After a minute, he managed to pull himself up off the floor and sat on the couch with his elbows on his knees, head resting in his hands. As his brain slowly emerged from the fog of sleep, he played back the events of last night that had ultimately led to him sleeping on the couch.
At the time, it had appeared to be a brilliantly strategic move. After several long, hot kisses, he had no doubt Maggie had been tempted to give in to her desires and join him in bed. But no, Connor had decided that rather than moving in for the kill, he would leave her wanting more. His theory, which clearly needed work, was that with any luck, tonight she would be seducing him instead of the other way around.
It had seemed like such a smart idea at the time.
“Idiot,” he muttered, scratching his head. “How’s that strategy working out for you?” Cursing under his breath, he gathered up the blanket and pillow off the couch.
He entered the bedroom and found Maggie sound asleep. So she was still enjoying a restful night’s sleep while he was wide awake and whining in misery. Glaring at her, all peaceful and snug in their comfortable bed, Connor vowed that it wouldn’t happen again. There was no way he was sleeping anywhere else tonight but in this bed—with Maggie tucked in right next to him.
He quietly rummaged around in one of the drawers until he found his gym shorts and sneakers and slipped them on, then took off for a bracing run along the boardwalk.
Halfway through the run, despite his determination to take in the crisp ocean breezes and enjoy the clear blue sky, he caught himself grumbling again. Uttering a succinct oath, he forced himself to shove the surly thoughts away and look on the bright side. So maybe last night hadn’t gone exactly according to plan. It didn’t matter. He was a patient man and he knew he would have Maggie in his bed soon. He’d stoked not only his fire, but hers, as well. She might’ve slept soundly but he was willing to bet he’d been a major player in her dreams.
Tonight, it was going to be different. He had all day to convince her that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. Maybe more.
Grinning now, he thought about Maggie and how she’d nearly succumbed to her own needs last night. It wouldn’t take much to bring her to that point again. Hell, he loved a good challenge and she was nothing if not challenging.
He would prevail, of that he had no doubt. And with that happy thought in mind, he jogged back to the hotel to take a shower and get ready for the long day ahead.
* * *
Maggie heard the suite door close and checked the bedside clock. Connor had mentioned the night before that he might go running this morning, so Maggie figured she had at least a half hour to get ready for the day. She jumped out of bed and took a quick shower, then dried her hair and dressed in black pants and a deep burgundy sweater. She slipped her feet into a comfortable but attractive pair of flats because she had no intention of walking around the convention floor all day in heels. If Connor insisted that she dress up for dinner, she would come upstairs and change into her killer pumps. Otherwise, she was going for comfort.
Last week he’d made it clear that their week would be more business-oriented than fun-filled, so she shouldn’t be bothered to pack any blue jeans or work boots to wear this week. She mused that it should’ve bugged the heck out of her that Connor had dared to tell her what to wear, but after he’d explained what they’d be doing, it made sense.
But she’d still slipped one old pair of jeans and sneakers into her suitcase, on the off chance that she’d have some time by herself during the week.
The good news was that Connor would be forced to suffer in his business attire as much as she would, since, based on everything she knew about him, he lived in denim work shirts and blue jeans every day, too.