My relief left me in a shaky exhale. “You fucking assholes,” I said with a laugh.

Matt laughed, along with Evan and Kellan, and seeing their humor brightened my spirits more than being allowed on the show. We could fix this. We could fix us. All I had to do was win.

Chapter 26

We Can’t All Win

A PA led me from the judges’ room to the winners’ room. He put a hand on the door to open it and I held my breath. Please let Liam be in there too. The door swept opened and a roar of cheer met my ears as I stepped in. People were clapping me on the back, congratulating me, and someone handed me a drink as I scanned the crowd. When I spotted Liam striding my way, I let out another sigh of relief. He’d made it too. Good.

He tackled me in a bear hug when he joined me, almost spilling my beer. “Can you believe it, Griff? We both made it!”

Even though I was buzzing with energy and excitement, I gave him a nonchalant shrug after we pulled apart. “That shouldn’t surprise you. I told you we would, and as you know, I’m always right.”

He slugged my shoulder and we both started laughing.

While diligent crew members recorded everyone’s reactions to making the “team,” I noticed something strange near the doors. Sam had just walked in. Looking like an imposing fortress of bone-crushing muscle, he searched the room. When his eyes fell on me and he started heading my way, my stomach leaped into my throat. Was it the guys? Had they changed their mind about me?

I clenched my fingers into fists to stop them from shaking. Emotionless, Sam stepped in front of me and said, “Someone wants to see you outside.”

My heart sank. “It’s Matt, isn’t it? He’s still pissed at me, and he changed his mind, didn’t he?” Sam didn’t respond one way or the other and I sighed. Yep. Matt had changed his mind. Turning to Liam, I told him, “I have a bad feeling about this…If this goes south, and the guys kick me out, it’s up to you to represent the Hancock name, okay?”

Liam’s mouth dropped open. Speechless, he alternated between gaping at me and Sam. Downing the rest of my drink, I handed Liam my empty cup, then followed Kellan’s burly bodyguard outside. As we walked out the doors, I told Sam, “You know, I think I liked you better when you were bouncing at Pete’s. At least you smiled back then. And talked. And even occasionally had drinks with us. Now you’re all business, all the time. What the hell happened to you? Did Kellan buy your balls as well as your brawn?”

Once the door to the party room was closed, Sam turned to me with a cheesy grin on his face. “Shut the hell up, Griffin,” he said, then he grabbed me and hugged me. I was so shocked I couldn’t move. And I kind of couldn’t breathe either. Sam was fucking strong. “Congratulations, man,” he said, setting me down. The D-Bags just haven’t been the D-Bags without you.”

I gasped for air once I could breathe again. “I haven’t won yet, you know.”

Sam swished his hand like the rest of this contest was just a formality, and I had it in the bag. Tilting my head, I asked him, “So, it’s not Matt who wanted to see me? He’s not kicking me out?”

Smiling, Sam shook his head. He pointed down the hallway, and my eyes followed. There, looking like a goddess under the fluorescent lighting, was my wife. She was standing there with her head tilted, staring at me and chewing on her lip. For the second time today, I was taken aback by how fucking gorgeous she was. I smacked Sam on the chest with the back of my hand. “I’m gonna be a minute.”

A low rumbling laugh escaped his chest. “Yep, I know.”

I started walking her way, and my eyes roved over her body with every step I took. It was warm outside, and she was wearing shorts that were almost illegal they were so tiny. Her trim thighs were a golden honey color, and I knew they’d be smooth as silk to the touch. My dick twitched just thinking about it. Then my eyes wandered up to her chest. She was wearing a tight tank top with think straps and…fuck me…a built-in bra. Her nipples were poking through the fabric in a way that almost made my legs give out. I walked faster.

When I was almost to her, she started coming my way. We instantly melted together when we met. Her arms went around me, mine went around her, and our lips joined. Goddamn…she tasted so good.

“Congratulations,” she murmured between hungry kisses. “I knew you would make it.”

My hand ran down her back, and I groaned as I grabbed her ass. Fuck, I wanted her so much. “I’m so glad you’re here, Anna.” I meant that in every way possible—physically, emotionally, all of it. I didn’t know what I would do without her. Well, no, I did know…I’d be miserable, just like I had been the last several weeks.

Even though all I wanted to do was hold her up against the wall and drive into her over and over again, I made myself step away. She was surprised and breathless when we separated. I was struggling to breathe normally too, and I was pretty sure my cock was turning colors. It was definitely screaming at me to keep going. I ignored it though, and held her a foot away from me. “I don’t want you to think that everything is back to normal just because you came back here and stuff. I know I fucked us up when I lost everything…when I lied to you. I know I ruined what we had. And I know it will take time to repair us. I’m willing to put in that time.”

With a sigh, I smiled. God, I want to be inside her right now.

Anna smiled as she studied me. “It wasn’t you losing everything that messed us up, Griffin, and it wasn’t just the lying. It was you…deciding everything. It was you shutting me out. It was you keeping me in the dark and treating me like I didn’t matter, like my opinion didn’t matter.”