expression was dark, almost sullen, like a child who’d been left out of something important. When I looked in his direction, he quickly turned toward the lake.

“I don’t care what he thinks.”

Tank nodded. “Neither do I. However, when we kiss, it’s about you and me. No one else. What’s between us is no one’s business.”

“I agree.” I wrapped my arm through his and rested my head on his shoulder. “But I really need that kiss.”

He shifted our bodies, and when his lips met mine, I melted as the passion between us unleashed.

Like every other we’d shared, this kiss was not gentle.

It was raw, primal, full of desire. Of need.

Tank’s mouth plundered mine, and his tongue swept in, hot and deep.

When he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer, I rested my hand on his leg, near enough to easily touch his hardness that I desperately needed to settle the ache between my legs.

When I whimpered, he nipped at my lip. “That’s enough for now,” he said, resting his forehead against mine.

“Nowhere near enough,” I whined.

He smiled. “Not for me either, but I just told Atticus to tell Alice we should have a team dinner. Which means, in one hour, we’ll be expected to be seated at a table with a man who is like a father to you.

I can guarantee that if we go somewhere we can be alone now, they’ll be waiting until sunrise for us to show up. ”

I giggled. “Sunrise?”

“At least. Once I feel your naked body next to mine, I don’t think an act of war could get me to let you go.”

I shuddered, and my eyes rolled in my head. “I feel the same way.”

His phone vibrated, and with a growl, he pulled it from his pocket. After glancing at the screen, he looked up at the clouds.

“What?” I asked.

“My mom,” he said, reading the screen. “She wants to make sure you’re settling back in okay.”

“That’s sweet.”

“She asked me to have you text her later. I’m warning you, you should nip this in the bud, or she’ll be pestering you endlessly.”

“I don’t mind. In fact, I like it.”

“I’ll remind you of that a week from now.”

“Come on,” I said, getting up and pulling him with me.

“Give me a minute. Otherwise, everyone in the command center will know what sitting on the dock next to you does to me.”

I giggled again and walked away, but instead of stopping at the boathouse, I kept going up the path to the main residence. “Knock, knock,” I said, opening the back door enough for Alice to hear me.

“Come on in, Dragon. I hope you’ve arrived to tell me you’re going to help get this meal thrown together.”

I smiled. “Why else would I be here?”

“Thank God for that. I mean, what the hell? A fucking cabinet member just announces we should have a team dinner? He couldn’t have given me some notice so I could recruit people to help me cook?”

“Do you want me to call reinforcements?”

She leaned against the kitchen counter. “Would you?”

“We can handle this, girlfriend. With help, of course.” I pulled out my cell and sent Tank a message. Your presence is needed in the kitchen in the main house. Bring Atticus with you.

Be right up , he responded.

Hurry.

In what felt like seconds, he walked in with Atticus and Admiral. “What can we do?” he asked.

“Make dinner,” snapped Alice, glaring over her shoulder at her husband.

“What?” asked Admiral, raising both hands.

“You should’ve told him that if he wanted to stay, he had to arrange for a chef. Cabinet members get those kinds of perks, don’t they?”

When she looked from him to me, I shrugged. “Maybe when they’re at the White House.”

Tank had opened the fridge and was pulling out ingredients.

“What are you thinking?” Alice asked.

“There are a few jars of marinara sauce in the pantry. We’ll heat that up, boil some pasta, Atticus will make a salad, and I think there’s garlic bread in the freezer downstairs.”

Alice rushed over to him. “I’d tell you I love you, but Dragon will get jealous.”

Admiral cleared his throat. “What about me? I would get jealous.”

She patted her stomach. “You already knocked me up, Pershing. You own me now.”

He rolled his eyes, then pulled her into his arms. “I think it’s been the other way around since the day I first saw you, sweetheart.”

My eyes met Tank’s, and in them, I saw the same desire I was feeling now and earlier.

“Hey, Dragon. Wanna help me find that garlic bread?” Tank asked, motioning to the stairs that led to the downstairs kitchen.

Alice cleared her throat. “If you two aren’t back in twenty minutes, I’ll send Admiral looking for you.”

“Noted.” I shuddered. At least, we should be able to sneak a kiss or two in.

Once out of view, Tank grabbed my hand and pulled me with him as he raced down the steps. In the lower-level kitchen, he picked me up, set me on the counter, and spread my legs wide enough for him to rest between them. “I need another kiss,” he growled, bringing his lips to mine.

“I need more than that,” I said, meeting his mouth with the same urgency.

“Where’s Flint?” Admiral asked thirty minutes later when Hartwell returned and we were getting ready to sit down for dinner.

“He said something about having work to get caught up on,” said Atticus before taking a bite of garlic bread. “Though he seemed pretty grumpy about something when I saw him earlier.”

James raised his head, and our eyes met. I knew what he was thinking. However, as much as I couldn’t stand Flint, he should’ve made it a point to be at dinner. This was downright rude on his part, and I was sure everyone at the table agreed with me—the secretary, in particular.