I am a male, and consider myself heterosexual. That said I have encounter a few men in my life who I felt a special connection to, much in the way that you describe. I too felt confused by it at the time. My own guess for me is that I have a unmet need for certain kinds of relationships with certain kinds of people and it triggers the same emotional response as a women would even if it is a man that I get along with that well. I don't know if that helps or makes sense.