Everyone's situation in life is different, so I don't judge at all. If you've been single most of your life, of course you would crave having companionship. If the WL turns you on and you click with her, it's only natural for you to want to be with her "for the rest of your life" (for the time being).
What you need to do, if you're the punter side of the equation, is to figure out if THIS particular WL has the right character to carry on after doing this work. They need to understand why men have to go punting and accept that it happens. They also have to not hate themselves for doing the work. Those are the only ones worth going for if you ask me.
At the same time, you have to ask yourself if you can have the same thinking as the WL, as the above. If you can't do it, don't even think about it.
Personally, I've never taken the next step of dating a WL because the many years of punting has conditioned me into "cumming and going", so to speak. Plus, looking back at my life, I've never really had any time being single since leaving high school.... I actually crave single life and having the freedom to punt anytime I want! It's ironic. I'm a loner by nature... I like going to the cinema alone, for example... But I'm always stuck in one relationship or the next!