He probably doesn't suspect you of harboring a secret plot to do that, but it may be that he internalized it as "the right way to treat a woman" to keep her from being unhappy.
While he's not worried about going to jail, he is worried about making you unhappy. If he can let go of fear and go from thinking about how not to make you unhappy to thinking about how to make you happy (two very different goals and mindsets), he'll end up where you and him both want him to go. You can't push yourself or anyone else toward a goal with fear, you can only push away from a pitfall with fear... going toward a goal requires positive desire for gain to dominate one's thinking.
a fine and enviable madness, this delusion that all questions have answers, and nothing is beyond the reach of a strong left arm.
