The Bold and the Beautiful recap (July 12): Hope wants to keep her affair secret

We’re on day number 3 of Thomas and Hope being wrapped up in the sheets on The Bold and the Beautiful, and we’ve finally made some headway on where they actually stand now that they’ve had sex as the soap has shown multiple times while keeping it suitable for daytime television.

They’ve spent the rest of their time praising one another and their connection. On Tuesday’s episode, Hope waxed poetically about Thomas’ many winning character traits like his gentleness, his intuitive nature, and his talent. Today, she opened up about how alive he makes her feel. She’s become enthralled by the feeling and is beginning to understand the power that can come with following your heart just like her mother has done over the years.

Hope recognizes that her affair with Thomas–and that is what we should call it since she’s married and plans on continuing to “explore” what they have even with her future being uncertain–should be considered wrong. But she’s struggling to feel like it is when he’s awakened something in her that she’s never felt before.

For his part, Thomas said he could have never imagined that they’d be intimate like this. Like her imagination of what they could be like together, it didn’t come close to the reality of it. But, as much as they’re basking in their new connection, reality is going to have to set in at some point. Hope acknowledged that she should get going before she gets into even more trouble. Thomas agreed, but he had a question for her first: Can she handle them?

What happened today on The Bold and the Beautiful?

It was a direct question, one that Hope answered indirectly much to Thomas’ disappointment. She said that she needs to figure out what her next steps are going to be, but she doesn’t want to walk away from what they’ve begun to uncover between them.

She’d just rather keep it under wraps for now. Thomas acquiesced but no one wants to be hidden or a secret and that’s exactly what Hope is making her new paramour. Unfortunately for her, she may not get to keep this one the down low for long.

Katie wants Hope to focus on her marriage

At Forrester Creations, Ridge, Carter, and Katie were gathered to go over the Hope for the Future numbers and marketing. The brand has been a success since the Rome preview and the company is trying to keep up with orders. But, even in this success, Katie couldn’t revel in it too much because she’s been rubbed the wrong way by what happened between Hope and Thomas in Italy.

She gave the usual excuse of the two getting swept up in the emotion and that it had gone to Hope’s head causing her to act out of character and hurt her husband and marriage. Katie, however, seemed to want to lay a good portion of the blame at Thomas’ feet which Ridge wouldn’t let her do because Hope kissed him and not the other way around. Thomas’ track record isn’t in question at this moment, Hope’s intentions are.

Katie believes they need to keep professional boundaries as the work partners navigate this huge win for the line, but she has no idea that the two are well past boundaries. They don’t have any, that’s done. And that’s what Liam was ultimately concerned about.

RJ continues to fight for Hope and Liam’s marriage

For as much as Thomas credited Hope today for fighting for her marriage despite Liam not wanting to listen to her and try to move past the Rome trip, it’s actually been RJ and Wyatt who have been fighting the hardest for Hope and Liam’s marriage. Wyatt had a meeting he had to attend so he wasn’t in the episode, but RJ picked up where he left off, trying to convince Liam not to give up on Hope.

He told him that a kiss between Thomas and her would never happen again and that she made a mistake and Liam should concentrate on how much he loves her and their family so he can find a way to forgive her. RJ was adamant that if he didn’t, he’d regret it for the rest of his life. Liam, however, has been consistent about his feelings on the matter. He saw the desire in Hope’s eyes, the way she looked at Thomas was the way she looks at him, and he watched as she pulled Thomas into a kiss. Hope knew that would be too much for their marriage to survive, and she did it anyway.

Thomas said that Hope has forgiven a lot in her relationship with Liam, and she has, but does that mean Liam has to do the same? She’s essentially doing to him what he’s done to her except it’s unclear if she’s in love with Thomas the way that Liam had been in love with Steffy. She said she’s never had a relationship where the man only saw her and wanted her (conveniently forgetting she did have that with Wyatt), and that’s an aspect of her bond with Thomas that’s intoxicating, she loves the way he sees her.

This could turn into a full blown love triangle where Hope has to make a choice considering RJ looked to be getting through to Liam. Or the choice might be made for her if her affair gets out. Katie, Ridge, and Carter mentioned that it was good the public hadn’t caught wind of the kiss Thomas and Hope shared. There’s no telling if that’ll remain true.

If it doesn’t and the cat is let out the bag, Hope’s going to have more problems than a marriage hanging by a thread. As Katie pointed out, this type of scandal could affect a company. Will she get to keep this secret? I’d put money on no.

Until next time, Bold fans. Stay beautiful!

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