Platonic Love in the film and novel Maurice

This is only the second time I have heard the words platonic love. The first for a statistics project on couples and the second while reading this book. Clive mentioned that he wanted platonic love in Maurice, the novel and book, but he never showed it until the end. According to the online dictionary Platonic Love is, "an affectionate relationship into which the sexual element does not enter; especially in cases where one might easily assume otherwise. A simple example of platonic relationships is a deep non-sexual friendship." If Clive wanted his and Maurice's relationship to be platonic, he should have not been so sensual with him by kissing him repeatedly, passionately, and touching him erotically. Also he was the first one to say that he loved Maurice and take their relationship to the next level. Because Maurice at first called it rubbish but then responded with sensual acts. At one point, "[Maurice] now cared less for Clive than Clive for him" (184). Even when Clive was married he wanted Maurice. Earlier on Clive admitted that he got intimacy from his relationship with Maurice. He stated, "We were young idiots, weren't we?--but one can get something even out of idiocy. Development. No, more than that, intimacy" (175). Clive admitted that he got intimacy from his relationship with Maurice and later states, "the sole excuse for any relationship between men is that it remain purely platonic" (244) yet he knows in his heart and love towards Maurice that that does not happen. Clive contradicts himself throughout the novel and the film by his actions and his words because he is going against his true love for Maurice.