How to say 'I want you' without meaning 'I love you'
Usually I would use Quiero, e.g. Quiero una cerveza. But I've read that if I use this same logic to 'I want you' it would be be 'Te Quiero', but I've read that that translates into 'I love you' instead.
That could lead to an unfortunate misunderstanding.
8 Answers
The trouble is that Spanish is a romance language. There are only 16 phrases that don't mean I love you and they all have to do with fishing.
you say "te deseo". it means i desire you. hence want you. "te quiero" is i like you. and "te amo" is i love you.
Just don't look her in the eye when you say it.
Use it in an English sentence. There may be a way to avoid the whole want/desire thing.
How about ..... A ti te gusta mucho... or is this completely off the beaten track?
Thing is, "I want you," by itself in English sounds quite suggestive, too. So, I was asking for more context. WHY are you saying "I want you?"
If you are, for example, trying to say "I want you to (do something), then querer presents no problem.
Example: Quiero que saques la basura. (I want you to take out the trash).
See how, in Spanish, you are not saying "I want you" but instead you are saying "I want that you..."
But, then the question is, is this a rude way of asking someone to do something. In English, this comes across as an order much as a parent might give a child or as a manager might give an employee.
I want you to take out the trash (a demand) vs. Would you take out the trash? (a request)
Would that be: ¿Sacarías la basura?
I'm kinda rambling now.
You could say, Sos la persona que más quiero en el mundo. I'm pretty sure that means I really like you. 
What you are looking for is : te deseo, not necessarily love implied.
