Declan promised Anne the world, then abandoned her at the altar because of an old deal. When he finds her years later, she’s engaged to another man, but Declan still considers Anne his. He’ll cheat, steal, and fight before letting her marry another man. Readers who enjoy instalove romance reads with possessive, alpha males will devour The Handshake Agreement by A. Akinosho, a steamy, age gap, second chance, fake marriage romance.
He promised her the world,
Then, abandoned her at the altar.
Anne
I’m a realist, cynical about falling in love. Until I met Declan – the rich and powerful player. With his quiet determination, he dismantled my cynicism and made me believe.
Before I know it, I’m flashing a radiant smile, dressed, and eagerly awaiting him at the altar.
Only, I got the text – “I’m not coming” – shattering my world.
Regret is a waste of time; I stand by my original convictions.
Years later, he’s back demanding a second chance, how dare he?
Declan
I shook on the agreement without hesitation because I had zero plans to marry for love. Ever.
Years later, Anne crashed into my life. I find myself craving what I thought I didn’t need or want.
Unexpectedly, the agreement I made resurfaced, presenting me with a dilemma:
Marry as agreed or Lose Anne forever.
Deal accepted, regardless of hurting Anne.
When I find Anne again, she’s engaged, far as I’m concerned, she’s still mine.
I’ll cheat, steal, and fight before I let Anne marry another.
All is fair in love and war. And this is war…hope he’s ready to fight?
The Handshake agreement is a contemporary, age gap, second chance romance with a Possessive MMC.
Excerpt
Copyright 2024 A. Akinosho
How do you keep moving when one minute you are engaged with the most beautiful ring on your finger, you are dressed in white waiting to get married to the love of your life and the next minute, he sends a fucking text to tell you he’s not coming, just when you think it’s all a joke.
He doesn’t answer your phone call or text. He has moved out of his apartment to a new place that you don’t know where and to make matter more fucked up. He’s got married to another woman within two weeks of him dumping you with a text.
A woman that I had no inclination existed but fits better than I do into his lifestyle and class.
Yinka is staring at me like she wants to bitch slap every feeling I have for him out me. The reality is I won’t retaliate if she tried and I think she has realized that is the only reason she hasn’t tried slapping me, yet.
“Eat now or god help me, I will shove this food into you, and it won’t be through your mouth.” I chuckle. I know she will do something crazy; I take a bite of the well grilled steak.
“Good, once you are fed, we need to get you laid and I don’t mean just laid. I mean the kind that would fill up your meter so much that you can’t walk the next day and best part you will forget how to spell his name.”
“I don’t think getting me so fucked that I can’t spell is a good thing.” She smacks her lip and blows me a kiss with a grin like the fact I answered back is a mountain of progress.
“You will thank me later.”
“No, I won’t and how does getting fucked heals my heart” she looks at me like I’ve completely lost my mind with that question.
“When you get blessed with a good dick, your vjayjay starts to sing and guess what? your heart starts to dance as well, that’s how the healing begins, oh ye of little faith is how the wheels of dick plus vjayjay equate happy heart keeps getting greased.” She grins at me with her crazy analogy.
“I doubt that’s how it works.”
“Of course, that’s how it works, you don’t know, until you’ve received the baptism of a good dick” I laugh. The first since God know how long “But first, we need to pawn that very expensive ring, then we go and shop on every dollar we get for it. Maybe a weekend vacay?” She flashes her perfect white teeth.
“No, I want to return it to him” she gives me an incredulous look. Then looks around our surroundings to make sure no one heard the blasphemous word I just uttered.
“You can’t possibly be serious; we need to fucking sell that shit.” Her sly eyes right now would make a perfect meme of ‘are you for real.’
“I want to return it in person, I want to look him in the eye when I give it back. He has avoided my calls and texts. He moved out of his apartment…” I stop, fighting the emotions that has turned me into waterworks.
“Yeah, because he got married boo.”
“I’ll return it. I’m not keeping it and no” I firmly stare her down “I’m not selling it.”
“Fine, since you insist, we should do it today because if that thing goes back to our apartment. I guarantee you’ll never find it again” I laugh, and I believe her, she’s crazy enough to steal it or pawn it, then take me shopping on every dime.
“Today it is, then I move on with my life. Guess, letting go of the ring is the first step.”
“Please, tell me, step two is me hearing your screams or the earthquake shaking of your bed” I present an amused face to her.
“No, step two, is me deleting his number and emails so I can stop calling him like an idiot or an insane person that keeps calling and expecting answer when it’s clear I’m never getting an answer.” I take a bite of the steak.
“Okay, I can accept your step two but please three should be a dick baptism” I laugh.
“No step three, we party like it’s 1999.” Her eyes lit up, with a wide smile plastered on her face.
“Yep, I’m down with that, then we get you laid.”
“Please leave my vjayjay alone.” I smirk.
About A. Akinosho
A. Akinosho lives in her own little nest in Illinois. An avid reader and enjoy reading thrillers, suspense and romance novels (partial to romance genre). When she’s not reading or keeping up with life, she enjoys writing and creating twists to stories. She loves writing about diverse characters, friendship and overcoming challenges through what is perceived as a weakness.
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