A Whisper of Sin by Nalini Singh

baby was a squalling ball of red-faced anger, and Jet was grinning like a fool.
    â€œWhat’re you going to call her?” Ria asked after everyone had piled into the room and reassured themselves that both mother and baby were fine.
    â€œJoy,” Jet said, touching one gentle finger to the baby’s cheek. “That’s what she is—our Joy.”
    â€œIt’s a beautiful name.”
    â€œYeah. Amber wants to use Nana’s name as a middle name.” He drifted to his wife’s side as if drawn there, curling his hand around hers. Though her face was lined with tiredness, Amber smiled. “Hey you.”
    Ria began to nudge everyone out of the room.
    Half an hour later, Emmett used Simon’s car to drop off Amber’s parents, along with Alex and Miaoling, since none of them were in any condition to drive, before returning to pick up Ria and her father. Simon got into the passenger seat, as Ria slid into the back. Emmett could feel the older man’s focus on him as they drove and it was no surprise to hear Simon say, “Ri, go inside. We’ll be in in a moment.”
    Ria looked from one man to the other. Emmett shook his head in a slight negative when she went to open her mouth. Pursing her lips, she got out and entered the house. Emmett glanced at Simon. “I’ll take care of her.”
    â€œShe’s special,” Simon said, looking him straight in the eye. “We lost a baby girl to a late-pregnancy miscarriage a year after Jet was born. We weren’t the same after . . . but then Ria came. She healed us. She’s our heart.”
    Emmett nodded, fully comprehending the sheer depth of everyone’s terror at the hospital tonight. “I understand.” And he did. Because she was his heartbeat, too.
    A pause. Then Simon opened the door and got out. “I’ll send Ria to you. Save you sneaking up the wall.”
    Emmett winced. “Um . . .”
    Simon’s lips curved. “Ask me sometime about how I used to get into Alex’s room when we were high school students.”
    Emmett was still grinning when Ria slid into the passenger seat. Before she could say anything, he started up the engine again. “Think your dad would mind if we took the car for a spin?”
    â€œNo, but where are we going?”
    â€œFor a little ride.” Putting the vehicle into hover-drive, he took them out of the city, and through the red arches of the bridge that had been there so long, the world couldn’t imagine San Francisco without it.
    Ria sat back, releasing a sigh. “I’m so glad everyone’s okay.”
    â€œEven me?”
    â€œEven the idiot who got himself shot up when I specifically told him not to.”
    The leopard batted playfully at her sharp response, delighted by her. “Just checking.” Passing the main lookout on the other side of the bridge, he drove up a “secret” route that all the high schoolers knew about.
    â€œHey, where does this go?” She twisted around. “I’ve never been up here.”
    â€œMink, you must’ve been one hell of a good kid.”
    â€œI admit my nerdiness with pride.” She made a choked up sound of surprise when she saw four other cars parked at the top, all of them a good distance from each other. “You brought us to a make-out spot?”
    â€œHow else was I supposed to get my hands on you?” Parking the car at the end of the dirt lot, he slid away the manual controls, then reached over and undid Ria’s safety belt. “Come here.”
    Laughter danced in her eyes as she shifted over to straddle him, knees on the seat on either side of his thighs. “We are not making out in my parents’ car.”
    â€œYes, we are. That’s the rule. You think those kids own those cars?” He nodded out the window. “Exactly.”
    Ria’s smile softened, grew serious. “I was so scared for you,