" I’m sorry I turned this evening into such a disaster.”
“Hey, stop trying to usurp all the credit. We all did our part to make this evening as uncomfortable as possible.” He smiled, but it was another sad effort. I pulled his head down and kissed his cheek to show him that all—all—was forgiven. “I mean it, Taro. None of us can be proud of our behavior tonight. Don’t be thinking you deserve special punishment. And don’t be too wild tonight. All right? Take care.”
He looked down at me curiously, but I could see he was relaxing a little. The lines of tension about his form were easing slightly. I wasn’t sure why, but it was good to see. “Lee, what do you think I do when I’m not with you?” And he grinned, something closer to his usual self. I could have hugged him.
“I don’t think about it,” I said. Major lie.
“I don’t participate in orgies, you know.”
“Of course not.” Actually, that was a shocker. I would have bet money that he did. Though, really, I didn’t tend to think about it. Much. But what was the point of being the Stallion if you didn’t indulge in indiscriminate sex?
“I don’t smoke drugs.”
“I never thought for a moment that you did.” And that was the honest truth.
“I don’t get smashed and hijack public carriages and get . . . smashed.”
Hell, I never even considered that possibility. People did that? That explained some of the driving I had seen. Was that legal?
He chuckled, the evil bastard. “Take a look in the mirror, gorgeous.”
“Huh?”
“Have a good evening, darling. Pass my apologies on to your mother.” With a wink and a graceful turn he grabbed up his cloak and was out the door.
I pulled in a long breath and blew it out again. What a hellish evening. Should have known that would happen when it turned out I needed so much work to be considered acceptable. Anything you couldn’t do as yourself was likely to blow up in your face. "

― , The Hero Strikes Back (Hero, #2)