Such a Rude and Noisy Woman novel Chapter 111

"Since when?" Hiram noticed her shivering. He held her shoulders and turned her around to face him. He looked into her eyes and asked seriously.

Rachel didn't answer him. Instead, she closed her eyes. She couldn't help looking back to the other night. What Hiram did really scared her. He was so desperate and violent. She would rather forget all of it if she could.

Hiram didn't get an answer. He saw Rachel biting her lip with eyes closed. She couldn't even look at him. He took a deep sigh. The evils he brought on himself were the hardest to overcome. This was talking about him, exactly.

If he had been able to control himself and not lay a finger on Rachel the other night, or if he had been able to control the times he touched her, it might be a different night now. He was overcome with regret.

"It's all my fault. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that to you. It won't happen again, I promise."

Hiram held Rachel in his arms tightly. He couldn't afford to lose her again. He couldn't think what he would do without her. With her around, he couldn't control himself from not touching her any more, but he knew what to do. He would give both Rachel and himself time to completely trust each other. He would wait until Rachel no longer resisted his intimacy and fully accepted him.

On the other hand, Rachel wanted to seem as normal as possible but she failed. She could not forget the hurt he caused her the other night.

"Let's go to sleep early. We will start the climb to the mountains in the morning, " she calmly said. Her heart was still rolling inside and she couldn't control it. Then she took a deep breath to calm down.

Hiram was crazy that night. But it was not fair to deny him completely.

Fortunately, Hiram was not a beast that didn't care whether she was fine or not. Although he wanted her very much, he still cared about her thoughts and feelings. Rachel was lucky, in other words.

Hiram might be tough when facing the things he didn't like, but he was soft to the ones he cared about. Maybe this was a compliment for a man like him.

Hiram nodded his head and put his hand on Rachel's head and rubbed her hair softly, "Let's go to sleep. Good night."

Then came the morning.

When Murphy, the guide, arrived early in the morning, the whole team was ready. They started their trek to Cliff Mountain.

Initially, they took cars to the bottom of the mountain. But the remaining road was not suitable for any vehicle and they had to walk the rest of the way.

Everyone collected their belongings and got out of the cars. The real journey started right here.

The mountain path was steep and rough. It was quite a challenge for people used to flat ground. But not for Jill. She also grew up in the mountains and was familiar with such terrain. She navigated through the paths quickly. Even the male trekkers who seemed stronger couldn't catch up with her.

Rachel was right behind Hiram. She knew he would be busy in the following days and she believed she could take care of herself without his help. Thus she made up her mind not to trouble him.

"Give me your hand!"

As they were climbing a steep slope, Hiram stretched out his hands to help her.

Rachel took a deep breath and gave her hand to Hiram. She didn't work out often and it was hard for her to get used to long climbs. But Rachel believed that she could adjust herself quickly. She was young and in great physical condition. It was just a matter of time.

The whole team was divided into three groups. Four veterans and Chad were at the back. Daniel, Jill and the guide were to lead the way.

Rachel was in the middle with Hiram, Carl, Gary and the engineer.

"Look at the sweat on your face. You must be tired. Do you regret coming here with me? It's still a long way to go, " said Hiram to Rachel as they took a break. Sweat was dripping from Rachel's face. He knew it might be hard for her. That was the reason why he refused to bring her along in the first place.

Rachel looked at him and shook her head, "No, I'm fine. I'm just not used to climbing. But I'll get the hang of it. Wait and see. I'll prove it to you!"

She knew her physical condition well. She was capable of regulating herself. As they say, "When in Rome do as the Romans do." She believed she would do better if they kept climbing tomorrow.

"That's so Rachel!"

Hiram smiled and wiped the sweat off her forehead with his sleeve. This woman would never give up on the things she believed in.

When they reached a clearing somewhere along the side the mountain, Daniel and Chad began to work. They assembled their equipment and started surveying the area.

Gary also got himself busy. He was in charge of the meals of the whole team. After the morning climb, it was nearly noon. He found a good place to start a fire and cook something to eat.

Jill had been living in the mountains and she was skilled at anything required during treks. She was nimble and knew how to be helpful. She was helping Gary make a fire, catch fish in the river and so on. Yes, she was an expert in mountain life.

Everyone was busy with their own tasks, except for one.

Only Rachel had nothing to do.

But she didn't regret coming here with Hiram. The scenery in and around the mountains was magnificent. She enjoyed herself much, with the fresh air, the clear water and the beautiful mountains and trees.

There was a stream nearby where they stopped. The water was so clear that one could see the bottom. It was gurgling downward along the cliff. Wild flowers were blooming as far as eye could see. For a moment, Rachel thought she was in wonderland.

On a big rock not far away, Hiram was talking with the engineer. They were checking the land there. From time to time, they pointed to one direction or looked down at the map in their hands. Sometimes they turned to ask Murphy, who stood beside them.

Soon, the equipment was ready. Daniel began to control his unmanned aerial vehicle flying high in the sky. Beside him, Chad was watching what the vehicle was recording through his computer. It was a good way to look around the surrounding land forms without the trouble of actually going there.