“I’ll talk to you the whole flight.”
“It’s eight hours, Daddy!”
He smiles. “I know. I’ve flown this route a few times.”
I laugh nervously. “I suppose you have.”
“We’ll be together again soon,” he promises. “My next trip to the UK is in two weeks.”
“Soon,” I echo. Two weeks is no time at all.
He kisses my forehead. “You need to go.”
I take a deep breath. “I love you, Daddy.”
He widens his eyes and then smiles and pulls me to him. “I love you too, baby. See you soon.”
He gives me a lingering kiss, and then I tear myself away from him and join the security line.
As promised, he calls me as soon as I’m through security. We talk until I’m on the plane, reassuring me until I have to switch my phone off for takeoff. Once I’m in the air, we text-chat online. Emmet is so sweet, I could cry. His constant online presence keeps me grounded and calm during the flight. When we land, he sends a stream of praise that makes my knees weak. He really is the perfect Daddy for me. And I’m his boy.
Chapter Twelve
Emmet
Over the next few months, we see each other as often as possible, which isn’t often enough. I travel to the UK for work once a month. If I can, I arrange to be there leading into a weekend, which I then spend with Ty. He shows me around London, his hometown, and introduces me to his parents and friends. His parents make me feel like part of the family, accepting me without reservation despite the whirlwind nature of my and Ty’s initial meeting and the age gap between us. Before Ty’s birthday, his mom emails me to see if I can visit. She wants to take us out for a meal to celebrate. She also gives me some present ideas, though I don’t need them. I book a vacation straight after a business trip, so I can spend more time in the UK. After we’ve done the family thing, I treat him to a night in a posh hotel with a couple’s massage.
“You spoil me, Daddy,” he says, as we lie in bed, utterly relaxed from the massage.
“I enjoy it, baby.”
At Christmas, Ty is brave enough to fly to New York, so we can spend a few days together, during which time I introduce him to my parents. They love him, which isn’t surprising considering how wonderful he is. Mom drops veiled hints about marriage. I don’t shut them down. Nor does Ty. Every time the subject is mentioned, he gazes at me, blushing adorably.
Whenever we’re together, we love passionately, and every parting gets harder. The rest of the time, we keep in touch via messages, phone calls, and video calls, which is tricky given the five-hour time difference, and even worse when I have to go to Sydney. By the time I’m in my hotel room, he’s at work. When he’s home from work, it’s the middle of the night in Sydney. We have to make do with rushed phone calls during his lunch break, which is less than ideal. Even when we have longer, touching his face on the cold computer screen isn’t the same as stroking his soft skin. I can’t kiss pixels or hold them in my arms. This thing between us might have started as a passionate fling, but now it’s so much more. I am deeply and truly in love with Ty.
“I asked my boss if he can send me to the UK more often,” I say during a video call.
It’s a damp morning in New York. The weather isn’t any better in the UK.
Ty’s eyes light up with excitement. “Can he?”
“He said he’d try. I can’t get out of the Sydney trips, though.”
Ty grazes his fingers over his laptop screen. “I wish I could visit you more often, Daddy.” He rolls his eyes. “I wish I could visit you at all, but between my fear of flying and the cost of the flights and—” He takes a deep breath. “Mum suggested hypnosis.”
“Hypnosis?”
“Yeah. To get over my fear of flying. It won’t help with funding flights. If anything, it’ll take me even longer to save upfor plane tickets because I’ll be paying for the hypnosis sessions, but… what do you think?”
“I think trying to overcome your fear is a great idea.” I wish I could hold him. “Let me pay.”
He shakes his head. “No, Daddy. I couldn’t ask you to do that. It’s too much.”
“You’re not asking, I’m offering.”
He pinches his lips together. “Daddy?—”
“Half,” I offer, by way of a concession. “Let me pay half of the fees, baby.”
