I used to have a friend who would tell me this when she would get a new job. I always hated hearing her say it because it made me feel like she was deluding herself. That phrase made me want to cringe.

Your boss may like you, but s/he never loves you, even if you're a star employee, because they have to have at least a small bit of detachment.

Any time my friend would tell me her employer loved her, I figured she would be let go soon, and I was often right.