Rocked by Love: Jillian Braden (A Braden - Bad Boys After Dark Crossover Novel)
Rocked by
Love
The Bradens & Montgomerys
(Pleasant Hill – Oak Falls)
Love in Bloom Series
Melissa Foster
This is a work of fiction. The events and characters described herein are imaginary and are not intended to refer to specific places or living persons. The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher. The author has represented and warranted full ownership and/or legal right to publish all the materials in this book.
ROCKED BY LOVE
All Rights Reserved.
Copyright © 2023 Melissa Foster
V1.0
Kindle Edition
This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Cover Design: Elizabeth Mackey Designs
Cover Photography: Wander Aguiar Photography
WORLD LITERARY PRESS
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
A Note to Readers
About the Love in Bloom Big-Family Romance Collection
Braden Family Tree
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
About Falling for Mr. Bad
About For the Love of Whiskey
About The Wicked Truth
About Seaside Dreams
New to the Love in Bloom series?
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Acknowledgments
Meet Melissa
A Note to Readers
Jillian Braden has waited a long time to find her forever love, and I knew she would need a strong hero who would appreciate her creative mind and strong personality and who wouldn’t try to change her. Johnny Bad did not let me down. He is as strong as he is big-hearted, with a secret penchant for romance that I don’t think he even knew he had. I don’t want to give away spoilers, so I’ll just say that I’m not sure any of us were prepared for the challenges they face, and I’m thrilled to give them their happily ever after. I adore their story, and I hope you will fall as desperately in love with them as I have.
For my avid fans who have been asking for more stories featuring more Bads (Bad Boys After Dark), I will answer the burning question. Yes, each of Johnny’s siblings will be getting their own story. At the end of this book you’ll find a preorder for Johnny’s brother, Kane, and Sable Montgomery’s story, FALLING FOR MR. BAD. Aria’s and Harlow’s stories are forthcoming.
If this is your first Love in Bloom book, all my love stories are written to stand alone, so dive in and enjoy the fun, sexy ride. You will find a Braden family tree included in the front matter of this book.
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About the Love in Bloom Big-Family Romance Collection
The Bradens & Montgomerys is just one of the series in the Love in Bloom big-family romance collection. Each Love in Bloom book is written to be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel or as part of the larger series, and characters from each series make appearances in future books, so you never miss an engagement, wedding, or birth. A complete list of all series titles is included at the end of this book, along with previews of upcoming publications.
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Chapter One
“ARE YOU FREAKING kidding me? He’s canceling our meeting again? It’s literally in twenty minutes. I’ve got a car waiting,” Jillian Braden fumed into her cell phone to her cousin Victoria, aka Victory in the entertainment world. Victoria owned Blank Space Entertainment, and she was the agent who represented rock star Johnny Bad and his band, Bad Intentions. “Does Johnny have any idea how hard it was for me to clear my schedule for two weeks at the last minute and come to New York City? Dick called me three days ago and said this was the only time Johnny could set aside to work with me.” Dick Waller was Johnny’s manager. He’d hired Jillian, a sought-after fashion designer whose designs had graced the covers of the most prominent fashion magazines, been worn on red carpets, and commissioned by the wealthiest of women, to design the band’s tour wardrobe to promote their latest album, Brutally Bad. “Why isn’t Dick dropping this bomb? Why does he always have you do his dirty work? Isn’t there some rule in your industry about not using family in this way? He doesn’t even work for Blank Space.”
“Don’t get me started on Dick,” Victoria said, exasperated. “I’m sorry this happened again, and Johnny is fully aware of how busy you are. Believe me, if there were any way around this, he wouldn’t be canceling the tour or your meeting.”
Jillian scoffed. “Sorry, Vic, but I don’t believe that for a second. Johnny is an arrogant, self-centered ass, and I have no idea why I’ve put up with his bullshit for all this time.” She needed to be jerked around by an arrogant rock star like she needed a hole in her head, but creating a wardrobe for a famed musician and his band would be a huge boon for her business, and working with rock stars had always been a dream of hers. A dream she was now regretting. “You know I put off the launch of my new Wanderlust line for the past year because of this opportunity. He’s canceled the tour and put me off three times. I realize that makes me an idiot for accepting each of the contracts, but I really wanted to believe you every time when you said he had his shit together.” It hadn’t hurt that Dick had come groveling with a new, higher-paying contract and raving about Johnny only wanting her to handle his wardrobe, which made no sense since she was known as a women’s designer, but she’d clung to that brass ring for all she was worth.
“He did have his shit together. It just keeps falling apart.”
