His grandmother decided enough with chasing women and threw down the proverbial gauntlet -- that he get married before her next birthday or else. Losing control of Harwell Genetics was something Ethan just couldn't face. It was much more than just a research pharmaceutical company, it was the only means to hopefully finding a way to prevent future generations of Hartwell's from inheriting a life threatening gene. The beneficiary would switch to a foundation dear to his grandmother and just thinking about it brought back memories of an amazing woman he'd had a one night fling with after a fundraising event.

For Sloane her little fling with the very wealthy Ethan was something she would never forget. He'd made her feel rather important and the two had shared more than just sexual intimacies even though each was fully aware that there was no future for them. Just a really incredible night -- the kind dreams are made of -- and where sometimes babies are created. However the foundation thought fraternizing with a known playboy in front of potential donors made her a less valued employee, and so here she was unemployed and about 2 months pregnant with little options. So you can imagine her surprise when Ethan appears at her door originally to see if they could spend time together and if the sparks of that evening were something to build on. He never expected to discover that this same woman who had remained in his thoughts all this time would be carrying his child but then again accidents were known to happen. But this child would carry the Hartwell genes and Ethan quickly realizes that could be potentially a disaster for all of them.

All Sloane could think about is that this suave charming man had just proposed marriage because in his own words she wouldn't get a better offer. But Ethan wasn't being forthright in why he proposed. And Sloane's past as a foster child made her cautious concerning any possibility that this lifelong bachelor would change his ways and be there for both her and their unborn child. So they set upon a plan to spend time together chastely. This would give Sloane time to see if Ethan was seriously intending to have a real marriage. Unbeknownst to Sloane, this would also give Ethan the time to see the results of not only a paternity test but a genetic screening. How they would view the results of the screening would be the ultimate test of their relationship.

Klasky's story hinges on the viability of a marriage that has to deal with health issues of any children created. Hard enough for a marriage to survive under the best conditions but what chance does one have entered into for all the wrong reasons?