Just One Fling

Harrison Dare stepped into the ballroom at the Meridian NYC Hotel, which was heavily decorated for Halloween. He scanned the room, telling himself he was admiring the decor and not looking for the elusive woman he couldn't get out of his head. Winter Capwell, a brilliant reporter and a sexy siren in one delectable package. They'd met at his company's Hampton offices this past summer for an in-depth interview with the K Talent Productions team. The sparks had been immediate and hot. He hadn't felt that kind of connection with anyone before. Not even with Sharon McNally, his one-time girlfriend, a woman with whom he thought he'd had a future. Instead, she'd used him for his Hollywood connections, betrayed him, and taught him the value of no emotional entanglements. She shook off those memories and returned to thinking about Winter. They'd tried to keep things professional, but their chemistry had been too strong to ignore. Add in the fact that she'd asked him many personal questions. And since they'd spent so much time together, in bed and out, a part of him felt like he'd revealed things to Winter, the woman, not the reporter. He knew better, of course, and had kept his head when answering, giving her the practiced answers necessary to keep his privacy. For a man who liked no strings, Winter had seemed like the ideal woman. She hadn't been interested in a relationship any more than he had. And they'd agreed to keep things casual while she was in the Hamptons interviewing his team this past summer. It was perfect. She was perfect, a hookup that was nothing more than a warm body in his bed. He told himself she would satisfy a need, the same as any other female he'd been involved with in the past. Except Winter had quickly become more, and Harrison didn't know what to make of that. True, his siblings were settling down, with the exception of Zack. But Harrison had ruled out marriage and kids for himself. Any thoughts of having his own family had been derailed by the girlfriend he'd hoped to propose to. Sharon had no problems with the notion of using the casting couch to secure better roles, despite having a serious boyfriend at the time. Winter had come into his life, and she'd been an unexpected treat. But he'd kept to the plan, and their time together came to an end when the interview had. These days, Harrison's production work kept him busy, as did his large family, most of whom would be here tonight.