I wonder if he was somewhat resentful of being 'rewarded' with sex (that he is undoubtedly fully aware that you did not want) for being 'a good husband lately'. Some might call that a little patronising.

It may well be that in a hurt and resentful mood he struggled to find, on an unexpected instance, positive things to say about you and in flailing wildly could only come up with that skin comment in what we know was a forlorn hope of averting the awful anger that would soon be visited on him.

We men may look and act like insensitive gorillas at times but inside we are achingly weak, timid, insecure, ready for fight or flight, oppressed by responsibility, and need reassurance and understanding. My wife provides me with none of these things despite her clear obligation in our prenup. Unhappily prenups have no legal force here and she appears to be a stranger to moral force.