Probably!
‘Why do I get the feeling I’m in for a rather full day?’ he asked, after she’d given him directions. ‘We don’t have to do everything today; we can save something for tomorrow.’
‘You expect me to entertain youtwodays in a row? I do have other things to do, you know.’
‘Yes, of course. Sorry. Thank you for taking time out today.’
She shot him a glance to see if he was being sarcastic, but he seemed genuine. Relenting, she said, ‘If we don’t cover it all today, we’ll go out again another day, if that’s what you want.’ Actually, it was whatshewanted. The thought of spending another day in his company was rather exciting. It was also worryingbecauseshe found it exciting. Too much excitement when it came to this man wouldn’t be good for her – and she had a feeling she could get very excited indeed.
Oh, dear, I must stop thinking of him that way.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t help it because he was so damned sexy. And she was starting to like him again – a fatal combination. Deciding she’d better concentrate on something other than her growing desire, Giselle took to pointing out things of interest as they travelled along the A855 towards the falls.
‘Slow down here,’ she instructed, ‘and look to your left.’
Rocco slowed and glanced out of the window, then quickly turned his attention back to the road.
‘Pretty,’ he said, risking another look.
‘That’s the Bride’s Veil Fall, so called because it resembles a white veil flowing over the rocks.’
‘So it does,’ he agreed after yet another look.
‘And up there is the mountain known as The Old Man of Storr. It’s the remains of a volcanic plug of rock formed during the Jurassic period, and it got its name because its outline looks like an old man. I’ve never been able to see it myself,’ she added, wishing she didn’t sound like a badly scripted tour guide as they drove past the glowering basalt pinnacle.
She fell silent for a while, letting the scenery speak for itself as the car ate up the miles. Being without transport meant she rarely ventured far from Duncoorie, and she was enjoying the novelty of this excursion almost as much as she was enjoying being in Rocco’s company.
It was a glorious day: blue sky, a smattering of white fluffy clouds, cobalt sea, with the misty Isle of Rona in the distance on the one side and the brooding mountains on the other.
‘Pull over,’ she instructed, pointing to a layby, and Rocco swung the car off the road and brought it to a halt.
Giselle scrambled out, glad of an excuse to put some distance between them, even if it was only for a minute or two.
Looking back the way they’d come, she said, ‘That’s Storr. You can see it better from here. It takes about an hour to hike to the top. And that there—’ she pointed ‘—is the island of Rona, and beyond it, Raasay. Lealt Falls is a couple of miles in that direction.’
Rocco was gazing into the distance. ‘The scenery here is stunning.’
‘It is that,’ she agreed.
He took several deep breaths. ‘The air is so clean and fresh.’
‘We’ve got a bit of a northerly breeze going on just now, so it’s coming all the way from Greenland.’ The sun might be shining, but it was a bit parky, and she shivered. Then immediately stiffened when Rocco put his arm around her.
‘I’ve got a spare fleece in the car, if you’re cold,’ he told her.
‘Och, I’m fine,’ she replied in a high-pitched squeak. ‘Shall we get going? It’s still early yet. The day will soon warm up.’
It was warming up already, she thought, as her cheeks began to glow, and when he released her, her disappointment was acute. Being held by him, however briefly, had felt so good.
After they’d got back in the car, Giselle studiously not looking at him in the hope that her flushed cheeks would calm down, it only took a minute or so to arrive at the falls.
‘We’re here,’ she said, instructing him to pull into a small parking area that already had several cars in it. The waterfall wasn’t visible from the road, and if it wasn’t for a wooden viewing platform jutting out from the side of the hill, there’d be little indication of anything worth seeing.
Miraculously, the platform was empty of people and Giselle skipped to the end, Rocco following at a more sedate pace. The roar of the water as it plunged down the narrow tree-covered gorge in its headlong rush to the sea filled her ears.
‘Oh, wow!’ Rocco exclaimed as he came to stand beside her, his face alight with wonder.
‘It’s quite something, isn’t it? Want to take a hike to the bottom?’
