Accepted with thanks by a boy (5)
I believe the answer is:
taken
'accepted' is the definition.
(taking is a kind of accepting)
'thanks by a boy' is the wordplay.
'thanks' becomes 'ta' (UK informal version of 'thank you').
'by' says to put letters next to each other.
'a boy' becomes 'ken' (man's name).
'ta'+'ken'='TAKEN'
'with' is the link.
(Other definitions for taken that I've seen before include "Stolen; occupied" , "Removed (from a place)" , "Transported" , "This is spoken for" , "Kidnapped" .)