He stops walking dead to look at her, stunned that she'd say such a thing. Although he could see how she might mistake it for being that way. He provided her with food, a place to sleep, went on walks with her.

But it wasn't like that at all. Not at all.

"Although Q may have made pains to suggest such a thing, it couldn't be furthest from the truth. You're no pet of mine. In fact I daresay you're the closest thing to an ideal partner that I've ever met."

They were far enough from Chekov's house now, he thought, not to be overheard. "I've never met anyone like you." Although perhaps it was more accurate to say that he'd never stuck around anyone like her long enough to notice.