Actually, the more direct a guy is the more of a player we think they are (at least the discerning women). Stereotypically, we're not used to nice, confident men. The confident ones are typically the guys that secretly (or not so) hold a high opinion of themselves to the point they think they can walk up to any girl and score points. Besides, if a guy wants to exude confidence, then he'd better be able to deal with it when I try to knock him off his pedestal. How a guy handles pressure is a great test of character. The weaklings buckle and relent. A sincerely confident man is steadfast and honest.
That's why I hate it when guys use the line, "I'm not like other guys." Even the nice ones say it and it's big letdown when you've invested in a guy turns out to be all talk. Until you've shown me otherwise, I'm gonna play it safe.