Article is probing hero’s love affair (7)
I believe the answer is:
liaison
'love affair' is the definition.
'article is probing hero's' is the wordplay.
'article' becomes 'a' (indefinite article).
'probing' is an insertion indicator (probe can mean to make a hole in).
'hero' becomes 'lion'.
'a'+'is'='ais'
'ais' going within 'lion' is 'LIAISON'.
(Other definitions for liaison that I've seen before include "Secretive affair" , "Go-between" , "Binding agent of a sauce; secret relationship" , "Contact between groups" , "Association" .)