The Bold and the Beautiful recap (June 9): Hope lusts after Thomas

The Bold and the Beautiful is inching closer to its big Italy episode but, for now, the main players who are about to jet set are still in Los Angeles making preparations for the trip. There’s excitement in the air…a little too much excitement considering Hope’s attraction to Thomas kicked up another notch on Friday, June 9’s episode.

The brand ambassador made it clear to her mother, Brooke, that nothing is going to happen between her and her lead designer on this trip. In fact, she was offended that Brooke told her that she can keep an eye her to make sure she doesn’t make a mistake. Hope, however, was adamant that she’s capable of staying faithful to her husband, Liam, and staying true to her marriage vows without a babysitter. She was offended that her mom even feels the need to try to keep her in check.

The two women have been brushing up hard against their differences ever since Hope realized her feelings for Thomas have become more than friendly. Hope’s idea of who she is as a person means that she could never make the decisions Brooke has made over the years, but her mom had tried to get through to her that it’s not that simple. Her advice has fallen on closed ears, though judging by where Hope’s mind wandered when she was left alone, she needs to be listening to Brooke and taking what she has to say to heart.

Hope had been looking at a card Douglas had made her and Thomas which included a picture of both his parents at the office. Looking at the picture sent Hope’s mind hurtling toward the prospect of Rome which should have had her envisioning her fashion show and instead she was fantasizing of a sultry, candlelit scene of her having her way with Thomas.

The vision shook Hope to her core, proving that this attraction that she swears she has under control is burning with a heat she may not know how to handle. Thomas, however, isn’t having the same issue.

The Bold and the Beautiful recap

Though the pair are coming down to the wire with preparations for their Rome showing, Thomas was inspired to design another dress, drawing from his connection with Hope. But for him, their bond isn’t romantic or sensual. It’s actually quite innocent and joyful for him which is evident in the work he’s producing.

Brooke told Hope that their creator-muse relationship isn’t sustainable because it means they’re working closely together and that proximity builds a type of intimacy that Hope can’t afford to indulge. But that doesn’t seem to be where Thomas is coming from and when he showed his father, Ridge, his most recent design he’d had an excitement that was all about the creative process.

Ride checked in with Thomas, making sure that the glint he saw in his eye wasn’t one of obsession and an attachment to a woman who isn’t available and isn’t interested in him, but Thomas assured him that’s not the case. He even called Hope having feelings for him “ridiculous” and Ridge agreed because they both know how in love she is with Liam and how committed she is to her marriage and her family.

Surprisingly, when Ridge told him Brooke is thinking of coming on the Italy trip, Thomas thought that’d be a good idea. Earlier in the episode, she’d been running through her plans that she was looping Ridge into without asking, because she wants to be a part of this momentous occasion and also spend time sight-seeing with Ridge.

Ridge didn’t share that conversation with Thomas, but he did gauge his son’s feelings on Brooke coming along. Thomas is of the mind that the trip is an opportunity for Brooke to see that there’s simply a work and co-parent relationship between him and Hope, and nothing more. He expressed this to her when she joined him and his father in the main office.

Funnily enough, however, Thomas said that coming to Italy with them would show her how great he and Hope are together. That wasn’t exactly the phrasing she wanted to hear considering she knows that her daughter is struggling with her feelings for him, and she’d just come from a conversation where it was clear to her that there’s more going on than Hope is willing to admit. But if they can keep this genie in the bottle, it may not be an issue.

Meanwhile, over at Spencer Publications, Liam was lamenting to his brother, Wyatt, that he couldn’t convince Hope to keep Thomas from going on the trip. Wyatt cracked jokes to lighten the mood which was helping Liam, but it didn’t fix the crux of the problem. Liam’s not comfortable with his wife going to one of the most romantic cities in the world with Thomas, working in close proximity with him on what could be a game-changing preview for the HFTF brand, and the two getting to share in that together on an extended trip.

Wyatt presented the possibility that perhaps Thomas could simply be a part of the preview via a video call. That way he takes part but isn’t physically there and around Hope. Liam liked that idea and hopes that he can get Hope to see his perspective but that’s not going to happen. We know it and he knows it, too.

She’s insisted that she needs Thomas with her and that this is his moment as well. The man has made a last minute design they’re hoping will be ready in time to take with them so they can show the buyers. It’s inspired by her. Most likely we’ll get to see Hope wearing the dress, and she’s not going to just kick her work partner off a pivotal business trip.

Of course, this does mean we’re going to be in for some peak drama over the next week or so. Until next time, Bold fans. Stay beautiful!

New episodes of The Bold and the Beautiful stream on Paramount+ .