Page 55 of Devaney's Doctor Daddy

“This spanking isn’t a punishment. Not at all. It’s just to help your brain get rewired so you know for absolutely sure that keeping secrets from me isn’t helpful. You’re not bothering me, ever, and you’ll just hurt my feelings by keeping things from me. Part of being a good girl is to not just show me shiny happy Devy all the time. I love you in the sunshine but I’ll love you in the rain too. You just have to let me.”

She nodded into his shoulder, inhaled a breath that sounded close to a sob, and he gave her another squeeze.

“I’ll tell you what a good girl you are during your spanking too because I want you to get the right message. I don't want to do any harm although you might have a bruised and sore bottom for a few days. This isn’t about making you good, it’s about helping you be just a tiny bit better. You’re already so much better than good enough, you understand me? Such a good, good girl.”

There was a sniffle and his heart skipped. He hadn’t mean to upset her—he’d meant to reassure her.Way to completely fuck that up, Southerland. What the fuck? Girl asks for comfort and you make her cry.Hudson should take away his daddy license.

As much as he loved holding her, he had to pry her away so he could see her, understand what was going on behind that pretty face of hers.

“Devy baby. What’s the matter? I didn’t mean to make you cry, buttercup, that was supposed to make you feel good.”

“It—it did,” she said, haltingly, fat tears rolling down her pink-splotched cheeks. “I just didn’t know how much I needed to hear it.”

“Oh, sweet girl.” Eric enfolded her in his arms again, pulling her as close as he could without suffocating her. “I’ll tell you over and over and over, however many times you need to hear it. You’re my good girl.”

He knew she’d cry while he spanked her—he’d make sure of it—but he hadn’t expected her to burst into tears before. That was alright—he hadn’t been lying when he said he’d give her whatever she needed.

It was a compliment, really, to have her weeping on his shoulder, letting her emotions pour out of her because he was certain she wouldn’t have given this to Carter. No, that fucker was one of the people who’d forced her to build those walls of tight smiles and “everything’s fine” and independence to the point of self-destruction. Devy was blessing him by letting him see not just the fair weather but the storm too, just like he’d told her he wanted.

He held her and rocked her gently until her crying subsided, and when she peeled herself away to sniffle and rub at her nose, she looked at him, embarrassed and apologetic. "Sorry about that.”

“Don’t be. This is exactly what I’m talking about. I don’t like to see you cry because it means you’re upset, but it does mean a lot that you’ll let me see you cry. Does that make sense?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“See? There’s my bright girl.”

He kissed away her tears, savoring the taste of the salt on her skin, the way she allowed him to comfort her.

Eric had known for a while now that she was the one for him, but this just added another layer of certainty. Especially when after a while Devy took a deep breath and looked at him with those luminous, earnest eyes, screwing up her courage, and told him, “I’m ready now, Daddy.”

---