[Towel immediately goes around the neck and, with tea in hand, she kisses his cheek and turns to head back toward the living room.]

Unimaginably, but at least it hasn't left me harmed, or worse; human again.

[She pauses by the couch and looks back over her shoulder.]

No offense, darling. I'm simply not as partial to the actual heartbeat as I am to the figurative one.