So I have no problem talking to attractive women. I get numbers easily, flirt easily, etc. But to me that all feels so shallow. I want to know how to escalate the right way. I always seem to rush into things too fast and then I lose the girl. And no I'm not just talking about getting laid. There has been many times where I have gone on several dates with a girl and I genuinely enjoy her company. We have a lot in common, she tells me she thinks I'm cute, she's flirty, etc. But when I try to escalate things and try and move it past the flirty/dating stage and into a relationship part, suddenly she says she would rather be friends.. and then everything, including the flirting, stops. Sigh. I was telling a friend about this and he told me not to rush things, to enjoy the dating/flirting stage and let things naturally flow into a relationship. But it's frustrating because that flirting/dating stage can drag on for MONTHS with me. Any advice would be appreciated.

tl:dr need help escalating past dating and into a relationship