Her breasts were full, her nipples ripe. The forked tongue
snaked out and circled them causing them to worry slightly. She
gasped as the tongue traced wet lines around her chest, then
surrounded one and squeezed it firmly. Her hips arched upward,
her own desires giving her away.

“The custom of eating with utensils has been long established on
Ailouros,” he replied with a smile, “although our own eating
utensils are somewhat different from yours. I was trained in the
correct use of your own implements before I came here, of
course.”

After dinner, we took our liqueurs into the living room. Kontar
lit a cigar as he sat down on the couch and handed one to me.
“I’ll stick to cigarettes,” I said, motioning it away. “I tried
one of those once during my early teens and was sick as a dog for
a whole day.”

“That’s probably because you inhaled,” he replied. “Also, your
body wasn’t used to tobacco then. I brought these because
they’re just right for a beginner. Don’t inhale; just take it
into your throat and taste the flavor.”

I inhaled cautiously. “The flavor does have something to recom-
mend it,” I thought. I inhaled again when I felt no rumbles
portending an impending volcanic explosion from my stomach and
leaned back against Kontar’s muscular arm. I took a sip of my
cordial. I was conscious of the softly silken feeling of the fur
on his arm against my neck and of the powerful feline muscles
rippling beneath.

“Of course,” Kontar answered. “It should be obvious from last
night that I like you.”

“Why don’t you come to my place tonight?” I asked. “The accommo-
dations aren’t quite as luxurious as they are here but I have a
good job and you might find them adequate.”

“I can make it about six,” he replied. “I have an important
conference today but should be free by then.”

He rolled over and lit one of the unusual-appearing cigarettes I
had noticed earlier on the end table by his bed. He exhaled the
smoke smoothly as he offered me one. “It’s been tested and shown
to be compatible with your metabolism. At least it’s no more
harmful than the native narcotic you Earthlings smoke.”

I inhaled cautiously at first and tasted the unfamiliar spicy
tanginess as it rolled over my palate. “You seem very young to
be entrusted with the responsibility of a major trade
conference,” I remarked as I exhaled the smoke.

“Actually all the sons of the noble houses are expected to begin
taking on such responsibilities around my age,” he replied. “As
a scion of the royal house this conference would normally be
something I would have learned to handle several of your years
ago. Arranging a trade deal for your state’s meat and grain for
our mining colony on Antares IV isn’t that complicated. What I
am really here for is to set up a trade in some of your native
narcotics. Your tobacco, for instance,” he said pointing to the
pack of cigarettes lying next to my discarded clothing, “should
prove to be quite in demand among our people. It’s been shown to
be no more harmful to us than it is to you and our medical tech-
nology can forestall any damage it might do. Your marijuana and
some of your stronger drugs should turn out to be the basis of a
lucrative trade also. I’m afraid we’ll have to ban the catnip
you sometimes give your domestic cats among our people, however.
It’s been shown to set off a murderous killing frenzy in our
species and would do even more damage than it does if the user
weren’t so uncoordinated and disoriented by its effects.”

I took a final admiring sideglance at the contrast between my
wavy blond hair and his black silky fur before I made my move. I
had to look up as I spoke since he had six inches in height on
me. “Did you pick this bar for any special reason?” I asked,
trying to make my voice sound casual.