My Patient and I Had an Incident

So last week, one of my patients, let's call him Tom, came in for a routine checkup. He’s in his mid-40s, not bad-looking if you like the rugged type. Anyway, we’re both professionals here, but things got...complicated. Tom has been coming to me since he was first diagnosed with something serious a few years back. I’ve seen him through it all, including some rough patches in his marriage. It’s always awkward when his wife comes for her appointment too. Anyway, last week we were alone. He mentioned how much better he felt lately and thanked me for everything. The words were kind enough but there was something...off about them. I dismissed it as just another day of dealing with human emotions in a sterile environment. Then came the moment. Tom started to get flustered, sweating more than usual during an exam. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair and made eye contact that felt less professional than it ever had before. And there was this vibe, I can’t quite describe it but it definitely wasn't about health or medicine. I tried to move things along, asked if he needed anything specific for the checkup, kept things strictly clinical. But then he blurted out something like 'Can I...just talk for a minute?' And all that politeness and professionalism flew right out the window. Next thing you know, Tom is asking if it’s possible to feel more than just relief after years of treatment. He wanted to thank me in ways that made both my ears burn and the room uncomfortably quiet. I ended up telling him very politely but firmly that I was there for his health, not... anything else. That we should keep things professional moving forward. I’m sure he saw it coming from a mile away given how straight-laced I usually am anyway. The day after this incident, I did my usual follow-up with his wife and got an awkward vibe back but nothing really concrete came of it. My job is to provide care, not deal with these kinds of situations. So yeah, just wanted to get that off my chest, was I wrong for trying to avoid complicating things? Or was this all some weird overreaction on my part? Not sure what the right call was here.