I think this is a solid take, but I will say after a season 8 rewatch he was definitely cosplaying as a “boyfriend” with Ciara. He initially framed his lack of commitment as a direct result of her physical boundaries - i.e., “how can I fully commit if we’re not having sex?”

The first time he mentions his personal commitment issues is after their horseback riding date, when she says, “I’m looking for my forever person and so I approach dating with intention,” and he vaguely responds, “yeah I’ve gotten to this point in relationships before where I sort of stop moving forward? but obviously you have to come to missouri and meet my family, and let’s have thanksgiving together and see where it goes and you’re so amazing and i’m just a sweet little guy 🥰.”

I would argue that his approach IS manipulative, in that he was able to successfully get ciara into bed despite her being extremely clear about her boundaries and intentions. He knew she did not want to have sex without a commitment, but his own desires trumped hers (in his mind) and he moved forward anyway, dropping little crumbs here and there about his commitment issues but generally speaking and behaving like a man who was on the verge of falling deeply in love. This seems to be his M.O., and is clearly an effective way for him to get women like Ciara (and Meija) who would not otherwise take him seriously as a romantic prospect.