No OPT...H1B approved before Oct 1..Can I work in USA?

[gauravhawk]

I have worked in USA on H1B from Oct 1, 2010 to April 7, 2011. Then I left the country and went back to India. However, my H1B expired on Sep 30, 2013. Then I returned back to US in December 2013 for MBA. Now my MBA will be completed in May 2015 and I have been told that I cannot get OPT authorization to work after May 2015 until Oct 1, 2015 because this is my 2nd Masters degree in US and one can get only 1 OPT authorization for multiple Masters degrees. My question is:

Can I use my earlier H1B number (earlier approval) to continue working for the new employer after May 2015 and do not need to worry about the GAP starting May 2015 to Oct 1, 2015?

Please clarify. Any inputs are appreciable and highly helpful.

Thanks,
Gaurav