To a small degree, you can control who you fall in love with. What you can't control at all, though, is who falls in love with you. Through no fault of your own, it is possible for a married man to get bored with his marriage, misread a few signals and develop a full-blown crush on you. To avoid complications, you should detect these feelings as quickly as possible and take the necessary steps to prevent them from going any further.
10 Tell-Tale Behaviors That Will Expose a Married Man's Feelings for You
Fortunately, by studying someone's behavior, it is possible to find out if they have feelings for you. Here are 10 signs a married man likes you that will give you an early warning.
1. He spends a lot of time with you and tries to get you alone
One of the biggest needs that comes up with developing feelings for someone is a desire to be close to them. This desire is universal, so if a married man seems to be actively seeking you out, you can be pretty sure that he is developing feelings for you. If he tries to get you alone as much as possible, doing things such as "randomly" running into you in secluded places or asking you to accompany him on errands, you can be almost guaranteed.
2. He is very curious about your love life
When you are attracted to someone, one of the things you want to know is whether you have any competition to worry about. Naturally, the best person to find this out from is the one you are attracted to, so they are the ones to ask. A married man will be even more likely to lead with this line of action, since he already will have something to lose, and he will want to make sure he doesn't jeopardize that with someone who isn't even available.
3. He doesn't talk about his marriage and hides his wedding ring
Whether it happened by accident or he was actively seeking them out, a married man who develops feelings for someone other than his wife knows that having those feelings and acting on them is wrong. Out of fear that bringing it up will make you judge him and rebuff his advances, he will try to minimize any sign of his marriage and avoid talking about it with you. If he goes so far as to remove his wedding ring – which you can notice by a faint band of discoloration around his right ring finger – it's a sure sign that a married man likes you and is planning to act on his feelings.
4. He complains to you about his marriage
Opposite to the previous point, a married man who has feelings for you might be all too happy to let you know about the state of his relationship – namely that it isn't going well and that he's miserable in it. This is to gain sympathy from you, to try to convince you that he would be better off out of the marriage. This way, he hopes to lessen the guilt you may feel when he fully reveals his feelings to you and make you feel like you are saving him from his situation.
5. He buys gifts for you
Giving gifts isn't uncommon among people who know each other on all levels, so it isn't entirely out of the question for a friend or colleague to give you one. However, there is a level of gift that is appropriate for each level of relationship. Certain types of gifts, for example, jewelry and clothes, as well as costly items, are more suitable for a romantic partner, so know that getting any of these is a sign that a married man is pursuing you and trying to win over your feelings.
6. He is flirty and heavily compliments your looks
A man who likes you will always shower you with compliments and sweet talk, partly because of his attraction to you but also because he hopes to win you over by making you feel good. No doubt, a married man who is attracted to you will begin to throw you various sugar-coated cannonball. The occasional flattering comment on a new hairdo or beautiful dress is not out of place, but if they become too frequent or too detailed, going into aspects of your body, then they are definitely across the line.
7. He casually touches you a lot
We don't usually let any stranger into our personal space. It takes trust to touch someone, and especially to allow someone else to touch you. The greater the bond of trust, the more frequent and intimate the touch will be. A married man who likes you will also feel this bond with you, however inappropriate it may be, and will feel overly comfortable with engaging in physical contact with you. Watch for overly long hugs and handshakes and occasional touches on the waist, hands, or arms that go beyond what is appropriate for your relation to him.
8. He puts a lot of effort into his appearance when he meets you
When you're attracted to someone, you always want to impress them by appearing at your best all the time. A married man who is into you won't be any different, and he will put extra effort into showing you his best side. If he begins to dress sharply when he knows you are going to meet and he seems to straighten his hair around you self-consciously, it's a clear sign that a married man has a crush on you and is trying to make a good impression.
9. He gets jealous when he sees you with other men
Jealousy and protectiveness towards someone you like is an instinct that is put on hyperdrive in men. It doesn't matter how appropriate his feelings are, or the fact that he should be focussing them on his wife, a married man who is attracted to you will see any other man you get close to as a threat. Some behaviors to watch out for include dirty looks and interruptions when he sees you with another man, and if he tries to make other guys look bad in your eyes by saying unflattering things about them.
10. He talks about you with his friends and colleagues a lot
When you fall for someone, they seem to take up a permanent home in your thoughts and never leave them. You can't seem to stop thinking about them, and they naturally spill into your conversations. Even though he may be trying to hide it from the public, his wife, and even from himself, a married man who is in love with you will not be able to resist talking about you to his closest friends. If you find out that a married friend has been talking about you a lot lately, and that his words about you are filled with praise and glowing compliments, there is a high chance that he has a crush on you.
Conclusion
Hopefully, knowing these signs that a married man likes, you will allow you to identify and put an end to them early on. As flattering as it is, remember that any potential relationship you could build with this man would be built on lies and betrayal. Avoid future drama as much as possible – let him know that you are not interested, and if he persists, cut off communication with him. This way, you will preserve your peace and save your heart for a man who deserves it.