“Yeah, you do.”
She nibbled on her lip. “I think … no, I know George had to have given those dogs away. Hellen wanted Rose, okay? Then overnight, the dog miraculously is rehomed and we never saw anyone come to see Rose. Hellen was the only one who cared. I never thought about it because I was always a volunteer, but I started to ask around, and they don’t recall any family coming. All of the dogs I found, their rehoming files are empty.” She sat back. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Have you confronted Georgie with this information?”
“No. Just me, Hellen, and now you know about this.”
“Hellen knows.”
“She’s pissed with what I’ve discovered. She had spent a fortune on toys and beds, dog food. She thought she was going to get Rose, and I can’t see why she wasn’t, unless George has something to do with the dogfighting ring, which I don’t get because … he runs an animal shelter.”
Maddie had tears in her eyes.
Bull got to his feet and rounded the desk. He reached out, gripped her chin, and forced her to look at him. “Don’t blame yourself.”
“How did you know?” she asked.
“I know. I can read people. It’s not that hard, and you, you’re hurting because you feel if you had seen the signs, you would’ve been able to protect those dogs.”
“He … how … I can’t even begin to imagine what the hell he was doing,” Maddie said. “I don’t even have proof, but I just know it. When you arrived with the dogs, he looked nervous, and now, he’s freaking out. He’s complaining about funding and being shut down, and upsetting people. He’s never been like this.”
“I’ll look into it,” Bull said.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Maddie, we both know why you came to me.”
She covered her face with her hands. “I know. I know. I feel terrible. No, I shouldn’t have done this.” She got to her feet, but he grabbed her around the waist, pulling her closer to him.
He’d already intended to look into the animal shelter in more detail after Maddie had shown her suspicions a few days ago. Something had been off about that George guy. He didn’t know exactly what, but he intended to get to the bottom of it, and he was going to.
“I’m going to look into it, Maddie. They were hurting dogs on my turf. My question to you is if you want to know the truth when I find it out.”
She bit her lip and nodded.
“Fine. I don’t want you volunteering at that shelter.”
She shook her head. “No, I can’t stop. Those dogs need someone.”
He adored how passionate she was. The way she stood up for what she wanted, but there was a time and place to do it.
Her lips were too much of a temptation, and he’d been a very good boss, but his patience only went so far.
There were so many reasons for him not to kiss her, but one taste was all it took, and he couldn’t resist. Sinking his fingers into her hair, he pulled her in close and slammed his lips down on hers.
She was so soft. The silkiness of her hair felt so good, not to mention her body. He loved her curves, especially how they felt against his body. Maddie was made for him. The fullness of her tits grazed his chest, and he wanted to see more of her, to have her completely naked.
Maddie put her hands on his chest, but she didn’t push him away. Instead, she gripped the lapel of his jacket, and a slight moan escaped her lips. The sound went straight to his cock, and he wanted to take her right there on his desk. No one would disturb him. He could finally have what he’d been craving.
The sound of a knock interrupted them, and Maddie jerked away.
Her lips were swollen from his kisses. He licked his lips and gritted his teeth. “Who is it?” he asked.
“It’s Pat. I got a hit on that name,” he said. “Do you want me to come back later?”
“I should go,” Maddie said.
He didn’t remove his hands. Her body was a dream. She was made for him.
She licked her lips and wouldn’t look at him.
He let go of her hip to place a finger beneath her chin and tilt her head back. She finally looked at him with those gorgeous brown eyes of hers. Some days she wore glasses, others, she had to wear contacts. He didn’t care. When it came to Maddie, he saw her as perfect.
“This isn’t over.”
“This … I … I’m not going to stop volunteering at the animal shelter. I don’t know what shady stuff George is into, but it’s not going to scare me away.”
“I’m not talking about the animal shelter.” He already intended to put one of his prospects on surveillance of the place. George had pissed him off for the last time.