<human>: Can you provide a brief overview of the text?

I have a friend (we'll call him James). We've known each other for years, but have never hung out without our mutual friend present. Our mutual friend and I don't talk anymore, so I want to know how to ask to hang out with James. I also think he may like me more than a friend.

 I was sad one day and he said I could go over, so I did (first time hanging out with just us). He was being nice and trying to help me feel better by "cuddling" (head on shoulder). Prior to this we really didn't have much physical contact, not even a hug. We sat there watching TV and soon the Cuddling turned a little more flirty. We ended up laying down on the couch cuddled up with his arm around me and my head on his chest while a blanket covered us. We often held hands and would interlock fingers. He tickled me a lot, especially my tummy. He would rest his hand on my inner and outer thigh as well. Sometimes he would pull the covers over our heads, but would put them back. At one point i fixed my hair a bit and he told me i didn't have to because i was already pretty. He offered to take a nap in his room, but we stayed on the couch. I left when he got a text from a friend saying he was coming over, when i left he called me sweetie and said love you (saying love you is common for us, pets names aren't)

later i got a text and he said he wished they didn't come over because he wanted to cuddle more. He said this more than once. He also sent a pic of him cuddling with his dog, I said I was jealous  of him (his dog is adorable) and he said he would rather be cuddling with me.

Is he just being really friendly and affectionate, or does he probably like me? I'm very socially awkward and haven't really been in the dating game, so i'm pretty clueless. How can I ask him to hangout again without sounding weird. I think I may like him, but I want to hangout with him more first. We also don't really share any friends.
<bot>: Does my friend like me more than a friend or is he just being affectionate? How should I go about asking him to hangout without our mutual friend?