The way these characters are acting is like from some alternate universe, where the roles are reversed.
This is a "married man" (ex though, but still). He has 10-20 years of experience being in a relationship, and being a "lover".
Now the guy is sweating and almost having a seizure/mental breakdown, because some young girl is holding/touching his hand, and being a bit more intimate than normally.. The guy is acting like a (very nervous) virgin, who has never been close to a woman (except his mom), and it feels almost like he's being played.
Tbh I just think this is bad writing, since it's not realist how these two act.. It's like this author doesn't know how people change through being in a relationship/marriage, and how they totally drop all that virgin like nervousness, if they even had any of that before having "experience"..
(But that's just my meaningless opinion, and I may be totally in the wrong)