Jillian rolled her eyes. “What’s his excuse this time? He’s having too much fun with his Baddies and doesn’t want the fun
to end?” Johnny’s female fans called themselves Baddies. She’d heard he’d dumped his long-term model girlfriend last year. He was probably making up for lost time with a handful of groupies.
“You know I can’t divulge his reasons, but he wouldn’t cancel for that.”
“For a man with an entourage, he sure has a lot of issues. I should have walked away the first time he canceled.” She’d heard that Johnny was hard to work with, but she’d grown up with five loud, opinionated brothers, and she’d never met a man she couldn’t handle.
“I know how much this sucks, Jilly, and I’ll make sure you’re compensated.”
“Oh, he’s going to pay, all right. But I want to look him in the eye and tell him exactly what I think of him wasting my time like this, and then I’m going to tell him he can shove his tour wardrobe where the sun doesn’t shine.” She snagged her room key and clutch from the table and stalked toward the door.
“Jillian, I know you’re mad and rightly so. But he’s got a lot going on. At least give him time to fill in his team on the cancelation.”
A grin slid into place as she realized her luck. “I’ll give him the same courtesy he’s given me. Thanks for calling, Vic. I appreciate the heads-up.” She ended the call and stalked out the door. By the time she was done with Johnny Freaking Butthead, he’d think twice about disregarding anyone’s time ever again. She headed out of the hotel and into the waiting car. The sooner she got this over with, the sooner she could get home to Maryland and back to her life.
JILLIAN CLIMBED OUT of the car and pushed past a mob of photographers in front of Johnny’s building, hoping Mr. Butthead hadn’t yet told the doorman he was no longer expecting her. “Jillian Braden. I have a meeting with Johnny Bad.”
“Yes, ma’am.” The doorman gave her directions to the elevator that serviced the penthouse.
“Thank you.” She breathed a sigh of relief and made her way to the elevator, knowing there was a good chance the bodyguard Johnny’s manager had mentioned would be manning it had probably been notified of the cancelation.
The mountainous man had cold black eyes and looked like he was chewing on glass, but his emotionless eyes trailed down her sleek, curve-hugging white sleeveless sheath. The dress was part of her Multifarious line and had a black abstract design and a splash of vibrant blue, yellow, and pink just below the hips. It was edgy, classy, and just sexy enough to show that she knew she had magnificent assets but didn’t need to flaunt them. Based on the interest flickering in Mr. Serious’s eyes, she’d chosen perfectly.
“Good morning. I’m Jillian Braden. Mr. Bad is expecting me.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m afraid I need to see some identification.”
“Do I look like a groupie to you?” She fished out her wallet.
“Groupies come in all shapes and sizes.”
She handed him her driver’s license. “I bet they don’t show up in five-hundred-dollar dresses that they designed.”
“You’d be surprised.” He glanced at the license and then at her as he handed it back and stepped aside, allowing her into the elevator.
“Black suits for bodyguards are overdone,” she said with a cutting edge, her annoyance getting the best of her. “Tell your employer he can do better.”
She rode up to the penthouse alone, her heart slamming against her ribs. The doors opened directly into the suite, and there in the massive living room was the famed rock star, with his dark hair messy, wearing low-slung jeans and a tight T-shirt, pacing as he barked into his cell phone.
Buckle up, bad boy. It’s your turn to be barked at. Squaring her shoulders, Jillian stalked toward the man who had already stolen far too much of her time.
“KANE’S ON IT, and he’ll be in touch.” Johnny ended the conference call with his bandmates and turned around just as a hot burgundy-haired chick wearing sky-high heels and a deadly scowl nearly barreled into him.
“Who the hell do you think you are, demanding I show up in New York for two weeks to design your wardrobe and then putting me off for a third time?” she seethed. “I have news for you, Mr. Bad Manners: I am done with your arrogant, self-centered business practices. I don’t care how much money your manager waves at me or if working with you would put my name at the top of the music-fashion industry. Nothing is worth the way you have continuously disregarded and devalued my time.”
Johnny’s mind was reeling. He’d fired his thieving, liar of a manager two hours ago, when the onslaught of Dick’s misdoings had upended his life. “Who the fuck are you?”
Her eyes narrowed, shooting daggers. “Did you not hear a word I said about designing your wardrobe? Does Jillian Braden ring a bell?”
“Jesus. Victory was supposed to call you. I’m sorry, but I don’t have time for this right now.”
“You don’t have time to explain yourself after you’ve wasted my time for an entire year?”
The bathroom door opened, and his eyes darted to Zoey, the disgruntled teen scowling at him from across the room, clutching her cell phone as she said, “This has been exhausting. Are you at least going to feed me now?”
