Full meaning of te quiero...?

I'm half black, half Mexican & my girlfriend's full blood Mexican and expects that I know/learn Spanish. A couple nights ago we were watching movies on the couch & she whispered my name. I said yes & she said "te quiero mucho preciosa." What I want to know is does te quiero carry the same weight as te amo or was she basically just trying to be affectionate or just saying that she wanted me?