Jillian’s jaw dropped, and if he thought she was throwing visual daggers before, now she was breathing fire, too. “Are you kidding me? She can’t be more than fourteen. You’re not just an asshole—you’re disgusting.”
Zoey smirked and crossed her arms, amusement dancing in her eyes.
Christ. Could his life get any worse? He pointed at Zoey. “Don’t say another word.” He grabbed the dragon woman’s arm and tugged her to the side of the room, lowering his voice. “You need to sign a new NDA.”
“I will do no such thing,” she snapped. “I’m not hiding your sick proclivity for young girls.”
“I don’t have a fucking proclivity for young girls,” he snarled as the elevator doors opened and his brother, Kane, strode in. “She might be my daughter, and I can’t afford for the media to get wind of this, so you’re not leaving here until you sign a new NDA.”
“Too late for that, little brother. Your hotel is already surrounded by paparazzi.” Kane’s jet-black hair was slicked back, his beard trimmed, and his neck tattoos peeked out above the collar of his dress shirt. A self-made billionaire, he was the first person Johnny had called after firing Dick. Kane owned businesses and properties up and down the East Coast, and he had agreed to step in to save Johnny’s ass and take over as his manager. “TMZ’s headline is JOHNNY BAD’S SECRET LOVE CHILD REVEALED. They’ve got copies of a DNA report that was done when Zoey Elizabeth Conrad was four days old. Mick is verifying that as we speak.” Their cousin Mick Bad was Johnny’s lawyer. They’d been through more than a handful of false paternity claims.
My daughter. Holy fuck. Johnny could barely keep his own life in check. How was he supposed to be a parent? How was he going to break this to his parents? They didn’t need more stress in their lives, and what the hell was he going to do with a teenage girl? He knew nothing about teenage girls, other than they’d been all over him when he was a teenager.
Johnny, and an equally shocked Jillian, looked accusatorily at Zoey.
Zoey rolled her eyes. “Don’t look at me. I didn’t even know you were my father until a couple of hours ago. It was probably my mother, and I bet she got paid a lot of money to spill the beans about the daughter she never wanted. But good luck finding her. I’m sure she’s long gone by now. She’s not one to stick around. She spends all her time following bands around the country.”
“I’ve got guys on it. They’ll find her,” Kane said.
“Just give me some cash, and I’ll get out of your hair,” Zoey said sharply.
“Where will you go?” Jillian asked as Johnny’s phone rang.
Zoey shrugged. “Anywhere but here.”
“You’re not leaving.” Johnny pulled out his phone and saw the name of his PR rep, Shea Steele, on the screen. He put the phone to his ear. “Yeah?”
“You’ve got to get out of town. Someone tipped off TMZ. Social media is blowing up
.”
“I heard, but what am I going to do with the kid? Where the fuck am I supposed to go?”
As Shea told him to take Zoey with him, Jillian seethed, “Language. There’s a teenage girl in the room.”
“Yeah, watch your fucking language,” Zoey said.
“Hey,” Jillian snapped, glowering at her, earning another eye roll from Zoey.
Shea was going on about making a statement asking the public to respect their privacy, but Johnny had missed whatever else she’d said. “The statement is fine.”
“Johnny, not to add more pressure, but the music awards are only two months away. With Brutally Bad up for Best Album of the Year, this kind of media attention can go either way,” Shea warned.
“Yeah, I’m on it. I’ll be in touch when I figure out where we’re going.” He ended the call, more than a little worried about being in charge of a teenage girl. He needed help, but the likely candidates weren’t options. His sister Harlow, an actress in LA, would only bring more attention to them, his youngest sister, Aria, had social anxiety and didn’t fly, and his parents had enough on their plates with his mother’s most recent battle with cancer. He was screwed.
He turned to Kane, wishing he could get him to go with them, but Kane had to manage the fallout from firing Dick. “I’ve got to get her out of here. Can we use your helicopter and possibly your plane?”
“You bet. The helicopter can land on the roof, and I’ll distract the media while you take off.” Kane pulled out his phone.
“Getting out of here sounds like a stellar idea.” Jillian headed for the door.
“You can’t leave me alone with him,” Zoey whined. She stalked over and linked her arm with Jillian’s. “I’m not going unless she goes.”
“What?” Jillian’s eyes widened, pulling her arm free. “Why? You don’t even know me.”
“I don’t know them, either, and at least you’re a girl,” Zoey insisted.
Jillian’s expression softened. “Don’t you have relatives you can stay with?”